Arizona republican., 1916-02-28
The Husted Water Power Bill.

The Husted water power bill which is to be 1n- troduced in congress today will probably bring the secret supporters of the power trust into the open or put them to flight. This bill, according to the dispatches yesterday will meet the very vigorous obiections of the friends of conservation to the Shields bill which manifestly framed Tn the interest of the power trust and is evidently part of concerted movement to break down the national conservation policy.
 It has been shown that more than one-haH or the total power used in the public service through out the country is controlled by eighteen compa- nies All this is considerably less than the unde- veIoued power which the Shields bill proposes to deliver into private hands which, if not already allied with the power trust would shortly become a part of it.
 finder the guise of a provision to keep the con- trol of the power within the government the bill would effectuay divorce it by the imposition of a condition with which the government could not comply At the end of fifty years the people could take back the power but they would have to pay the unearned increment and take over lighting sys- tems of cities and whole manufacturing plants. Of course this would be done and the power would remain in the control of the trust perpetually The undisguised purpose of the bill is shown in a pro- vision authorizing the condemnation of property, public and private, by private corporations. This is the first attempt of the trust 10 secure thls great gift from the government. Two willing gresses had granted it but the bills were vetoed by President Roosevelt and President Taft
 The power is strongly intrenched in the senate where it is possible that the Shields bill might be passed but as it evidently could not be passed in the house and, in any event, would not likely secure the approval of the president, the power trust advocates may to the Husted bill though doubtless they would not be greatly interested further in the subject of water power legislation.
 The house had passed the Ferris bill which, though entirely satisfactory to the friends of conservation not sterny opposed by them. But as it was reported in the senate, it recognizable It permitted corporation to take as many power sites it pleased. Under the senate change corporation could even seize upon the Grand Canyon. It proposed to take the control of waters from power sites in national forests away from the forestry and give it to the interior department.
 The arguments in favor of the power trust bill are those offered against conservation when that policy was first proposed conservation obstructs development Yet a recent report by the secretary agriculture shows that the most rapid development has been in the national forests where there has been the best enforcement of conserva- ton. "On the other hand 12O public service porations and holding, undeveloped and out of amount of power equal to four-fifths of all there is developed and in use by all the pub lie service corporations in the whole United States
 In a letter to the president a month ago Clifford Pinchot
 Natural resources lie at the foundation of all pre- paredness whether for peace for No plan for national defense be effective unless it pro- vides for adequate public control of all the raw materials of which the defensive Strength of a nation is made. Of these materials power is the most essential because without electricity generated from water power we can not manufac- nitrates and nitrates the basis of gun powder. There great natural deposits of nitrates in the United States there are in Chi. It would te folly to allow the public water powers. which supply this indispensable basis of tional defense, to pass out of effective public trol.
 The Husted bill according to the dispatches of yesterday, is satisfactory to Mir Pinchot and other conservatiQnsts. The power licenses reduced to thirty years but proposed commission, consisting of the secetaries of the interior and agrcu ture may grant two ten-year renewals On taking the property at the expiration of the license renewals the commission would fix the price and the government would control the property until the price fixed. A limitation is also placed on service charges. Further control by the govern ment at all times is provided for It is authorized 'to take possession of any improvement which be- part of a combination conspiracy to re- strain the output distribution of power and to seize in time of necessity all power plants for the manufacture of nitrates and explosives"
 Tko D.1 Dat