The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1916-08-04
MOST IMPORTANT BILL
NOW BEFORE CONGRESS
How Water Power Legislation
VIII Build Up the West.
D. HENRY L. MYERS

other piece Of legislation which will be
com idered at this session OF congress
This bill proposes to make available
for development aud use the cheapest
source Of electricity water power. IL
offers a new hope OF wonderful devei
opment and marvellous possibilities for
new industries 10 the great west
The water powers OF that par u the
country are among it's greatest re
Aources. and To the present time they
have been almost wholly neglected.
We have stopped developing water
powers because the laws have not been
adapted to their development The pro.
posed Legislation Will encourage water
power development. Offering req son
able terms and conditions 10 investors
while II fully protects the puhAh rights
in this national asset IL opens the
door to Development on fair terms ia
investor and consumer alike aud puts
M the bars against speculation In or
exploitat ton OF the public need for In
dividnal or corporate greed
A few 81 the uses to which electrical
power has been put successfully Ia
recent years and will bs applied more
successfully In the next few years 10
come are
Cheap electricity for fuel and power,
light and heat In the cities and on the
farms
Reclama ton by irrigation Of vast
areas Of land now idle and useless.
Establishment Of Dew Industries,
! around which will grow new towns
and cities, creating employment for
! hundreds Of thousands Of people and
new markets for agricultural products.
| New steel and iron industries In
| new sections.
Cheapened production Of metal from
| low grade ores.
Cheaper agricultural fertilizers and
consequent larger agricultural crops.
| One Of the greatest benefits which
will arise In the west from this legisla
ton In the irrigation OF arid lands
I which are not now susceptible TO irri-
CATION by the gravity system. IL Is
estimated that there are az least 10
100000 acres OF arid lands located In
the far western states lying above the
reach Of gravity water that can only
be reclaimed through water raised by
pumps operated by cheap hydroelec
tric power now latent and wasting In
the various streams from which the
water would be pumped In "theI
words we can make the water pump
itself on To the land Given water
these lands will produce every fruit
vegetable and grain that Ia native 4
the temperate zone and are capable o
supporting population Of 100000
people
With n bill Of this kind enacted int,
law and In successful opera ton be
lieve capital will heroine interested 3
such a degree in water power develop
ment and power viii be produced y
cheaply that there will be no eIcus
for a single quarter section Of land I
the western states remaining ard an
unproductive. Statesmen, economist
and theorists have long sought a wa
for reducing high cost " living. L
= this legislation | beiieve lies dire
rad 10 this end,
am assured that capital ls waitin
only for fSL Legislation Of the kin
contained In this hill TO invest In greS
4 water power development that will o.
complish all the benefits to which
, have referred The establishment {
electrochemical planta fer the uxatio
Of atmospheric nitrogen located
, these western states. where there al
mountains of lime. phOsphates All
> other minerals and ores awaiting chez
. power for THAR manufacture into us'
u full products means among oth'
e things Chaa per fertilizer for the who
. country
= Here u the opportunity for the faru
erS Of the United States 10 have p'
into their hands the greatest possl0
agency Of restoring the fertility
their lands. Increasing their crops al
+ una king this country the storchouse
u the world for agricultural products,
K Legislation uf this character will =
a able both the government aud tndiVt
uals to engage IN the business ~ Il
nIation Of atmospheric nitrogen Tn
( VIII hoN oAty MI vi N@N tANAuShAV1
4 Fertilizers, hut Il may b. utilized
a the government In the manufacture
munitions % war Now we are Deepen
+. ent for our nitric acid an essential
explosives, upon the nitrate OF soda '
get from Chile II by war az any 9th
y cause we should be cut Oh from th
J. source Of supply the United Stat
IA would have no WAy Df obtaining
a short notice the materials Of Whtch
Il make gunpowd~T Imagine the nes
4 Sightednesa of such q sltua ton broug
about bv our neglect OF our vat
~ powers and our failure to encoura
p" the great electrOchennical induStTi
which other nations have created
I" furnish them with this highly nec'
Il sary munition of defense
g This message 10 not only = develS
a ment measure and = coSeervau
~ measure In the true sense ~ the
A. words. but n ls a highly imPOrta
Il part VI the preparedness progrs
. which should be adopted by eOngr'
for the purpose Of putting this count
A. , ,,oatfIon IN defend IfSalf Aamis