Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1916-05-02
Save Water Powers for tho People.
MILFORD, PA, April 10, 1915.

6UStOT UeU6OCfW:
The iniquitous Shields bill, giving
away the water powers on our navigable
streams, about which I wrote you on
February Is, has been driven through
the Senate. but Il has not passed the
House. There Is still Q good chance not
only to stop this raid on public proper
ty, but to pass fair and honest water.
power bill In It's place.
Everything said about the Shields
bill In former letter was confirmed In
the debate. According to Its own sup
porters, this bill turns over to the power
interests waterpower equivalent to twice
the mechanical power Of every kind
now used in the United States, or
enough to meet the needs Of two hun
dred million people. This 1t does In rsr-
petuity, although pretending to limit
the grant to fifty years. Small \ wonder
there is pressure to get 1t through.
On March 81 substitute for the
Shields bill was reported to the House
of Representatives. Unlike the Shields
bill, this House bin makes no perpetual
grant of. public waterpower, but wisely
and In fact sets limit of fifty years.
Nevertheless, It Is not yet good bill.
For example, 1t gives away the public
waterpowers without compensation.
There is no reason why the waterpower
corporations should not pay for what
they get. The rest of rs do. The
House bill should be amended accord.
ingly.
II the House corrects It's own bill and
then passes it, the good bill from the
House and the bad bill from the Senate
will 60 to conference, and the differ
ences will be adjusted BY the conferees.
The managers of the watefpower cam
paign believe that a majority Of the con-
feress will be friendly to them, and will
report bill in their interest. They will
then try to rush the conference bill
through, probably In the confused and
crowded fiual hours OF the session. Such
plan has often served the special in
terests 10 the past, and 1t Is dangerous
now.
During tho debate on the Shields bill,
this course was openly advised. There
was under discussion an amendment Civ
ing preference to the applicant for q pub
lie waterpower who offers the best terms
to the public. One of the supporters of
the Shields bill, Senator Nelson of Min
nesota, after referring to the amend.
ment as "bad and Vicious" went on to
say: "It is something that We can elm
mate in conference. We might
let 1t 60 In and then dispose of 1t In con-
ference" Congressional Record, March
8, 1915, page 1885
We can beat this plan only by letting
the people understand the facts. This
the power interests have set out to pre-
vent by confusing the public mind with
interested statements and personal at
tacks.
am asking for your help once more
to get the House to pass good bill, and
then to stand by 1t, no matter what the
confereeL may do. If the House stands
frm, the people will win this fight. But
the House needs to know that the people
are behind 1t.
Let me call your attention again to the
Ferris bill, good bill dealing with
waterpower on public lands and Nation
al Forests, which has twice passed the
House. An undesirable substitute, the
Myers bill, now before the Senate, gives
the public waterpowers away In perpe
tuity. Under 1t, the power interests
could occupy and exploit the Grand Can
yon itself, the greatest natural wonder
on this continent.
The waterpower interests want every
thing or nothing. In the last eight
years they have killed eight wsterpower
bills that were fair both to
the corporations and TO the public. What
the people need Is waterpower develop
ment on equitable terms without further
delay. They can have what they want
by letting the House know 1t.
Sincerely yours,
CLIFFORD PINCHoT.