Arizona republican., 1917-09-29
White Coal"

White Coal"
 During several of the recent sessions of congress efforts have been made to enabling legislation to permit investment of capital in the develop ment of water power within the public domain While previous bills have been pending congress was not the necessity which exists at this time for some measure which would permit of development for until April year that the supreme court of the United States had made it's important ruling, in effect that official of the nation had authority to enter into binding the govern ment which would permit the development by pri- vate capital such resources. That decision came in the so-called Utah Power and ended all chance that water in the public domain could interest those with money for no man would enter into an investment the result of which might be practically confiscated at any time.
 This has left the government in the position of owning vast water power rights which it is using and which it has method of permitting others A remedy for this condition is sought in the introduced by Senator Walsh of Montana pending in congress after having passed through its second reading. The bill itself in the of the committee public lands
 It is the purpose of the Walsh measure to grant to private capital a permit the of 50 years for the development of hydroelectrc power sites within the public domain in the United States and
 
 tions Such permits would not be revocable within the period which granted through court pro- ceedings instituted upon the ground failure ply with the conditions of the permit and would able capital to develop these water power under such government control and regulation would thoroughly safeguard the peoples and prevent unreasonable charges or practices
 Water power, termed the white coal of the people, exists undeveloped in magnitude few appreciate It is estimated that sixty million horsepower is daily hing in wastage to the Use for all of it there is at this time but for much of it could readily found private investors have long since taken possession all large opportunities without the public domain. How to make available this power with fairness to the people problem many sought to solve-the most recent Senator Walsh.
 Residents of River valley need scarcely be told that what water power means in the pos abilities it lays open to manufacture Its revenues pay for enormous engineering projects and enable industries spring up where without it none could live. Development power sites in the section where suitable forests are found cheap wood pulp which is used in of industries, including the manufacture of paper of many kinds but should take the people their white coal without giv ing in return suitable equivalent and it safe guard the rights of the peopleowners of the natural resources far too many of which have been filched from them-that congress should bend every effort.
 Were the public domain the possession of great corporation it's would speedily be developed and more and people learning that what is good business for the individual combination of individuals in corporation form be made good business for the government It is certainly not good business for the government neither to develop it's resources when they needed to give them away and merely to make a few individuals rich
 If the government develop hydro electric power through the Roosevelt dam profit to the people of the Salt River valley there good why now that it needs vast power resources to create nitrates and other necessities it may not develop of the power annually going to waste.
 The man who owns undeveloped what he needs and cannot utilize it himself find equitable way for others to do so would not be ranked of ability. This is equally of a government it is of the individual and good chance for efficient thinking and efficient action is offered in the opportunity to properly utilize the peoples white coal in these days when waste of all kinds is hand cappng the nation.