The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1917-03-02
A PRICELESS
HERITAGE TO
BE GIVEN UP

ish The Journal from time to time,
articles on the live topics of the day.
All will be profited, and enjoy read
ing them -Editor.
The most valuable property that
the people of this country collectively
own is it's water power. The United
States Geological Survey estimates
the water power in the states of Cali
formal, Oregon, Washington, Idaho,
Montana, Wyoming and Colorado at
100000 horse power, and that it is
71Go of the entire available water
power of this entire country. Less
than $50 of it's power is in use today.
The human mind cannot grasp the
meaning of this colossal power. AS
impossible as that is, it is infinitely
more difficult to grasp its value. The
water powers when harnessed become
a perpetual mint Just as long as the
wind watts the waters of the oceans
across the land, and it falls on noun
tain and plain, just so long will the
water powers be one of the great
sources of wealth in the nation. And
as population increases, the water
powers will become CORRESPONDENCE
more valuable.
Why is this true? Let us consider
this for few moments. We are
passing out of the coal and steam age
and into the electrical age. Steam
as motive power is doomed; in a
few brief years, it will be but men,
DRY. Today, much of the machinery,
especially in cities, is run with cleo
tricity. 1t has become an indispens-
ible necessity in lighting the home and
streets. Within a very few years, it
is safe to predict that it will turn
every wheel in every factory and
manufacturing plant in the land. 1t
will propel every automobile, light
every home, cook every meal, and heat
every home and place of business.
Its mission does not end here; it
only commences. With the perfection
of the storage battery, it will drive
boats upon the rivers, bays and oceans.
And more. The world has been de-
pending upon Chile for it's nitrogen
in the past. The same report, Geo.
logical report estimates that the
nitrate fields of Chile will be exhaust
ed within thirty years. Nitrogen
makes up the greater part of animal
and vegetable life. Four fifths of
the atmosphere is nitrogen. Neither
plant or animal life can exist without
it. 1t is the substance that fertilizes
the soil, and without it plant life
would end and the world become
desert. With the exhaustion of the
nitrate beds of Chile, Europe and
America must look elsewhere for it's
nitrate to fertilize the fields, and to
use in the manufacture of powder.
With electrical power, nitrogen can
be extracted from the atmosphere and
used in the manufacture of nitrates
for the soil. In coming years, by the
aid of these water powers and cleo
tricity, all the fertilizer that the farms
of the country needs will be manufact-
ured.
Imagine, if you can, what the value
of these water powers will be when
used for all these purposes as they
will in a few years. The companies
or individuals owning them will be
able to levy tribute on every farmer,
industry and home in the land. The
income from these plants will stagger
the brain of man to grasp it. 1t will
be one of the most gigantic combina
tons for the making of money of this
age, and it's coming. 1t is almost
here now.
There is now before Congress bill
to grant to individuals leases on these
water powers for a term of fifty
years, almost without price. That
the bill will become law, goes with
out saying. When it does pass, our
in congress will be
guilty of the most monstrous blunder
and we will be no less
guilty than congress, because of our
That these water powers
when developed will in time drift
into the hands of but few, or maybe
one great concern, as the steel and
oil business has, is absolutely certain.
This great aggregation of centralized
wealth will be used to perpetuate it
self, and in doing that, it will corrupt
government in it's every branch. Most
of us will see but the beginning of