Mohave County miner., 1917-11-24
SAYS J. $.
 MUST PROTECT ALL RESOURCES OF NATION

ana mecnanlcal power IS eSSenIlal CO winning the war, according to an ap- peal just made by Clifford Pinchot. A copy of this appeal was sent to the Miner and is as follows:
 The great war in which our nation is engaged will be won not alone by food and men, but by mechanical pow CT as well. Without mechanical pow CT we could not make or move the weapons with which we fight-guns, ammunition, ships, and supplies. Our national resources of power, whether from coal, oil, or waUerpower, are na- tional war necessities. We need them to win the war.
 In this gigantic struggle our secur- ity requires us to use all these great resources, and to use them wisely and well. The people of the United States own fifty million undeveloped water horsepower, CT about enough to run every train, trolley, factory, mill, mine and electrical power plant we have.
 For ten years the friends of conser- vation have urged the development of public waterpowers in the public in terest. But development has been held back by a little group of water power magnates and their friends in congress who have blocked all legisla- tion which would not give them these valuable properties forever and for nothing.
 Today, when the nation needs all it's resources, the same men who have been blocking reasonable waterpower legislation own and are holding mil lions of water horsepower undeveloped and out of use while clamoring for more.
 The time has come when such ob- struction threatens the nations safety and success. We need the develop ment of these powers in war even more than in peace. At the coming session of congress sound waterpower legislation should be enacted as a war measure, based upon principles fair to all sides. These principles l believe to be briefly as follows:
 CD The thing to do with water power is to develop it. Whatever re- tards or restricts the development of public waterpowers on terms fair to the public is against public policy and hostile to the general welfare.
 (2) Waterpower belongs to the people. The sites where it is produced should always be held in public hands, for only so can effective control in the general interest be secured.
 (3) Where public development is not desired, the right to use water power sites should be leased for pc riods long enough to permit sound, at tractive, and profitable investment, but never longer than fifty years. At the end of each lease all rights should return to the people who gave them.
 (4) In order to protect the con- sumer against extortion, rates and service should be regulated by federal authority when state or local authori- S4Co 4eAA " NO oOs
 (5) Reasonably prompt and com plete development and continuous oper- ation, subject to market conditions, should be required. Already millions of water horsepower are held out of use to, further monopoly by private corporations.
 (6) Corporations or individuals who make money out of rights granted by the people should share their prof it's with the people.
 ? The public has a right to com plete information about every busi- ness based on the use of public prop erty.
 These are the principles for which the friends of conservation have been contending. Many waterpower men believe them to be fair and sound. They will, I hope, commend them selves to you as wise and reasonable. l am writing to ask your support for immediate legislation, based upon them, when congress meets.
 This is no time to give away pub lie assets necessary for the welfare of our people both in the war and after ,Se war; and we should no longer tol- crate the selfishness of private inter ests which take the dog-in-the-manger position that they must have these wa terpowers on their own terms, or no one shall use them at all.
 As the president has said: "The su- preme test of the nation has come. We must all speak, act, and serve togeth- er."