The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1917-11-20
CLIFFORD PINCHOT
ON WATER POWER

The great war in which our nation
is engaged will be won not alone by
food and men, but by mechanical
power as well. Without mechanical
power 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 waterpower. are
national war necessities. We need
them to win the war.
In this gigantic struggle our Sc
curity requires us to use all these
great resources, and to use them wise
ly and well. The people of the United
States own some fifty million unde-
Veloped water horsepower, or about
enough to run every train TROLLEY.
factory, mill, mine, and electric 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 hel |
back by little group of waterpower
magnates and their friends in con-
gress who have blocked all legislation
which would not give them these
valuable properties forever and for
nothing.
Today, when the nation needs all
its resources, the same men who have
been blocking reasonable waterpower
legislation own and are holding mil
veloped and out of use while clamor-
ing for more.
The time has come when such OBJ
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 water
power legislation should be enacted
as a war measure, based upon prin-
cipals fair to all sides. These prin-
cipals I 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.
CD Waterpower belongs to the
people. The sites where it is pro-
duced should always be held in pub
lie hands, for only so can effective
control in the general interest be Sc
cured.
(3) Where public development is
not desired. the right to use water
power sites should be leased for per-
iods 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-
sumner against extortion, rates and
Service should be regulated by federal
authority when state or local authori-
ties fail to do So
90 Reasonably prompt and COM
plete development and continuous QUE
ration, 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 grant I'd
by the people should share their pro-
fits with the people.
CD The public has a right to COM
plete information about every bust
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, | hope. commend them
selves to you as wise and reasonable.
| am writing to ask your support for
immediate legislation, based upon
them, when congress meets.
This is no time to give away public
assets necessary for the welfare of
our people, both in the war and after
the war; and we should no longer
tolerate the selfishness of private in
terests which take the dog-in- -the-man-
ger position that they must have these
waerpowers on their own terms, or
no one shall use them at all.
AS the President has said: "The SUI
preme test of the nation has come. We
must all speak, act, and serve to-
gether."
Sincerely yours,
CLIFFORD PINCHOT.