Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1917-11-20
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4 Plea for the Nations Resources.

A Plea for the Natien's Resources.
Milford, Pa, Nov Editor The
Argus: The great war in which our
nation is engaged will be won not
alone by food and men, but by me
chanical power as we'll Without me-
chanical power we could not make or
move the weapons with which We
aght-guns, ammunition, ships, and
supplies. Our national resources Of
power, whether from coal. oil, or
water power, are national war neces-
sites We need them to win the war
In this gigantic struggle our seour-
/ ity requires us to use all these great
resources, and to use them wisely and
we'll. The people of the United States
own some fifty million undeveloped
water horsepower, or about enough to
run every train, trolley, factory, mill,
mine, and electric power plant we
/ have
For 10 years the friends Of conser-
walton have urged the development of
public waterpowers in the public in
terest. But development has been
held back by a little group of natter
power magnates and their frieR S in
congress who have blocked all 1egis-
lation 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
hoar, TI,oIyirC raapDy,a bIa ,r-atarnpvTar
Legislation own and are holding mil
lions OF water horsepower undeTelop-
ed and out Of use while clamoring for
more.
The time has come when such oh
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 / be-
lieye to be briefly as follows
] ID The thing to do with water
power is 10 develop it. Whatever re-
tards or restricts the development Of
public waterpowers on terms fair &c
: the public is against public policy anc
hostile to the general welfare.
t2) Waterpower belongs 20 the PEG
z pie The sites where ii is produced
/ should always be held in public hands
. for only so can effective control II
81 the general interest be secured.
. CD Where public development il
q not desired. the right TO use water
2 power sites should be leased for per
81 iods long enough to permit sound. at
s jractive and profitable investment, hu
= never longer than SO years. At tn,
D. end of each lease all rights shoul,
return TO the people who gave them.
t4) In order to protect the consum
- er against cxtortiOn, rates and servic
z should be regulated by federal author
S ity when state or local authoritie
t fail TO do SO.
o. 90 Reasonably prompt and com
Iplate development and continuous op
e Grafton, subject TO market conditions
t shoc}d be required. Already million
S of water horsepower are held out 0
n use to further monopoly by privat
O corporations
s go Corporations or individuals VIII
o make money out Of rights granted b
v the people should share their profit
i with the people,
90 The public has a right to c0ni
n plete information about every bushes
It based on the. use of public property
i These are the principles for whic
" the friends Of conservation have bee
J. contending. Many waterpower me
believe them to be fair and sount