The Greeneville daily sun. (Greeneville, Tenn.) 1918-1920, 1918-08-15
ANOTHER WAR RESOURCE.

The announcement that the administration is to urge
the waterpower bill to early passage is good news both
for war and peace purposes The nation has over go
100000 horsepower in its waters, of which less than
100000 is utilized The use Of One-half of the total
available power would greatly relieve the fuel situa-
ton, conduce to economies in railroad and suburban
transportation and help to reduce the cost of living
would also create another potent weapon with which
to beat Germany for this power could be made to en-
ergize hundreds of factories turning out war material
of all kinds
Inasmuch there will surely be a scarcity of coal
in this country, touching the famine point at times the
congress provides for utilizing waterpower the
better The people trust the administration and con-
gress to safeguard the public rights The nation is
capable Of developing its internal without graft
and with justice to all if it will grasp the problem and
dispose of it with thoroughness and vgor If private
capital is not available now, let the government itself
develop the water powers during the war at any rate
and then, if deemed wise it sell or lease them to
private corporations after the war. The question of
ownership and operation is important as the ques
ton Of energetic utilization Germany uses 81 per cent
of her water power which is only small fraction as
large that Of America If the United States should
initiate Germany, the increased horsepower would
amount to over 100000
Secretary McAdOo just back from the West expresses
amazement at the extent of water power easily available
and the comparative negligence of the government in
failing to utilize this perennial of wealth He
hints that the gigantic work of transforming the motive
power of the railroads of the country from steam to
hydro-electrc current will be undertaken while the rail-
roads in government control and that experiments
should prove economical and otherwise successful on
considerable SCALE the entire transformation may be
looked for within short time This constructive re-
form is that might we'll appeal to man of Mr. Nc
Adoos daring and original genius. That it is perfectly
practicable has already been demonstrated. But to
accomplish the eectrfcaton of the entire railroad sys
tenn physical task of unparalleled magnitude
vaser than the building of several Panama canals and
comparable to the wgng of war on modern scale
The problem will simmer down to one of economy
W it pay?" is the question. Those who best quail
flied to this question reply in the Affirmative al
ways with reservations in special and exceptional cases.
But the distances to which electric may be conducted
economically have been greatly increased, and the
equipment for Harvesting water power has been SO great
y improved, that what extravagant years ago
economical now 1t should be remembered Also that
the development of water power in the west goes hand
in hand in many instances with irrigation and enter
prses which could not be undertaken solely for power
become quite feasible when large of desert land
are made profitable Some American communities have
made the mistake of trying to utilize rivers for navga
ton irrigation and power all to the full theoretical
pacty of the river only discover what discovered
in Egypt and Mesopotama thousands of years agO-tha
river be bed of its waters for irrigation and
also furnish full navigation facilities.
The question "Will it pay?" ought to be qualified by
the clause havng in view the coal situation and the
wars demand for fuel" With that clause factor of
the problem the reply concerning many projects might
times 1t must always be remembered that coal the
very root of energy Unless the demands made upon
the nations coal mines can be lessened by utilizing
power otherwise, then the mines must be compelled
to yield COAL matter how expensive the
If the miners will not work voluntarily they must be
compelled to work. for every operation of begins to
lag when coal becomes In this view of the mat
ter which we believe will be accepted sound, the de-
velopment of water power becomes equivalent to
crease in the output of coal Thus the pending water
power bill is Justly regarded by the administration
war measure of the first Washington Post
CAN'T BE WHIPPED.
In union there is strength You may have heard that
before It is being well illustrated by the allied