The Washington herald., 1918-05-14

Not so very long ago there were
members of Congress who thought II
would be next to impossible to gel
any water power legislation through
at this session.
The war need Of such legislation
however, has now become apparent
and there Is ground for the prediction
that before the session ends A power
full measure will be passed which will
pave the way for revolutionary actvi'
ties in this direction.
The belief of several OF our war
makers that such legislation will ma
terially aid us in the present great
struggle is very practical. There is
enough ground to be gained to make
II desirable TO get the legislation
through at an early date, too. and
without question the water power
legislation will soon be the object OF
close scrutiny by Congress.
Hitherto the effort to get this legis.
lation I'm the various States has been
clouded with foolish little rows bout
public ownership and the efforts also
of some of the radicals to pin provi-
sions on to the measures which would
probably impede development rather
than help it to any great extent.
These rows should not be reflected
in Congress. Business principles of
the highest order should be enacted
into law and provision should be
made for meeting all contingencies
in such a way that the new step will
be enduring and not liable to failure,
almost from the outset.
There is an opportunity here for
Congress to give great incentive to a
great movement and II Cong -ess
keeps its head something should re-
suit in the way OF legislation that
will be very much worth while.
On the subject OF water power legis-
latIon, a statement by the committee
of the National Chamber of Com
merce which gave II much attention
recently, Is Of decided interest. 1t
reads:
III the water power now CONNER
Cially capable of development could
be brought into use, the savings 10
the public in the conservation of fuel
and the release OF labor and railroad
equipment would run into hundreds
of millions of dollars annually.
AT the present moment the public
has been made to realize, as never
before, the Importance Of conserving
fuel and labor: and the present emcr-
gency accentuates the public need OF
the formulation OF a wise and fair
ater-power policy by the Federal
government.
I'm order to secure the adequate
development of water power. it is Cs-
sential that the subject should be
approached with an attitude of mind
which recognizes the necessity OF
making such developments attractive
to capital, rather than with that atti-
tude which assumes that such enter
prises should be surrounded with as
many restrictions as possible.
THE conservation OF every other
natural resource means restriction in
its use, for use means consumption,
and permanent destruction. Every
pound of coal burned is forever with
drawn from use. On the other hand,
every horsepower Of water power not
used is lost. and every horsepower
conserved and used saves not only
the horsepower but its equivalent in
coal and many incidentally improve
navigation"
Senator Jones of Washington spoke
the mind Of many members of Con-
gress and a large proportion of the
peOple Ol lHe HdllOn "nen ne sdlu
on the subject:
"A little plain talk will not hurt
us. I am not driving at any party or
at those who have the direction of
the Nations affairs in their hands.
But I am finding fault with Congress
for holding up water-power develop
ment for the past 10 years by unrea-
sonable and indefensible projects Of
regulation so drastic in their nature
as to frighten off any sane investor,
and now we are suffering the penalty
OF sloth. The development Of water
powers is pioneer work of a hazard
Gus nature. subject to many risks
and uncertainties, and, under regula-
tion Of rates by public authorities,
the hydroelectric business is and must
be conducted upon a close margin of
profit. Capital, therefore, will not in
vest nor men put in their time in hy-
droelectric development except upon
basis which, so far as Government
requirements are concerned, will at
least not jeopardize the investment or
prevent a fair return thereon. The
time has come when the country needs
the force and energy contained in its
wasting water powers to supplement
its. man power, and the penalty of
delay is enforced by fate against the
unready. Let US put the blame where
1t belongs. The fault is with Congress
and with Congress alone. 1t Is the
lawmaking body. 1t can not escape
that responsibility. The controversy
In the country over the character OF
legislation under which water powers