Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-01-25

wv ASHINGTON, D. c.. Jan. 19.-The amount
wv of hydro-electric energy that could be
obtained from the rivers of the United
States is conservatively estimated at 35,OOO,OOO
horsepower year The amount that has been de-
velOped is about z 900 900 horsepower.
With the country facing its first great coal
shortage, this waste of power gains a new sig
nifcance. 1t is evident that longer af-
ford 1T. The scarcity of print paper, which threat
ened the lives of many periodicals not long ago,
would also be relieved by the development of wa
ter power, for many of the sites close to an
abundant supply of the kind of timber that is used
for making good pulp.
The bill which President Wilson laid before a
conference of congressman short time ago is an
attempt to stop this waste and obtain the develop
men of our water-power resources by making the
undertaking attractive to capital while at the
time safeguarding the rights of the public, and
keeping the title to the water power sites in the
government. For water power is natural
which still remains largely within public
ownership. Tie western states estimated to
contain 1916 of all the water power, and most of
the sites are public lands including national
forests, which alone contain AZ per cent of the
whole. In addition to this, much of the water
power in the eastern states, ON the streams fall
ing from the Allegheny mountains, is controlled by
tn government by reason of its jurisdiction
navigable waters.
Many years ago. when our lax land laws en-
abled almost anyone to gain title to any sort of
public land under the pretext that it being
taken for agricultural purposes, some of water
power sites were captured by private interests
Later legislation was passed to put stop to this
The failure OF capital to develop our water power
Is commonly ascrbed to the limitations imposed
by this legislation and to the fact that three diff
ferent departments of the government share ju-
rsdicton over the resource The forest service con-
trolls the water power the national forests; the
department controls the navigable waters
and the interior department controls the water
power sites public lands.
The law governing the of water power on
public land provides what the secretary Of the
interior may grant permit for this purpose and
that he may revoke the permit at any time. It is
said that this latter provision has kept out the
investor.
The divided executive control of water is
reflected in congress, where three different
committees have to do with water power
legislation. Here the difficulty of passing an ade-
quate water power law is increased by the fact
that the republicans and democrats cannot agree
to how much control the states should have over
the water power within their boundaries. Also the
house is anxious to safeguard the rights of the pub
lic while the senate always, Is more thoughtful
of the financial interests which called upon to
undertake the work of development.
Although the public has not heard very much
about it. congress has been sweating this water
house have produced bills and have created bulky,
volumes of hearings.
The president usual. proposes to cut right
through this tange of conflicting interests juris-
those of both the house and senate in that it gives
control of the water power to government
commission, to be known as the federal power COM
mission, composed of the secretaries of war, inte-
all the power to the secretary of the interior and
the senate to the secretary of while the forest
service (part of the denartment of agriculure)
tested against both bills because they would take
away its control of water power national forests
The administration bill Is DESIGNED to obtain the
necessary centralized control without sighting any
one The president also asks for the creation of
special committee of congress having to do with
water power. thus getting the Capitalization
in the legislative branch of the government.
The administration bill, drawn by government