The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-01-05
TO DEVELOP WATER POWER.
President Wilson Says Proposal Before
House Leaders.

Washington, ID. c., Jan. 5,--Presiden
Wilson laid before conference of House
leaders last night the draft of a bill
designed TO develop the nations watel
power, 35,000,000 horsepower of which
it is estimated by government engineers
is wasted annually. The result of the
conference was plan TO create spe'
cial committee of the public TO take over
all jurisdiction Of water power problems
now dealt with by various committees
and 70 pass the presidents bill promptly
| in the House and send il to the Senate
with the administration support behind
| il.
The president told the conference of his
interest in water power legislation and
urgent hopes that both houses would
speedily enact the new measure, drawn
by the interior, war and agricultural de.
partments He said the bill was designed
to reconcile divergent views which have
interfered with necessary legislation
The bill follows closely the provisions
of the Ferris bill, which has twice passed
the House but failed through opposition
in the Senate. Participants in the con
ference expressed the view that with
unified House support and with the
stamp of the president, special favorable
action in the Senate now was to be ex-
pected.
The bill provides for commission to
be composed of the secretaries of war,
interior and agriculture. It proposes toI
lease the water power privileges on pub.
lie lands Indian lands, national forests
and in navigable streams for not eX-
ceeding 30 years when the project may
be taken over by the United States,
against leased TO the original lessee of
leased to a new lessee. All property
owned and held by the licensee at the
expiration of the lease, valuable and
serviceable in the development or distri- |
button of power, together with any locks |
Or other aids TO navigation constructed |
by the lessee, may be taken over by the |
government upon the payment of the |
face value not to exceed the actual cost |
1f the property taken plus such reason
tble damages, as may be caused by the |
separation of the property from valua
Die property not taken.
Provision is made for regulation bv the
ederal water power commission of in
erstate power and power in any state
where no state regulation is TO be had.
t requires lessees to pay reasonable |,
lnntIal charges of not less than ten cents
'er water power horse power per-annum.
All receipts from these water power
licensees are TO be placed in the federal
reas,Ty. The bill provides that 80 per !
ent Of the proceeds from national for
SITS shall be expended in construction of 5
Dads in those forests; so per cent of the
eceipts from public lands are TO be
laced in the reclamation fund; so per
ant of receipts from navigable streams to i,
e expended in the maintenance and OPP
ration of dams and other navigation
.ructures OF the United States and that
Il proceeds from Indian reservations
nall be placed to the credit of the In
ans.
The bill embraces features of both the :
erris bill in the House and the Shields
II in the Senate.
Those attending the White House con
renee We're Representatives. Ferris of J,
klahoma, chairman. and Raker, Hay
IN, Lenroot and LaFollette of the pub T
, lands committee; Representatives 9
ms, chairman, and Montague, Esch, c
oremus, Hamilton and Parker of the
terstate commerce committees Repre- >
ntative Pou, chairman, and Garrett and .
,ster OF the rules committee, and Rep
sentatives Lever, chairman, and Haug. Il
and Anderson of the agricultural com II
ittee. II