Arizona republican., 1918-01-05
IS WATER POWER TO
 BE SAVED
Republican A.P. Leased WireJ

WASHINGTON, Jan. 4-President | Wilson laid before a conference of house leaders tonight the draft of a bill designed to establish d definite l legislative policy to develop the na- lions water power, S5,000.000 horse l power of which is estimated by gov ernment engineers to be wasted an- nually The result of the conference was a plan to create a special commit tee of the house to take over all iuris- diction of water power problems now dealt with by various committees and to pass the presidents bill promptly in the house and send it to the senate with the administrations support be- hind it.
 The president told the conference of his interest in water power legislation and urgent hope that both houses would speedily enact the new measure, drawn by the interior, war and agri- cultural departments. He said the bill was designcd to reconcile divergent views which have interferred with nee essary legislation.
 The bill follows closely the proVl- sions of tho Ferris bill which has twice passed the house but failed through opposition in the senate. Participants in the conference expressed the view that with unified house support and with the stamp of the presidents ap- proval favorable action ill the senate now was to be expected.
 The president submitted to the con- ierees a report signed by Secretaries Lane, Baker and Houston which closed with this statement:
 We believe that some such legisla ton as is here proposed, if enacted, would mean the early development of 2 considerable portion of our water power resources with a resultant say ing in fuel and considerable lessening of the present demand on our trans1 portationn facilities caused by the mo>- ing of coal and other heavy fuels
 The bill provides for a commission to be composed of the secretaries of war. interior and agriculture. It pro- poses to lease the water power priv ileges on public lands, Indian lands, national forests and in navigable streams for not exceeding fifty years, when the project may be taken over by the United States, again leased to the original lessee or 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 distribution of power, together with any locks or other aids 10 navigation constructed by the lessee may be taken over by the government upon the payment of the fair value, not to exceed the actual cost of the prop erty taken, plus such reasonable dam- ages, as may be caused by the separa- ton of the property from valuable property not taken.
 Provision is made for regulation by snl interstate and power in any state where no state regulations is to be had It requires lessee to pay reasonable annual charges of not less than ter cents per water power horse power pei annum
 All receipts from these water power licenses are to be placed in the fedora treasury. The bill provides that fifty per cent of the proceeds from nationa forests shall be expended in construc- ton of roads in those forests; fifty pe cent of the receipts from public landi are to be placed in the reclamation fund; fifty per cent of receipts iron navigable streams to be expended il the maintenance and operation of dam and other navigation structures of thu United States and that all proceeds from Indian reservations shall b. placed to the credit of the Indians.
 The bill embraces features of botl the Ferris bill in the house, and tn Shields bill, in the senate.
 Those attending the White Hous conference were Representatives Ferris Oklahoma, chairman; and Baker Hayden. Lenrott and La Toilette of tn public lands committed; Represent atives Sims, chairman, and Montague Esch, Doremus, Hamilton ard Parke lf the interstate commerce committed Representatives Pou, chairman an iarret and Foster of inc rules com mittee and Representatives Level chairman, and Haugen and Anderso 1f the agricultural committee.
 The president asked mat the hous rules committee report to the house special rule creating a special com mittee on water power, with a vie' to supplying it's membership from tn regular committees now claiming juris diction. Chairman Pou of the rule committee, thought the plan feasibl although rather unusual. It was the suggested the committee be created b special rule, each of the regular com mittee members to be taken from the personnel and the speaker appointip them on the new body. This plan wa virtually agreed upon.