Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1918-04-11
BIG BUSINESS PLANS
WATER POWER GRAB
Special Interest Bill Before Con-
gress Would Deprive Peo-
pie Of Fights.

Unless the people promptly and Wig
orously profess. and thus create such
a pressure Of public opinion that Con-
gress viii fear to act, certain great
wall Street interests will succeed in
monopolizing all the remaining wa
ter power resources of the United
States. While ths soldiers are at the
front and the people at home are alb
sorbed in war questions, the selfish
power interest," are quietly scheuling
to put over this gigantic raid on the
peoples heritage.
The Shields bnl, after passing the
Senate, "a abandoned because cor.
servation expoDents pitilessly exposed
its vicious character. But the Wall
Street crowd has another bill intro
duced by Congressman Raker of Cali
fornia, even worse than the Shields
bill. They hope to get it through
before the people are aware of its
provisions.
State should Develop Power.
Ten years ago public opinion conf
PEELED "a F6laral order withdrawing
from entry all power sites located on
government land. There is s~carcly
a city or town III the United States
that cannot be reached i'll time by
water power transmission. Experts
predict that VIC shall have little Use
for coal in the not distant future.
Every progressive citizen, therefore,
wants to see this resource of such
tremendous Importance developed by
the government itself and the power
supplid at cost, Only thus can private
interests be kept from getting a
strangle hold on American business.
But granting hat private develop
ment is to be tried for a time, the
Raher bill is, nevertheless, a vicious
measure.
Commission Is All Powerful.
1t provides a commission of three
TO have entire charge; it provides
for private sale of this public prop
erty; it provides a minimum charge
of 10 cents per horse power per an
from taking over any water power
development except temporarily un
der military necessity; it provides no
real time limit within which construc-
ton must be completed; it grants a
franchise for fifty years.
A bargain between the public and
a private interest should be at least
fair. The Raker bill is not a bargain
but q gift. The charge of 10 cents
would not pay the expenses of the
Commission, and when once fixed the
charges must stand for fifty years.
50-Year Contract Absurd.
A eQ-year contract is absurd be-
cause no one can foresee conditions
for that time. A contract that proves
unfair to a private interest cannot be
enforced, but a contract unfair to
the public, is always sustained. The
bill allows preliminary permits with
out cost, This gives the Wall Street
interests the chance to grab all the
good sites at once and to develop
them at their convenience.
There is no provision for limiting
the charges to the public except our
general antitrust laws. No ~independ-
ents will be allowed to do any devel-
oping because the financial power
JAN VI LlieSe interests Is 100 strong.
In a few years the profits from wa
ter power development would prob
ably more than pay the expenses of
the Federal Government.
Monopoly Wiil BE In Saddle.
Unless this bin is defeated. the peo-
pie OF the United States will be sad
died with a monopoly that will out
live the phi1draj, nF tho nracap+ rn,
Grafton. 1t is NOT ever a war meas
ure. as claimed. because no power
can be DEVELOPED for at last three
years.
Burdcned with this power monop-
oily our American business will not
be able to meet the competition of
more progressive nations.