Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1918-03-27
B|GBUS|NESSPlANS
WATER POWER GRAB
Special Interest Bill Before Con.
gress Would Deprive Peo-
Pile Of Rights.

Unless the people promptly and viz
orously protest, and thus create such
pressure of public opinion that Con-
gress will fear to act, certain great
Wall Street interests will succeed in
m0nopOlizing all the remaining wa
ter power resources of the United
States. While the soldiers are at the
front and the people at home are ab-
sorbed In war questions, the selfish
power interests are quietly schenling
to put over this gigantic raid on the
peoples heritage.
The Shields bill, after passing the
Senate, was abandoned because cor
servation exponents 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 COM
PEELED a Federal order withdrawing
from entry all power sites located on
government land. There is scarcely
city or town in the United States
that cannot be reached in time by
water power transmission. Experts
predict that we 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
strangle hold on American business.
But granting that private develop
ment is to be- tried for time, the
Raker bill is, nevertheless, a vicious
measure.
Commission 10 All Powerful.
1t provides 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
mum; it prevents the government
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 bargain
but 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.
| 5o-Year Contract Absurd.
A 50-year contract is absurd be-
cause no one can foresee conditions
for that time. A contract that proves
unfair to private interest cannot be
enforced, but 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
back Of these interests is too 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 Will Be In Saddle.
Unless this bill is defeated. the peo-
pie Of the United States will be sad
died with a monopoly that will out
live the children of the present gen.
GRAFTON. 1t is not even a war meas
ure, as claimed, because no power
can be developed for at last three
years.
Burdened with this power monop-
oily our American business will not
be able to meet the competition of
more progressive nations.