Evening star., 1920-01-04
POWER CLAIMS
CONGRESS- ATTENTION
This Important Adjunct of Industry Will
Come Up in Senate Prepar-
Ing for Conference on Measure.

Up to the last session of the Sixty
fifth Congress these efforts were sep
arately conducted, the committee on
interstate and foreign commerce TAX
ing Jurisdiction over bills affecting
navigable streams. and the committee
on public lands assuming jurisdiction
over those affecting streams on public
domains. These bills uniformly failed
in the Senate because of inability to
agree on certain fundamental princi-
pies. The House held that the gov
ernment had the power to levy
charge per horsepower on the water
power development, arguing that
there could be no such development
without the consent of Congress, and
that Congress could put such limita-
tions on the grant as it saw fit, in
Guiding this charge. The Senate con-
tended that Congress had no such
power.
Joint Committee Created.
Then a joint water-power commit
tee was created, consisting of the
six ranking members of the COM
mittees on interstate and foreign
commerce, public lands and agricul-
ture, before which extensive hear
ings were held. In the last Congress
a bill was formulated under the di-
rection of the Secretaries Of War.
Interior and Agriculture, introduced
and passed by both houses. 1t was
agreed to in conference and the con-
ference report passed by the House.
but the Senate failed to act upon ii
in the closing days, due to a so-called
'filibuster."
EARLY in the present Congress
Chairman Esch Of the House COM
mittee reintroduced the bill and it
passed the House about July /. The
Senate has made this unfinished bus-
ness. and Senator Jones of Wash
ington expects to bring it up at
once on reconvening, with the hope
that it will be passed at an early
date.
This bill provides for the creation
of a commission, consisting of the
Secretaries of War, Interior and
Agriculture. To this federal power
commission are given the powers
heretofore exercised by the Secre-
taries in connection with water-power
development under their several ju-
risdictions. The grant is for period
of not exceeding fifty years, with
the right of recapture by the gov
ernment on the termination of the
grant.
Preferential rights are granted to
municipalities. statess and govern
mental agencies. not only in the loca-
ton and construction of water-power
developments, but also in the matter
of acquisition by them upon termina-
ton of the original grant. Provision
is also made for the protection of nav
igation by the construction of locks.
Regulation of Rates.
One of the important and strict pro-
visions is for regulation of rates to
be charged to consumers by those get
ting the grant and heavy penalties are
provided to safeguard against combi-
nations or monopolies in restraint of
trade on the part of the grantees.
Those who are urging this measure
point out that extensive water-power
development would offer wide field
for employment to the returning SOL
diers and would assure the American
I engineers who made such an envia bic
| record overseas a conspicuous chance
| to aid in the stimulation of industry
and the opening up for new fields of
enterprise. Through water-power de-
velopment, they say, America can
better fit herself to lead all other ma
tions in foreign commerce, through
facilitating manufacture and trans
portation at home.