The Irish standard., 1920-05-22
LICENSES TO RUN so YEARS
Basis Of Compensation to the United
States Is Established and vsxlnn
Question Of "Navloable Waters" %
Settled.
By JAMES p. HoRNApAY.

>',->' ..> "H S~N $OA6ASSo AA6 AA0 SVA NY
OF office to enact legislation, but with
out success. His successor in Office
Mr.. Taft, also pleaded for legislationl
that would take care Of the subject
but congress could not agree. Presi-,
dent Wilson when he came in took up
the subject where his predecessors had!
left it.
Enormous stores of cheap energy
| which will enable American industry
better to compete with cheap labor Of
other countries are made available by|
the legislation. AS finally agreed on
| the legislation establishes a federal|
power commission, composed of the!
secretaries Of war, interior and agri-
culture. This commission is empow.I
cred to issue licenses for the develop!
ment Of power sites for so years. At
ment may purchase the plants by pay
ing for investment. or may issue new
license
Provision for Compensation.
The conference committee which
had the work Of the two branches Of
congress under review for a long time
finally agreed to the following amend.
ment: "rhc licensce shall pay to the
United States reasonable annual
charges in an amount to he fixed by
the commission for the purpose of re-
imbursing the United States for the
cost OF the administration Of this act !;
for recompensing 1t for the use, occu-
| nd invn,nnt Of lfc
other property; and for the payment
Of government of excessive profits un-
til the respective states shall make
provision for preventing excessive
profits or for the holding of these ex-
cessive profits until the period Of
amortization is reached and in fixing
such charges the commission shall
seek to avoid increasing the price to
the consumers of power by the
charges" There is q provis0 that
when licenses are issued involving the
use Of government dams or other struc-
lures by the United States or
tribal lands embraced within Indian
reservations, the commission shall dx
n reasonable annual charge for the
use thereof, and this charge may be-
rcadjustcd Mt the end o. 20 years after
the beginning of operations and at pc
RODS Of not less than ten years there
after In Il manner TO be described in,
each license.
The commission which is to admin
lister the law is to appoint an execu-
tive secretary who IS TO receive sal
ary Of $4,000 II year; and the COM
mission may request the president Of
the United States to detail an officer
of the United States engineer corps
to serve the commission as engineer
officer, his duties to be prescribed by
the commission.
NavigabIc Waters Defined.
There has always been more or less
controversy over what constitute navi-
gable waters. and the legislation set
Ties this question by setting forth the
following definition: "Navigable wa
tcrs' mcnn, those parts Of streams or
other bodies of wafer over which con-
grcss has iuri LECTION under its au-
thorily to regulate commerce with for
eign naiors among the several states,
and which either in their natural or
ir1prOvcd condition, notwithstanding
Interruptions between the navigable
parts Of such streams or waters by
falls, shadows or rapids, compelling
land carrfagc. are used, or are suitable
for use, for the transportation OF per-
Sons or property in interstate or for
ei" commerce. including therein all
sncL interrupiing falls shadows or
rapids, together with such other parts
Of streams az shall have been author.
lied by congress for Improvement BY
the United States or shall have BEEN
recommended to congress for the i'm
provcmrnt after investigation under
It's authority"
Congress believes 1t has protected
the public by giving the commission
power 10 reserve sites where II II,
deemed desirable, and by giving state
public srrvirc commissions power toi
Regulate service and rates for elec-I
fricity generated on government sites.
Power on the public domain and on
navigabIe streams IS made availahlei
Under the Licensing system. Hereto
fore erection of power dams on navi-I
gable streams required special act
Of congress and the requirements werei
generally so unattractive that but few|
such measures were ever acceptedj
after enactment
The 2eol"gica! survey estimates that
there is 7.2:O.ND water horse poveri
available on public lands. 3.5OO.O0Ol
hors power in forest reserves. Tbei,
maximum possible development onj
public lands. the survey says, is prob
rbly nearly double this amount.
Good Roads Campaign.
Various government activities areI
lnnW ENGAGED In an oAGo.k "a nAa..~l~A>!