The Tomahawk., 1920-08-05
Rivers and Harbors submitted to
the Secretary of War ON March

|
%, 1919, the Secretary is left no
alternative but to approve them.
He has no power to require the
corporation to compensate the In
dians for property rights that may
be impaired or destroyed. 1t is
true that the Indians might if they
ever could obtain a jurisdictional
act referring their claims for in.
juries sustained as the result Of
such legislation to the Court of
Claims for decision, obtain judg'
men: against the United States,
but that would take years of work
and effort and tits doubtful whether
those members of the tribe who
are now in being would be in ex-
istence when the controversy was
settled.
Although the property rights of
the Indians, conservatively worth
far in excess of a million dollars
are to be handed over to this cor
poration as a gift, every acre of
Indian land benefited by any
drainage is to be assessed to the
extent of the value conferred not
exceeding So so per acre, and this,
assessment is to become pernan-
ent lien against the land.
What are the real objects of this
proposed corperation9 They are
three in number.
The first is to provide a system
of drainage and food-control for
all that section tributary TO Red
Lake and Red Lake River, COM
mencing at it's source in Lower
Red Lake and extending for dis
lance of 264 miles to it's confluence
with the Red River of the North
at East Grand Forks, Minnesota.
Fhe area of Red Lake water shed
is given in the official report of the
Board of Engineers as 1850 square
miles, and that of Red Lake River
as $3.50 square miles. Under the
Stevenson bill the right to regu-
late the heights Of water in Red
Lake is given >in perpetuity to this
corporation and is an assignable
right. The regulation of the
height of the water in Red Lake is
an important and determining fac
tor in controlling the flood situa-
ton. If the right thus conferred is
improvidently used by the corpor-
alton. there is no power reserved
to cancel the grant. The entire area
drained by Red Lake and Red
Lake Rive is left to the mercy of
this corporation.
The second object to be accom-
plished is to aid the water powers
now operating in Red Lake River.
The report of the Engineers shows
that there are today six power dams
in Red Lake River. Only one of
these slams !{{, I,aa been authorized by
law. The other five are unauthor-
ICED. The effect of the Steenersan
bill is to leQalixe these five un-
authorized dams which have today
no legal existence. Under the Ma.
tional Water Power Law recently
enacted by Congress it would be
necessary for the owners of these
five unauthorized dams to obtain a
lease from the Eaderal Govern
meRt II ihe right to use the water:
and to pay the Government there
for. The Stevenson bill relieves
them of this necessity, validates
their power dams and gives them
a monopoly of the power to be
generated from the water that be.
longs to the people of that section.
1t is difficult to conceive Of -
prettier scheme to traDs< +ho
rights of the people oo.,or.
ton With"'' ~, ~
NJ us SupoA 'iolOn W VIZ
4,aJional Government and without
any power to revoke or amend.
For the valuation of these dams
and sufficient water to operate these
ro~vo, ~11ook, kL,o,,-Lo,,% TIM on.