The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1920-06-03
white Coal" ";,;Water
POWDr--TO Become
Industrial Factor
BIZ DAVID LAWRENCE,
IcopyrtEat By The 1ntentgsaosr.)

WASHINGTON. l.. e. June I'm the
midst Of perhaps the most I"NcriSh per
iCG Of anticipation which political
Washington has witnessed IN genera
tIon when attention Is fixed upon
thoughts OF presidential nominations.
something has happened Of transcend
cnt Importance To the industry and com
mcrcial development 1T the United
States that may we'll be called cpochal
For. after ten years OF controversy and
debate a conservation mCaSurc-lnr big .
SSSt ever attempted In the history "t
tho American rcpublic-has finally gone
10 the White House for the signature OF
President Wilson.
Both houses Of congress haN" JnSt
passed the mcaSur" which releases the
water power of the nation 10 private
development and the President Will
surely sign 1t thus ending controversy
that WAS prolonged chiefly because Il
was little understood. for the United
States is perhaps the last nf the biS
nations Of ~ world Ia harness ITS
water power for industrial uses.
Ry simple legislation which leases the
water power in streams from one part
Of the country TO the other. WHIT
engineers. will suddenly become an i'm
portant competitor OF black coal. Water
falls do not strike. Machinery doesn't
gate. And water power is made avail
able for industrial, development not
merely in the manufacturing ccntcrs Of
the cast but in all parts Of the west
where hitherto the long haul for coal
from eastern mines has made the build
ing OF factories out Of the question.
Old Controversy
This conservation legislation is the
same thing around which Clifford Pin
chot and his followers have maintained
q constant controversy. Some have
conterded that the streams OF the ma
Ia hnn tod m r -
ate interests. but should be kept under
constant government control. But the
measure provides that tn" Secretary OF
War. the secretary Of the interior and
IN" secretary OF agriculture shall con-
Stitute commission which shall say
what sites may be developed, whether
the erection OF dams would interfere
~iIh the present navlgahility OF rivers.
and what the companies shall pay 10
the United States government. At the
ena OF fitty years. the private COM
panies ere obliged 10 sell th"tr plants
and give up their rights II the United
States government wants the property.
but the government must rccompcnse
the owners for their investment.
Will Take Time.
1t will probably BE- two years before
the full cffeSt of the new conservation
measure is felt because Il takes time for
companies TO organize and for construc-
tlcn work 10 he completed. But the tt-
fcCtS OF the legislation are bound 10 be
rcvolut tionary. Commercial interests OF
every kind have been hacking the
opinion Of some. help the newspr!nt
situation in the United States by pro-
vidinE electrical energy. for, new paper
mills. and at the same time harness the
waters of streams which have a tenden-
Cy 10 overflow and destroy forests
where wood pulp used in making news
print paper might BE- obtained. Tht
American newspa per publishers associ-
alton have for a long tine urged leElS-
lation Of some kind IN hits general d.
rCctInn.
Political c-sdi, for the conservation
law vii! hc difficult 10 distribute.
President Wilson urged It from the very
hcSlnniS of his administration seven
and a half years ago. Again and again
the measure would pass one house or
congress only 10 get tied up IN the
other Then 4 substitute bill would be
PASSED and a deadlock would be reached
IN the conference between the TWO
houses The President hlms"f has Al
WAY insisted that all factions and par
tics get together but there has bean
division inside tho Republican as well
aS the Democratic ranks.
The New Measure
The new meaSu is n combination OF
various bills sponsored at different
times BY Senator Shields. of Tennessee.
Democrat: Senator Myers. Of Montana:
Democrat; Representative FerTis. or
G&ilahcnS Democrat: Representative
Sims Of Tennessee. Democrat. but II was
also the work Of Representative Esch,
Republican. of Wisconsin, who pilotcd
the measure through the house. and
senator Wesley Jones. Republican OF
the state Of Washington. who put the
bill through the Senate. l.lndley VI.
Garrison, and his successor Newton ID.
Baker, as secretary OF war. had much
10 do with the drafting of the lcSIS!a-
ton and back OF the whole thing from
tho start has Senn the constant influ-
Cnrc Of Franklin h. Lane. former Secre-
tary Of the interior. who managed 10
Keep a non partisan atmosphere about
the legislation that helped bring about
harmonious agreement.
II sounds like 4 simple piece ot leg
islation and with so many advantages
TO b. gained From II. one naturally
wonders why all the delay. But the
fear that private concerns would make
too much money out OF their control OF
the waters OF the country, coupled with
various government ownership theories
and conservation quarrels III western
states, blocked the measure for a de-
cade II il tho greatest achievement or
the present congress Yet II hardly got
a ripple OF applause or passing mention
as the bill went to the White House 10
over the presidential campaign has died
down. the conservation bill Will be de-
rclopins new communities and building
new cities in tho calleyS OF tho country
moro water will bc available for trrI-
CATION and tho arid lands OF the west
will BE- welding crops. II took lcu
wears TO get tho legislation but tho
benefits Will be felt for generations to
come.