Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-06-03
NATION TO PROFIT
BY LEASED WATER
POWER-LAWRENCE


WASHINGTON, June I'm the
midst OF perhaps the most feverish
period of anticipation which political
Washington has witnessed in a gen.
Grafton. when attention is fixed upon
thoughts of presidential nominations,
something has happened of transcen-
dent Importance to the industry and
commercial deVelopmen of the Unit
ed States that may well be called
epochal. For, after ten years of
controversy and debate, a conserva-
ton measure-the biggest ever at
tempted in the history of the Amer
lean REPUBLICANS finally gone to
the White House for the signature of
President Wilson.
Both houses of congress have just
passed the measure which releases
the water power of the nation to pri-
vate development and the president
will surely sign it, thus ending
controversy that was prolonged
chiefly because it was little under
stood for the United States is, per-
lhaps, the last of the big nations OF
the world to harness it's water power
for industrial uses.
By simple legislation, which leases
the water power in streams from
er, white COAL" as electrical energy
is callsd by engineers. will sudden
ly become an important competitor
Of black coal. Water falls do not
strike. Machinery doesn't stop at
the behest of the walking delegate.
And power is made available for in
dustrial development not merely in
the manufac turing centers of the
east but in all parts of the west
where hitherto the long haul for coal
from eastern mines has made the
building of factories out of the ques-
ton.
Commission Named
This conservation legislation is the
same thing around which Clifford
Pinchot and his followers have main
tanned a constant controversy. Some
have contended that the streams of
the nation should not be handed over
to private interests but should be
kept under constant government con-
troll. But the present measure pro-
viGeS that the secretary of war, the
secretary of the interior and the sec
rotary OF agriculture shall constitute
a commission which shall say what
sites may be developed, whether the
erection of dams would Interfere
with the present naVigability of rlV-
ers, and what the companies shall
pay to the United States government.
At the end Of fifty years, the pri-
vate companies are obliged to sell
their plants and give up their rights
of the United States government
wants the property but the govern
ment must recompense the owners
1t probably will be two years be-
fore the full effect of the new con-
servation measure is felt because 1t
takes time for companies to organize
and for construction work to be COM
pleted. But the effects of the leg
islation are bound to be revolution
airy. Commercial interests of every
kind have been backing the measure.
1t will for instance, in the opinion
Of some, help the news print situa-
ton in the United States by pro-
v1ding electrical energy for new pa
harness the waters of streams which
have a tendency to overflow and de-
stroy forests where wood pulp used
in making newsprint paper might be
obtained. The American newspaper
Publishers assocition for a long time
have urged Legislation of some kind
in this general direction.
Wilson Pioneer for Law
Political credit for the conserva-
ton law will be difficult to dis
tribute. President Wilson urged it
from the very beginning of his ad-
ministration seven and half years
ago. Again and again the measure
would pass one house of congress
only to get tied up in the other.
Then a substitute bill would be pass
ed and a deadlock would be reached
in the conference between the two
houses. The president himself al
ways has insisted that all factions
and parties get together but there
has been division inside the Repuh-
lican as we'll as the Democratic
ranks.
The new measure is combination
of various bills sponsored at differ
ent times by Senator Shields, of Ten
nessee, Democrat; Senator Myers, Of
Montana, Democrat; Representative
Ferris, of Oklahoma, Democrat; Rep
resentative Sims, of Tennessee, Dem
ocrat, but it was also the work of
Representative Esch, Republican, of
Wisconsin, who piloted the measure
through the house, and Senator Yves
ley Jones, Republican, Of the state
of Washington, who put the bill
through the senate. Lindley M. Gar
rison and his successor Newton d.
Baker, as secretary of war, had much
to do with the drafting Of the legis-
lation and back of the whole thing,
from the start has been the constant
influence of Franklin K. Lane, for
mer secretary of the interior, who
managed to keep nonpartisan at
mosphere about the legislation that
helped bring about a harmonious
agreement.
1t sounds like simple piece of
legislation and with SO many ad-
vantages to be gained from 1t one
naturally wonders why all the de-
lay. But the Tear that private con-
+ Germs would make too much money
out of their control of the waters
of the country coupled with various
government ownership theories and
conservation quarrels in western
states blocked the measure for a
decade. 1t is the greatest achieve
naent of the present congress: Yet it
hardly got a. ripple of applause or
passing mention as the bill went to
the White House to become law.
Long after the excitement over the
presidential campaign has died
down, the conservation bill will be
developing new communities and
building new cities in the valleys of
the country, more water will be
available for irrigation and the arid
lands of the west will be yielding
crops. 1t took ten years to get the
legislation but the\ benefits will be
felt for generations to come.