The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-06-03

would interfere with the present navi
gability of rivers, and what the compan-
les shall pay to the United States gov
eminent. At the end of 90 years, the
private companies are obliged to sell their
plants and give up their rights if the
United States government wants the
property bnt the government must rec
ompense the owners for their investment.
1t will probably be two years before the
full effect of the new conservation measure
is felt because it takes time for compan-
les to organize and for construction work
to be completed. But the effects of the
legislation are bound to be revolutionary.
Commercial interests of every kind have
been backing the measure 1t will for in
stance, in the opinion of some, help the
newsprint situation in the United States
by providing electrical energy for new pa
per mills and at the same time harness
the waters of streams which have a ten
dency to overflow and destroy forests
| where wood pulp used in making news
print paper might be obtained. The
| American Newspaper Publishers associa-
| ton have for a long time Urged fegish-
ton of some kind in this general direc-
| ton.
| Political credit for the conservation
law wilE be difficult to distribute. Pres
ident Wilson urged it from the very be
ginning of his administration II years
ago Again and again the measure
would pass one house of congress only
to get tied up in the other. Then sub
stitute bill would be passed and a dead
lock would be reached in the conference
between the two houses The President
himself has always insisted that all fac
tons and parties get together but there
has been division inside the Republican
as well as the Democratic ranks.
The new measure is combination OF
various bills sponsored at different times by
Senator Shields of Tennessee, Democrat
Senator Myers of Montana, Democrat
Representative Ferris of Oklahoma, Dem
ocrat Representative Sims of Tennessee
Democrat. but it was also the work o
Representative Esch, Republican of Wis
consin who piloted the measure through
the house and Senator Wesley Jones, Re
publican of the state of Washington, who
| put the bill through the senate. Lndley
NJ Garrison, and his successor, Newton
ID. Baker as secretary of war, had muci
to do with the drafting of the Legislation
and back of the whole thing from thu
start has been the constant influence o
Franklin X Lane, former secretary O
the interior, who managed to keep non
partisan atmosphere about the legisla
ton that helped bring about harmon
ious agreement.
J 1t sounds like a simple piece of legis
lation and with so many advantages t.
be gained from it one naturally wonder
! why all the delay But the fear that pr
vate concerns would make too muc
money out of their control of the water
, of the country coupled with various GOV
eminent ownership theories and consel
walton quarrels in western states blocke
,, the measure for decade 1t is the great
J est achievement of the present congress
Yet it hardly got ripple of applause 0
, passing mention as the bill went to tn
White house to become law. Long afte
the excitement over the presidential can
pagn has died down, the conservation hi
will be developing new communities an
building new cities in the valleys of tn
! country, more water will he available 70
J irrigation and the arid lands of the Yves
will be yielding crops. 1t took 10 year
I to get the legislation but the benefits wi
: be felt for generations to come