The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-06-21
WATER POWER
LEAGUE MEETS
Hopes to Get Relief From
Federal Control of
Water Power
BILLIONS NEEDED
TO DEVELOP SITES
Private Capital Afraid of Vagaries of
LegisIation-2O.O 100000 Horse Power
Awaits Observation-Disclosures Early
Construction Work Pushed.

NEW YORK, June 2l.-Manufac-
iurers interested in the subject of waterl
)ower, from the standpoint of the CON
sumer, assembled here today for con
erence called by the Water Powerl
league of America to discuss the cues
ions OF power, power shortage, cost oil
-uel and amendments TO be asked to the
federal power act. The league hopes to
induce private capital to invest in the
enterprises of water-power develop
nent TO relieve power shortage and re-
luce the cost of power To the consumer
Ihe Water Power league assails the
workings OF the federal power act as
detrimental to water-power develop
nent and asserts that the act has made
t practically impossible for private en-
erprIses to engage IN these undertake
ngs =. The league also asserts that the
ederaI act has taken from the several
'tates all their rights to intrastateI
treams within their borders and places
hem IN charge OF the federal power
COMMISSION, which Is composed of the
secretary OF war as chairman. the see
etary OF the interior and the secretary
u agriculture. Also 1t IL asserted that
he act takes from congress the powers
I mas exercised and also takes from
me war department the authority
Vested IN it by the constitution and rel
gates these powers TO the commission
Officials of the Water Power league
assert that there are on file at Wash
,ngton today more than POO applications
Tor permits and licenses to develop wa
er powers. The total horsepower of
hese projects is estimated at more than
@0OOO00 and if they were carried to
completion it would require several biz
Ion dollars to finance them. League
TIN IN l. - -. L
these projects have been halted by rules
and regulations promulgated by the
lower commission which passed out of
'Nlstence March 4 with the change OF
administration.
The league declares that american
1nanciers refuse to consider the invest
nent of hundreds of millions of dol
,arS IN projects which are made uncer-
tain by the vagaries of a body of men
subject to the changes which occur in
American politics every four years 1t
: to discuss these features that the
Water power league has called the con-
ference.
\ statement from the league urges
congress To pass the power act to ere
ate body which would be able to grant
licenses to prospective power developers
md relieve them OF the tedious DELAYS
incident TO getting a bill through CON
gress for each proposed development :"
The league announces its determine
ton to make an effort to break the
deadlock in water power development
N this country and bring about an i'm
mediate and general movement in the
development of every ounce of hydro
electric energy in the. country to the
end that waning fuel supplies may be
conserved.
United States Senator Theadore E.
Burton, for years chairman of the riv-
ers and harbors committee of congress,
Is head of the advisory council of the
water power league.
The officers of the league are Charles
II. Ingersol. president: Charles T. Root,
first vice president: John II. Allen, sec
ond vice president; and Frederick l..
Long. secretary.