The Republican journal., 1921-11-17
-ETER FROM CONGRESSMAN
JOHN A. PETERS TO BENZ. +.
cLEAvEs ocTo5ER 10Th, 1921.

.ETfER FROM CoNGR RESSMAN
JOHN A. PETERS TO BENZ. E.
cLEAvEs OCTOBER 10Th, 1921.
October goth. 1921.
Hon. BENJAMIN F. Cleaves,
Augusta, Maine.
Dear Mr.. Cleaves:-
acknowledge receipt of your letter
of the 18th in which you make GER
tain suggestions as to my attitude as
a representative Of the State of Maine
in Congress-. l am always greatly
pleased to have suggestions from my
constituents, or anybody else, but
such suggestions depends good deal
upon the understanding of the situa-
tion on the part of the suggestor.
There seems to be some difference
OF opinion about the position of Gov
ernor Baxter in regard to the pro-
posed attitude of the state toward
water power.
notice you say that some news
paper has announced that Senator
Hale, Mr.. White and myself are in
accord with the Governors water
power program and you say that
tAs the matter stands in the minds
of members OF this Association CAS-
sociated Industries of Maine) each Of
the three gentlemen named are ap-
parently in accord with what we un
derstand to be the water power meas
ure OF our Governor"
I have no right to speak for any
one but myself. / cannot tell wheth-
er am in accord with the Governors
water power policy as you understand
it because l don't know what you un-
derstand it to be.
If you understand his policy to be
the same as you outline in your let
ter as his announced program of last
winter, then 1 am not in accord with
it. was not in Maine last winter and
could not follow the legislative mat
ters as closely as l would wish but
did not understand that the Governor
had gone SO far as to advocate the
ownership, management, operation
and control of every phase of water
power in the state" l am, always
have been, and always shall be bit
terly opposed to that.
L am, however, in accord with the
Governors program as I understand
it and my understanding of his pro-
gram is that he does not advocate the
states taking over the developed
powers or of developing those that
are now undeveloped but that he ia
vors development of storage reser-
voirs in the state on business basis
in such a way as to benefit the power
owners and users as we'll as the pub
lie generally and the state.
! understand that the Governor
thinks SOME amendment to the con-
stitution is necessary in order to car
ry out the storage reservoir plan.
This would necessarily include the
Right of Eminent Domain and would
give the right to condemn whatever
was in the proposed storage basin
and. of course, there might be a po-
tential water power in that basin and
in that sense it could be condemned
and taken by the state but it would
be wiped out and the taking would
be incidental TO the development Of
reservoir and not to the develop
ment or use of a power.
l understand that the Governor al
so has in mind the possibility of the
state being authorized to make use of
any power that was incidentally de-
veloped at a storage dam so that it
would not run to waste That. too,
would be incidental to the storage
business. The Governor says he
would not advocate the States dis
trrbuting the power thus developed
but simply selling it as a by-product
to some public utility company. This.
however, l understand he does not
regard as vital, his principal idea be-
ing the development of valuable res
ervoirs which would be a great bene-
fit to the state
In this connection l am sending
you copy of a letter the Governor
wrote me on July 2Sth which gives
in more detail this policy that I have
outlined and you will see from this
letter that your understanding of his
policy is not correct. if you under
stand it to be as outlined in what
you call his announced program of
last winter
l notice you say that some of the
members of your Association are in
heated state of mind over this mat
ter and are outspoken in their opin-
ion that if a member of the National
House is seeking information upon
which to determine his position in
such matter he should consult with
the manufacturers who have an
opinion with reference to the best
course to be followed"
If l were trying to make up my
mind what attitude to take about wa
ter powers and the state | should GER
tainly consult with the manufacturers
of Maine and their agents, who are
high class and intelligent men and
are specialists in their own business,
but even in that case 1 should feel
perfectly free also to consult with the
Governor of the state, especially
Governor who has made a particular
study of the case and who, so far
as can see, is actuated by -disinter-
ested motives. having in mind only
the public welfare.
notice with some surprise that
you suggest that should make pub
lie statement of the reason for
meeting which occurred in Portland
not long since at which the Governor
and some others were present, in
Guiding myself
There was nothing at all secret
about the meeting and l am quite
willing to give the reason for the
gathering, so far as there was any,