Evening star., 1922-11-03
UNITE TO DEFEND
WATER-P0WER ACT
Organization of Conserva-
tionists Establishes Head
quarters Here.

Inc partisan ana non pOlltiCdi
organization composed of the leading
conservationists of the country. who
have banded together to prevent the
federal water-power act from being
weakened by the suit for annulment
brought by the State of New York in
the Supreme Court of the United
States and from divers other attacks,
has established headquarters here,
and plan an intensive campaign.
Walter l.. Fisher, former Secretary
of the Interior. is chairman of this
organization. with Philip +. Wells,
formerly chief law officer of the
United States forest service and later
Of the United States reclamation
service, as secretary.
Other members of the committee to
defend the act. which was passed i'll
1920, after fifteen years of discussion
in Congress and of effort by friends
field of Cleveland and John Barton
Payne Of Chicago, former Secretaries
Of the Interior: Henry l.. Stinson of
New York, Lindley NJ. Garrison Of New
land. former Secretaries of War; David
F.. Houston of New York and Edwin
T. Meredith of Des Moines. former
Secretaries Of Agriculture: Cows. Henry
j. Allen of Kansas. Joseph NJ. Dixon
Of Montana and John NJ. Parker Of
Louisiana: Clifford Pinchot. republican
candidate for Governor of Pennsylvania:
Henry S. Graves. head of the Yale
Forest School, until recently chief of
the United States Forest Service; Her
commissioner of corporations: William
Kent Of California. former representative
and other prominent conservationists.
Old Water-Power Laws.
1t Is pointed out by conservationists
that the old water-power laws were
administered by the Departments of
War. Interior and Agriculture. whose
heads now make up the federal pow
er commission. All living former
democratic, not now in federal office.
who. as heads of these departments
stood for the principles of the water
power act of 1920 and contributed to
it's making, are members of the new
committee. OF these men. Mr.. Gar
field was in the Roosevelt cabinet,
Col. Stimson and Mr.. Fisher in the
Taft cabinet. and Mr.. Baker. Judge
Garrison. Judge Payne, Mr. Houston
and Mr.. Meredith in the Wilson cabi-
net.
Among other members of the COM
mittee are Samuel Adams Of Chicago,
first assistant secretary of the in |
terror. 1911-1913; George W. Woodruff |
Of Pennsylvania, former assistant at
torney general for the Department Of /
the Interior: George c. Pardee. former ,
Governor of California: Joseph Hyde |
Pratt. state geologist and mineralo-
yist Of North Carolina; Philip w. Ayres |
Of Boston, forester of the Society for
the Protection of New Hampshire |
and Harris S. Reynolds of |
Boston, secretary of the Massachusetts, |
Forestry Association.
Foes Of Water-POwer Act.
''1t is significant" said Secretary |
Wells, that the foes Of the federal |
act do not appear to in !
clude the large group Of interests
which are the main investors in and |
developers of water power. These |
antagonistic interests now,
as q rule, admit that the act is prac- !
ticable and are willing to develop
water power under its provisions.
The state Of New York has brought
suit in the Supreme Court of the
United States to have the water
power act annulled. The Federal
Power Commission. administrator of |
the act, is, by a decision of the con-
troller Of the Treasury, forbidden to |
spend the money appropriated by
perts urgently needed for the proper ,
administration Of the act. Congress !
does not take up the very simple |
legislation necessary to cure this de-
feet, but has given a vast amount of |
liiHc " WI. 11SuIy + FOTu proposal at
Muscle Shoals, which violates every
one of the principles of the act and /
gives to Mr.. Ford, in addition, a vast |
from the federal Treasury.
IF this proposal was accepted by |
Congress every corporation which |
has. or desires, a water-power privi-
lege would demand a lease on Mr..
Ford's terms, and how could they be |
denied? The acceptance Of his offer |
would be deadly blow to the appli- |
cation of the principles of conserva-
ton to the use of water power.
1.-THE water-power act Of 1920 en-
bodies those principles, and thereby |
protects the public interest in secur- |
ing full development without having
to pay monopoly profits.
Only Small Part Developed.
"Only a small part Of the enormous !
resources of the country |
has been developed. Some IS per |
cent Of the undeveloped power Is sub
ject to control by the federal govern
ment. t$lall the public stay on the |
ground floor or be thrown into the |
street?
Attention has been diverted by
problems Of war and reconstruction. |
The public is forgetting or has for
in fact, be informed all |
over again on this question-so that
the act may crystalline. by practical
operation for some years. into a set
tied and unquesttoned policy. For
this Leadership 10 needed, and this
will be the committees first task