| Show STRONG PLEA FOR NIAGARA FALLS In Action Ne Necessary e or O of the Worlds Wonders Will Cease to x st stR t 1 R REPORT Orn OF COM COMMISSION ISON MUCH WATER IS BEING DIVERTED Y i Mar ih h Nj N gara FaIl are o 0 be pr erv d as gneo ope of thu tho wonders ot of the world t action by bv the States and Canada Is Te re a to th t the of t the theAmer e Amer can members of the th International commission which has toy for the past year bi been n studying conditions at atthe atthe the falls and nd n the tri ut ry great This report is signed by G O H 11 HErn Ern Ernst t chairman and the other Amor Amer American lean ican members of the commission Af After er a brIef description ot of the physical condItions the report gives a detailed l oc count of af all the corporations now en CR engaged aged in 10 tile development of power with the quantity of water which they t ey are e actually using the amounts which they are preparIng to use and the amounts whIch they are authorIzed under their charters to use It includes not only corporations taking water directly from the NJ Niagara garft but also those drawing wa water Water ter for power purposes from the tho Erie canal the Welland canal the Chicago drainage canal and furnishes a list of all franchises ranch sea granted and not perfected Water Taken From River The total of water to be betake betaken taken take n river by bJ works now au an authorized is O feet per second Ot Of this amount cubic f feet et are to tobe tobe be taken on the American side and the remainder cubIc feet teet On n tJ th Ca Canadian Canadian nadian side ide is 27 per cent of the average dis and 33 per cent of the tho thelow tholow low water discharge of oC the Niagara river will cease to pass over the falls when these works work are completed andIn full op operation The fhe quantity to be diverted is ismore more than double th quantity which now passes over the American falls which at the average stage Is about cubIc feet That this will in general have an injurious effect upon the falls seems self evident The volume of water to be dl di diverted is about the equivalent of the en entire entire tire dIscharge of Lake Superior over oer the Sault Ste Marie The amount thus far actually diverted is 13 but cubic cubio feet teet iper per second and has had an effect on the fails faUs Additional diversion would be an ex cx experiment even more dangerous than that now flow being heing tried and andin in our opinion should tot not be permitted New York Ge Gets s Nothing In return for the impaIrment of the falls thus far authorized the state of New York will receive practically noth nothing nothing ing for tIle the horsepower authorized In bt that side and the Queen Victoria Ni Niagara agars agara Fans will receive an annual rental ten tal of or an average of 65 63 centS per horsepower for the 41 horsepower on the Canadian side Improvements In the transmission of electric power and increased demand win will make a market for aU all the power which can be develoPed at t Niagara Falin FaIts and wm will cause a destruction of the falls as s a spectacle if the development be to go on unchecked The corn com commercial mercial value of the waterpower pow r ai at Ni NIagara agara Falls is very great but if corn eom plU f t a aSIde by wealthy elsewhere ie for park p purposes this value is not too great to be devoted to similar purposes Th The place Is visit visited visited ed annually by about people Agreement Necessary i If the falls are to be preserved it must DO 0 by mutual ment between the two s As a step in that we recommend that legislation be enact d which shall contain the pro ons namely The secretary of war to be author authorIzed to grant permits for the tho of cubic feet per por cond and no more from Ute the waters naturally tributary to Niagara falls dIstributed as follows Niagara Falls Hydraulic Power Man an company I Ibara ara Falls Fails Power company Erie canal or Its tenants In addition to lock service Chicago Drainage canal All other diversion of Wll water er which Is naturally trIbutary to Niagara Falls to be pro prohibited except such as an may be required for domestic use or for the service of In n navigatIon n canals Suitable pert pen penalties alUes for violation of the law to be pro pre Treaty Proposed The foregoing prohibition to remain in fot orce ce two years and then to become the permanent law of the land I If in the meantime the Canadian shall have enacted legislation prohibiting the diversion of water whIch is naturally tributary to Niagara Falls In excess of c cubIc bc feet pe per second not including ih the amounts required for domestic use or for the service of locks in navigation canals It is assumed however that an on this subject would be reached by treaty The object of such legislation would be beto beto to put a stoR to the further depletion of the falls and at the same time Inflict the least possible Injury upon the Important interests noW dependent upon thIs water waterpower power The amount to be div diverted on the Canadian side feet has been fixed with a 8 view to allowing the companies on that side the amounts for or which they now have works under construction Such legislation would give to Canada the ad advantage vantage of diverting cubic feet per second more than is diverted in the Unit United ed States The advantage Is more ap apparent apparent parent than real since the power gen generated crated on the Canadian side will to a al l rge extent be t transmitted and used in int tit t it United States In the negotiation of ofa ofa a treaty however the point should be considered Agree on FactS The Tho report was sub submitted mUted to our Canadian colleagues be the passage of the joint resolution With a view to uniting in a joint report under the general law for th There was a substantial agTe agreement ment in tire the statement of facts and such differences as developed with re respect which speet to the recommendations ought to be made did not seem insuperable able aPIe but our colleagues desired time for consideration Ve b have vc no doubt of their s sympathetic interest In carrying out that part of the instructions con tf nod in the resolution which requires us to exert In conjunction wIth the of said co commission representing t e Dominion of Canada if practicable sil I possible efforts for the preservation Of o Niagara Igara Falls tn In their natural condl condi thai |
