OCR Text |
Show Water-Power Sites. In prevlout) communications to Congress Con-gress I have pointed out two methods by w hich the water power sites on non-navigable streams may be controlled con-trolled as between the state and the natluiml government. It has seemed wise that the control should be concentrated con-centrated In one government or the other as the active participant In supervising Its use by private enterprise. enter-prise. The Secretary of the Interior has suggested another method by which ti e water power site shall be leased directly by the government to those who exercise a public franchise under un-der provisions Imposing a rental for the water power to create a fund to be expended by the general government govern-ment for the Improvement of the stream and the benefit of the local community where the power site is, and permitting the state to regulate the rales at which Ibe tjonyerted power Is Bob. The latter method suggested sug-gested by the gecrHary Is a nior , direct method foj Fed era control, and fn view of the' provable union and systematic organization and welding weld-ing together of the power derived i from wnter within a radhis of 300 or i . vit v jit . ,.. ( 400 iiilK-s, T lliina It belter that the forcr of control should remain In, he national government tjian, lliat It should be turned over lo the states. I'nder such a system the Federal government gov-ernment would have such direct supervision su-pervision of the whole matter that any honest administration could easily eas-ily prevent the abuses which a monopoly monop-oly of absolute ownership In private persons or companies would mae possible. For some years Vast the high and steadily Increasing cost of living has been a matter t such grave public concern that L'deem It of great public Interest that an International conference confer-ence be prcgios'-d at this time for the purpose of prepurlng plans, to be submitted sub-mitted to the various governments, (or an International Inquiry Into the- hlrn cost of living. Us extent, causes, effects, ef-fects, and possible remedies. I therefore there-fore recommend that, to enable the presldeut to Invite foreign governments govern-ments to such a conference, to be held at Washington or elsewhere, the con-press con-press provide an appropriation, not to exceed 120.000, to defray the expenses of preparation and of participation by the United Slates. |