Show UTAH POWER CASES DECISION the effect ot of tho the united states supreme court decision in the tha utah rower power cases is tar far reaching to all western states and vests in tile federal government all right antl and control 0 of power sites on government land under earlier acts of oc congress it was not necessary for a power company to apply to the federal govern mon men for or a burdensome and unworkable permit to construct works and utilize water power the decision holds that the earlier acts of congress were repeated repealed by implication and that some of the enormous power plants in utah and oth or western states are on public lands without authority the court also holds that no question ot of local water rights under state laws Is involved tho the question being simply whether power com companies Danles involved were lawfully or unlawfully upon united states lands the decision also holds that the federal government Is entitled to compensation for or tho the reasonable value ot of occupancy and use of the land by the power company tor for extent and duration of 0 occupancy tile the most important point involved tit in the decision Is the basis ot of compensation pensa perisa tion to bo be paid to the federal government for the use of the land as land irstead of on a theoretical theoretic the oreti C a 1 water power value if that Is tho the meaning of the d decision e it Is a great victory for water power development for the public land states which have been serious ly handicapped by federal over water and power powei while depriving the states of taxes on the public lands the bureau officials have contended tor for capitalizing tile the water rights and water vater power against the public and thus thua increasing the cost of power T the lie utah power decision indicates that the federal government has no right to do this and thus clarifies the situation and removes obstacles to getting needed power legislation passed by congress the decision should go tar far to getting congress and tho the bureaus away from the ulca idea of making mailing water power value the basis of taxation and rentals to tho the federal government that blocks state development |