EDITORIAL 



433 



conservatively estimated at 600,000 At the present session of the Wisconsin 



H. P. Each hydro-electric H. P. is state legislature nearly thirty bills were 



estimated to equal about twelve tons introduced asking for franchises for 



of coal per year ; the total, therefore, dams, while lobbyists thronged the cor- 



equaling 7,200,000 tons of coal per ridors and committee-rooms pressing 



annum. for these valuable privileges. An ag- 



Of this water-power, the commercial gressive fight resulted, the end of which 



value is suggested by such facts and is not yet. 



figures as these: The bare location of Senators who have opposed giving 



one power site, with franchise, was sold away the people's water-power prop- 



for $10 per H. P., while another loca- erties point out, first, that the private 



tion is quoted at $9 per H. P. per companies do not adequately develop 



annum. their water-powers, thirteen of the 



In the paper and pulp hearing before thirty franchises asked for having been 



Congress, on pages 1108 to 1112, Mr. covered by previous grants of the leg- 



Safford, engineer for the International islature but not developed ; and second, 



Paper Company ) said: "In New Eng- that private development, as compared 



land, for the last twenty-five years, with public, is uneconomical. For 



when power has been taken away from example, in the case of the High Falls 



the owner by municipalities or by other and Johnson Falls combination, the 



companies, a fair price is about $1,000 digging of a canal two and one-half 



per H. P. for the amount taken away, miles long would give a combined head 



The average of thirty or forty sales of of no feet. The company, however, 



H. P. that I know of personally, most could not secure the riparian rights be- 



of which I have reported on, has been tween these two points; the heads were, 



$300 per H. P." This power was con- therefore, developed separately, with a 



ceded to be undeveloped. waste of ten feet. The state, however, 



On page 894 of the same hearing, could secure the riparian rights and 



Mr. Cowles testified that the paper mills would avoid this waste. 



at the Androscoggin River could sell In a paper before the American So- 



their power at $40 per H. P. per annum, ciety of Civil Engineers, in November, 



On page 1030 of the same report, the 1908, Mr. H. M. Chittenden, C.E., said : 



official statement of the International "When a power is planned or a reser- 



Paper Company shows that they place voir built, it should be so planned from 



a value of $50 per H. P. upon their the start as to bring out its full possi- 



undeveloped water-powers. bilities. A private company can rarely 



Obviously, in the light of such facts do this. Generally its scheme does not 



and figures, water-power is not a thing require this, nor its resources permit ; 



like air and sunshine, to be given away, but a site once occupied by an infe- 



Furthermore, as Senator Gaylord rior work may be perpetually barred 

 points out, even such estimates of value from complete development, 

 may be slight in comparison with the Furthermore, the Government is build- 

 value that these water-powers will as- ing for all time, while the individual 

 sume in future years when wood and builds only for the immediate and near 

 coal have largely failed and popula- future. The case is similar to that of 

 tion. with its manifold needs, is vastly the landlord and tenant." 

 increased. In exactly the same way as Like President Roosevelt, in speak- 

 city lands multiply in value with the ing of the Desplaines River case (see 

 multiplication of population, so these CONSERVATION for March, page 170), 

 water-powers will probably multiply in and like President Taft in his letter to 

 value under the influences indicated. Mr. Shaw (see page 426, of this issue), 



In the light of these facts, we are not Senator Gaylord takes his stand against 



surprised that private companies are donating these water-powers to cor- 



reaching out for such water-powers, porations. His language is : ''These 



