312 FORESTS, RESERVOIRS, AND STREAM FLOW 
is only the landlord who can make such far-reaching improvements 
upon his estate. 
Wherever, therefore, there arises any real demand for power de- 
velopment at the site of any Government work, as a lock and dam, 
the judicious course would seem to be for the Government to prepare 
a comprehensive plan for development capable of being carried out 
progressively as the market for power may justify. Let it then build 
the plant as fast as needed and lease it to private agencies under 
suitable restrictions. Likewise, when the building of a reservoir 
promises to be of obvious utility, and the conditions are such as to 
make it properly a subject of Government adoption, let the Govern- 
ment build it, utilizing the water in its own plants below and col- 
lecting a revenue from private plants that may use it. Whenever 
at the time of construction there is a direct return in sight of 2 
or 3%, it should be eonsidered justifiable from a Government point 
of view. The certain enhancement in the future value of such util- 
ities and the incidental advantages in flood protection and navigation 
make this a conservative proposition. 
That difficulties will be encountered in deriving the full return 
from its work to which the Government would be entitled cannot be 
denied. This would be the case particularly wherever it is a ques- 
tion of compelling existing power plants to pay for the extra water 
they might receive through Government storage. This question came 
up before the Mississippi Reservoir Board in regard to the powers 
at St. Anthony’s Falls which derive such benefit from the reservoirs. 
The Board remarked as follows on the subject: 
“Tt may be urged that if the incidental benefits of the reservoirs 
to the water-power interests are so great, these interests should be 
required to contribute something to the maintenance of the system. 
There would doubtless be a willingness to do this if a satisfactory 
method could be found. But there is no practicable method of enfore- 
ing any charge upon the use of this water. Where water is taken in 
a separate channel from above a dam or lock and conducted to a mill, 
it is a simple thing to measure it and to cut it off if it is not paid for. 
But when it must be let into a natural stream, where it mingles with 
the run-off from below, it is impossible to determine what proportion 
of stored water the mill may be using, or to enforce its non-use if not 
paid for. But, if such an arrangement is not practicable, that fact 
does not constitute an argument against the reservoir system. So 
long as the reservoirs are performing the service for, which they were 
