The Cordova daily times., 1922-09-21


 plications have been made to it for temporary licenses to develop a total of 119,000 horsepower from sites in Alaska, according to records of the District Forest Service Headquarters at Juneau, which represents the Fed eral Power Commission in the Ma tional Forest regions of Alaska. Of the total, applications for the develop ment of 1O1, 300 horsepower in South eastern Alaska and 175O0 horsepower in Central and Southwestern Alaska coast districts have been made. For est Service records also show to be developed and in operation in South eastern Alaska 32,5OO horsepower.
 TASK IS IMMENSE
 The Federal Power Commission is composed of the Secretary of War, chairman; the Secretary of the h. terior and the Secretary of Agricul- ture. o. c. Merrill is executive secre- tarv of the commission and in active charge of the work. The commission in a bulletin issued recently reviewed it's operations since it was created in July, 1920 Tn this it said:
 "A review of the work of the Fed eral Power Commission during the two years of it's operation clearly in dicates the practical value of the Fed eral Water Act and the task confront ing the Commission. Due to the many vear,s delay in securing adequate Fed eral legislation, it was but natural that a flood of applications should nave followed immediately upon approval ot the act. Nevertheless, during it's sec ond wear. there have been filed with tho Commission applications aggre- eating net total of 600O,OO horse power of proposed installation. lhlS amount, added to the applications ol the preceding fiscal year, make d grand total of 321, involving in excess of % GOO OOO horsepower. This amount ;s more than twice the existing water mower installation of the United States If exceeds the combined potentlai vater-nower resources of NorWaE Sweden, Finland and the Arctic ana Baltic drainages of Russia-the chlel Water-power region of Europe It '9 nearly twice the combined resources ot France and Italy. It is more than SIX times the aggregate of all applications for mower sites under Federal control in the preceding 20 years.
 By the terms of the Federal water Power Act the Commission is required to investigate all projects applied TOT to determine whether the structures are safe and properly designed anu whether full utilization will be made of the resources of the stream. It IS reouired to make valuations or all nronertins licensed under the act ana constructed prior to the issuance ol license, When declarations are flleu of intention to construct dams Ill streams whose navigable status is doubtful it must investigate ana oe- termine whether the interests ot ln- erstate or foreign commerce would be affected. It must investigate and pass upon applications for restoration to entry of lands within power-site re- serves It is required to establish system of accounting to be applied to the operations of it's licenses ana py means of which the net investment III the properties may always be known. If must assume ultimate responsibility for seeing that licensed projects are properly maintained and that adequate depreciation reserves are established It has already had many difficult ad- ministrative and legal problems to meet in the interpretation of the act, and it must be prepared to assist in the defense of the act before the courts.
 PERSONNEL IS LACKING
 "To perform the greatest task with respect to water powers that the gov ernment has ever had, Congress gave the commission no personnel other than it's executive secretary and en- gineer officer, but obliged it to borrow for it's work such personnel as the de- nortn,ants cOuld snare and were will ing to loan. It has been operating two years under these unsatisfactory con- ditions with a detail of eight engi- naers, two attorneys, two account ants and Is clerks-a force utterly in- adequate to perform the duties placed upon it by the act. The Commission