The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1922-07-22
rule, such people do not do this

without the borrowing Of money
at high rates of interest and they
realize al the same time that when
the dams are constructed and the
flow OF the river equalized, the
benefit would accrue to any person
or corporation having a dam on the
stream, and while these persons
might be required to pay their pro-
portionate cost Of the. improve
ment, the fact that many dams
in good locations might be con-
structed for many years to come
makes it necessary for the person
or corporation making the I'M
provement to wait indefinitely Cor
any recompense for the expendi-
ture. Since the government will
own. Dams No. 2 and 5. the greatest
of all, and therefore has a greater
direct interest than any person, or
corporation, IN eeualizing the flow
in the Tennessee River, and since
the government will not be COM
PEELED to pay e2orbi:ant rates of
interest for the necessary funds, it
seems very appropriate that The
government. should build. these res
eryoir dams
The, report predicts that If. the
Norris bill is passed by eongnress
obligating persons or corporations
building dams on the Tennessee
river to pay their proportienate
share of the cost of constructing
the reservoir dams, it will be at
once known that the power posi-
sbilities Of the river have been Won
derfully increased, and it will be
an inducement to persons and cor
porations to take leases on the
Tennessee because they know that
the stream will be equalized and
the amount of primary power vast
1y increased a. all dams on the
stream.
When that IS done, the report
says, 1the most modern, and the
most economic development OF
power on the Tennessee river that
exists duy Hl1O4S AZ LILY ~ sA@~~'S,S~
world will have; been made.
..It means not only increased
manufacturing through the valley,
but it means similar improvement
through the South. It means the
eventual cheapening of electricity
to: the poorest of the people as; well
as to the weli-to-do and the
wealthy. 1t means the transfor-
nation to great extent Of large
portions of the United States. It
ought to be welcomed by. the en-.
tire country, but most especially by
the people Of the South
In connection with this plan
called for in the Norris bill, the re-
port says, sit is well to consider,
that.this plan if carried out would
result in another very important
improvement. The Tennessee river
flows into the Ohio and the Ohio
into the Mississippi. For more than
one hundred years Congress has
been appropriating money to save
the low lands of the Mississippi
from overflow. It is conceded by
all students Of the subject that
one way to. prevent this overflow
is to construct storage reservoirs
on. the head waters of the tribu-
taries of the Mississippi. If the
Improvement contemplated by this
bill was made we would have the
maximum amount Of electrical ems,
ergy developed on the Tennessee at
the. minimum cost and it would
follow that by the storage of the
flood waters. we would automatl-
cally to great extent aid in les
sening the danger of overflow on
the Ohio or the Mississippi.
cit is one of the indicentsr that
goes with the systematic improve
nnent of any nayigable stream. All
these beneficial objects Hnterloek
and work together for the power.
the Improvement Of navigation.
and the avoidance of damage by
overflow. In this way, we are get
ting every possible benefit that can
come through improvement, The
entire South is interested in this
systematic Improvement.
Because of objections by COM
rnittee Senator's, who insisted upon
favorably reporting the Ford Of
fer, the report declares. propon-
ents of the Norris plan have been
deprived of the right to offer
amendments in committee, or from
taking up the Norris bill for con-
'sideration.. It. announces that
amendments will be offered. with
respect to bringing about the. re-
tention by the government OF The
TRANSMISSION line from Muscle
Shoals, to Waco Quarry: and prob
ably in changing other provisions
as they now appear in the bill.
Sale Of the governments inter
ests in the Gorgas Steam Plant to
the Alabama Power company is
recommended by the report on the
ground that there is no reason why
the plant should be retained by the
government and that the Power
company's offer would give the gov
ernment a return FOR its investment
of a much larger per cent than has
been received from the sale OF any
other war material.
eff the government sold this.
property to the Alabama Power
company for s3,oee. 600" the re-
port points out, sit would be get
ting a return of over 60 per cent
on its investment. 1t is well, to