The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-06-03

"
ment OF the state, but the improve
ment of the navigation on the Coosa
river is not only neglected, but we
may say abandoned. Out of an ap-
preparation for rivers and harbors
for the fiscal year 1929 of s42,
S16.661 the Coosa and Alabama rivers
got only $4,000, and this applied to
the Alabama. Also, in the appropria-
ton for rivers and harbors for the
fiscal year 1923-24 of S56,5S9,910, we
find the Codsa neglected the Coosa
and Alabama rivers getting 1922, 1000,
and this for the Alabama. with none
for the Coosa.
Survey On COosa
Again on the Coosa we find in the
Ferguson report on the examination
and survey of the Etowah, Coosa,
Tallapoosa and Alabama rivers,
blouse Dec. 253, 63d Cong. 1st Ses)
that though this report sets forth
the facts in greater detail than in
any survey of the kind ever made by
the United States engineers up to
the date of this report, Captain Fer
guson in his report recommended
that $3.50 be allotted for additional
surveys necessary on the Coosa river
and of reservoir sites on the head
waters OF the Coosa and Tallapoosa
rivers. The district engineer, then
Lieut.. Col. Lansing H. Beach (now
chief of engineers, concurred In the
Ferguson recommendation, and COL
onel Lockwood, senior member of the
board Of engineers for rivers and
harbors In returning to the chief
of engineers the recommendation OF
Captain Ferguson and Colonel Beach,
stated in part;
These questions are SO involved
(referring to the Coosa survey that
it is impracticable to answer them
without moro detailed and extended
Information than can be secured by a
preliminary examination. The board
therefore concurs in recommending
that the survey proposed by the dis
trict officer and the division engineer
be authorized" etc.
But the appropriation was not au-
thorized and the surveys were not
made as they should have been.
That the Warrior and the Cocoa
should be surveyed, that all the pos
sibilities for navigation Improvement,
power development and flood control
on the main streams and on their
tributaries should be definitely estab-
lished, just as has been authorized
and appropriated for by Congress on
the Tennessee, there can be no DOUBT.
These broad policies now being
worked out on the st. Lawrence, Col
orado and Tennessee rivers, especial
ly when considered in connection
with events and proposals at Muscle
Shoals, all challenge the courage ana
the genius of your administration, or
the state legislature, Of the public
service commission and OF members
of Congress from Alabama for the
adoption Of these policies on all or
the navigable streams and their trib-
utaries in our state. We shall waste
a
Industrial and the social welfare of
Alabama If we DO not unitedly as a
people seize the opportunities ex-
tended to US on the navigable streams
of our state and pointed out to US
by the examples on the St. Lawrence,
Colorado and Tennessee rivers and
already made plain to us by congress
sional action.
With these facts before you, may
I ask what is the policy. il any,
which the state of Alabama has defin-
itely set down in respect to these
economic questions, the comprehen-
sive and intelligent solution OF
which is so full of promise? Frankly,
as far as l know, the state of Ala
bama has no comprehensive policy
of it's own in regard to these impor-
tant questions.
Power Company Policy.
We find, however. that the Ala
bama Power company has definitely
announced its own water power pol
icy in the state, and the power COM
pany has published this policy, which
it calls the ideal system of the pow
er company" In booklet entitled
THE Muscle Shoals Situation" as
follows:
THE ideal system OF the power
company which serves Alabama and
=. tn mr. H.
west will constitute network OF
transmission lines interconnecting
with the power companies in Georgia
and the Carolinas on the east and
Tennessee on the north, extending
through Memphis as far west as Lit
tie Rock, covering the state OF Ala-
bama and Mississippi and extending
along the Gulf coast from Pensacola
to New Orleans. The Alabama Pow
err company is in position to best re-
alize this ideal of public service.
Perhaps within. ten years GER
tainly within 90 years, every indus
trial center within that territory will
be linked together with every other
industrial center, and, in fact, with
every other community within a ra-
dius of hundreds of miles. They will
be receiving electricity for light and
power and for commercial and in
dustrial application from the great
sa and Tennessee and from plants
located at the mouth of the coal
mines in the Warrior coal fields.
'Interconnection OF the great power
plants now in existence, or proposed
within this territory, will enable the
company to take advantage of the
diversity of the natural stream flow
between drainage areas and also
supply with the greatest economy any
amount of steam power required in
the territory"
Now however satisfactory the
above announced policy of the Ala
bama Power company is to the stock
pie Of Alabam. when they understand
the proposed ideal system" of the
Alabama Power company, will hold
that the water power policy OF
the Alabama Power company, what
ever the company may claim for It,
Is foreign policy" strangely con-
trary and adverse to Alabama's
and her agriculture, and
neglectful of the heavy
tax burdens now borne by the peo-
pie of the state. This Ideal system"
and policy means that the hydro
electric power in Alabama is to be
exported to other states for their
for Alabama's agricultural and in
dustrial welfare and development.
O O O
Canadian Power withheld.
When we consider this foreign
policy" of the Alabama Power COM
pany to export the states hydro
electric power to other states, we
must not forget that Canada was ex-
porting $4,000 horse power into the
state of New York in 1915, but when
Canada needed this power during
the World war 1t withdrew 1t and
has not, and perhaps never will. re-
sumo it's exploration for use in the
state of New York.
If the Alabama Power company
finds surplus Of power developed
that can be exported to North Caro-
lima, for example. and the Alabama
Power company contracts to sell 1t
in North Carolina, can Alabama get