The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1923-12-21
WANTS MIR. DANIELS TO
HARNESSROANOKERIVER
Don't Ask Me For Superb Power For The East
Let 10. Daniels Make 1t, Says
J. 3. Duke
by w. O. SAUNDERS.

Daniels TO take up water TlSlllS
on the Roanoke River and give
you all the hydro-electric
power you need from that
source? There is the power'in
the Roanoke River only wait
ing to be harnessed and there
is Mr.. Daniels, a big construc-
tive man always wanting to do
something for the people. Let
him build a monument 70 him
self by harnessing the wasted
power of the Roanoke and put
ting it to work for Eastern
North Carolina, just as the
Southern Power Co. has put the
mountain streams Of the Caro-
linas to work for tie West
The speaker was James Buchan
an Duke. He was seated in his o.
fices at 81 Fifth Ave., New York,
the other morning when l droppe
in to chat with him about his hydro
electric Developments in Western
North Carolina. | asked him when
he expected to throw out his high
power transmission lines into East
ern North Carolina and give lis
coast country folks some Of the
cheap power that his great super.
power system is feeding to scores Of
towns and cities and factory settle
ments in the Piedmont section to-
day? The great white coal mag
nate turned iI lis chair and with
a smile spoke about as / have
quoted him.
Mr.. Daniels controls sentiment in
Eastern North Carolina. said Mr..
Duke in so many words. MI.
Daniels doesn't want the Southern
LPowers4 Ca.~toaalaayss7il-n monopoly OF
water power rights iu North Caro-
lima. For us to do for the East
what we have done for the West,
would he a monopoly. Therefore [
suggest that Mr.. Daniels develop
the water power possibilities Of ycur
own Roanoke River. Then you
wouldn't have to come to the West
for power at all. Mr. Daniels Is a
big man, he runs, d big newspaper,
he ran the navy, he is for the people.
There may have been bitterness in
the words of the man familiarly
known as Buck" Duke. but lie
dirln't betray it by any look or tone.
There was sly twinkle in his eyes.
And so ] never got a satisfactory
answer TO my question. But / got
this much: Mr.. Duke Is not un-
mindful of the h! !dro-electric power
possibilities in Eastern North Caro-.
Ina. Maybe when he has seen the
East get hungry for his super-powcr
and there Is IN unmiStakable clamor
for his super-pOwer, regardless of
his monopoly, he may turn his ell
ginccrs loose OH Roanoke River. In
the meantime Mr.. Duke is spending
Millions on hydro-electric projects
IN Canada, with plans for the ultf-
mate development of 2,000.0O0 horse
power from the Sagucnay River. 1t
is planned to send this current
from the generators OIL the Saguenay
over high tension wires into the
heart of New York, $50 miles away.
1t would be no trick at all for the
Southern Power organization, with
Mr.. Dukes millions and the en-
ginecring ability of Mr.. VIM. s. Lee:
to harness the Roanoke River here
in Eastern North Carolina and fur
niSh cheap electric power to all
Northeastern North Carolina towns
and villages. But Mr.. Duke meets
with less opposition in Canada than
in his own native North Car0liLG
Canadians seem glad enough to let
him take their waste waters and
turn them into power to he sent
over the border to run New England
mills. But in North Carolina he
meets the constant opposition Of Mr.
. Daniels and the News & Observer
There doesn't live a man big enough
to stand up forever in the face of
pitileSs publicity. Certainly, NJ.
Duke is not such man. He il
spending his millions in Canada
right now and facetiously says,
LET 10 Daniels do for Eastern
North Carolina what l have done
for the West
OF course Mr.. Daniels isn't going
/ to do any such thing. But it's go
ing to he done some of these days.
Mr.. Duke himself may be planning
TO do it right now, for all any one
knows. One thing Is obvious: :
, there are two millions OF horse
2 power of energy in North Carolina
, streams, only a small part Of which
; has been put to work. Somebody is
= going to put this energy TO work.
becare. rs cheaper TN coal and