Evening star., 1925-01-19

and auxiliary dams at Great Falls
and the upper Potomac River and
tributaries thereof.
The first part of this project has
heen adopted by Congress. a large
part of the necessary appropriations
have already been made and the
work is nearing completion.
Your committee feels that il is a
sound public policy to construct the
power dam provided for in said re
port, and the auxiliary dams as the
demand for electric current increases
in Washington and vicinity.
Plans Storage Dams.
Maj Tyler's report in its entirety
provides for the building Of power
dam q Chain Bridge and Great Falls.
and the building Of secondary storage
dams on the upper Potomac, the Shen-
andoah and the Great Cacapon Rivers
The first unit proposed is the build
ing of the dam at Chain Bridge at an
estimated total cost of $4,000. 900.
Your committee feels that the first
unit should be built by the Government
without unnecessary delay, but only
after the necessary lands and ease
ments therefor shall have been ac-
quired by purchase or condemnation.
or agreements made for such Durcha Sc,
on terms deemed rea sonablc by the
Secretary of War and not until guar
antees have been obtained in such form
as to satisfy the Federal Power Com
mission that the power can be disposed
OF on terms that viii protect the in
Vestment Of the United States and con
serve and utilize in the public interest
the water resources Of the Potomac
River.
If the bill in this form be adopted
II will be necessary for the Federal
| Water Power Commissi sion to obtain
guarantees for the sale OF the power
generated before the work is actual
ly commenced, and this viii insure a
return Of every dollar invested b+-
the Federal Government, as well as a
considerable saving Of coal and a
lowering Of the rates for current
used in the District Of Columbia and
nearby territory.
Cost of Project.
Representative of prominent in
Vestment bankers appeared before
your committee and stated they were
willing to enter into q lease for the
water and water power, and were
prepared TO meet part of the cost
for the installation Of machinery and
generating equipment, provided they
could obtain lonE-term lease for
e
They estimated that this portion OF
the construction would equal about
one-third OF the total cost. The en-
tire project of two power dams and
three auxiliary or storage dams would
cost S44,421.0p0. The work could be
taken up progressively as the need
developed.
1t is estimated that the needs %
the District for light and power in
1920 was sos, cot, 900 kilowatt hours,
that the demand for power is stead
lily increasing and that IL will reach
SOC. .000, 900 Rilowatt hours per annum
in 1880 and 100000. 900 kiloNratt hours
in I945.
The Chain Bridge dam alone will,
1t is estimated by engineers, genera IT,
4l5.o00,0oO kilowatt hours annually,
and the most conservative estimates
of this project show that with 4
saving of only mills per kilowatt
hour from S7O0,a0O to $500. 600 per an
mum would be saved to the light and
power users OF the District OF Colum- =
bio. and that from 1880 to 1916 there
would be saving TO the people Of
the District and nearby territory OF
more than S10,000,000
Present Power Cost.
The present lighting company has
been generating power at Il compare
lively low cost, although the cost to
the consumer is somewhat higher
than in many other cities in this
section of the country.
But the present company must ex-
pend S6,0O0,000 in equipment to take