Evening star., 1925-01-10

Usually it is expected that the
"praye and reverend Senator'S will
be found more conservative ana
cautious in enacting important lesls-
lation involving not only millions OF
dollars Of expenditures, but also ques-
tions Of general policy as to public
ownership OF utilities, than is looked
for in the House. The Representa-
tives are younger and fresher from
"the people" OF their districts,
hence
But when it comes to Great Fails
development for the supply OF water
for Washingtonians TO drink and OF
power with which to light the city
move the street cars and keep the
wheels of industry operating at low
cost, the Senate has led the way,
where Representatives fear to
| tread
The Norris bill. which passed the
Senate last April, authorizing the
War Department to go ahead with
the Immediate construction or all the
Great Falls project as presented oy
/ the War Department in Maj. Iylers
plans. That meant the investment
as nronnptly as practicable construc-
tion could be done, of not less than
s44, 100000. with dams below and
above the Fails, for the operation or
power house machinery and for the
conservation Of water in great reser-
voirs, so that the supply held Dack
would be available to MAINTAIN an
even flow throughout the dry seasons
as we'll as in flood time. That would
nroduce some 10000 horsepower,
which is about double that the city
of Washington now consumes. 1t
would mean continuous all-year
flow of 5000 cubic feet of water per
second, with fall of 2lo feet.
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Now comes the House subcommittee
of the committee on the District OF
Columbia. headed by Chairman Zihl-
man. our neighbor from Baltimore.
! After prolonged hearings this sub
committee recommends an amended
program in the development OF the
TYLER project by piecemeal and with
conditions precedent. The House
committee appears just as outspoken
in indorsing the economy or the
project as the Senate, while 1t pro-
poses to advance only as FAR as II
| can do so without unnecessary risk.
The House plan would require that
! before any construction actually be-
gins the Government shall acquire
| all the land, including it's riparian
rights, which the entire Tyler plans
| involve. Also, before the surplus
power shall be created, that sur
| plus must be sold or contracted for,
by responsible customers. 1t assumes
! that the time to sell anything at a
profit is before becoming overstocked; (;
| hence. instead of planning to de-
| yelop the entire Tyler project Gn-
| elusive of the dam above the Falls,
with the great reservoirs above the
Fals). only the dam and reservoir
below the Falls. at Chain Bridge.
shall be constructed. That will cost
! SIS. 500, 600 and can be built as part
| of the full scheme of $44,500,000, just
as advantageously as il the entire
plant were to be constructed at once.
Washington will consume at once all
the power of that one unit at Chain
Bridge; additional construction to
| follow when the need for more power
| appears Even this one Chain Bridge
| unit cannot be ready until 1880.
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| The Norris bill, as passed by the
| Senate, makes no provision for the
distribution of the electricity, but it
! is confined only to its production.
| The House measures is made de-
pendent upon advance contracts for
| distribution, and Chairman Zihlman
states that it is the purpose to con-
tract with existing private corpora
tions to handle that distribution,
| rather than for the Government to
| enter into ruinous competition with
established private enterprise.
The local electric company already
| has it's system of wires underground.
| The wiring was done mostly before
| the streets were paved. For the
Government to parallel the wires with
| a new system laid beneath paved
streets would be impossible except
4 az q a