Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1926-02-04
Industrial and Agri-
cultural Progress
In Southeast
WILL BE AIDED BY SURPLUS
POWER AT MUSCLE SHOALS,
EDITOR T. J. HAMILTON DE-
CLARES.

"The development of Muscle Shoals
is very close to the hearts of South
ern people who are impatient at the
delay in the completion of this great
project. 1t is in fact the greatest
power project in the South and one
of the greatest in the world.
This is the declaration of Thomas
j. Hamilton, editor of the Augusta
Chronicle, whose long fight in behalf
of better conditions in Georgia, and
particularly industrial conditions, is
noteworthy in Georgia journalism.
Mr.. Hamilton has followed the fate
of Muscle Shoals with a careful eye.
81 hold that this power should be
developed with the prime considera-
ton that fertilizers should first be
made for the farmer and that the
surplus power should be generally dis
tributed for the benefit of the entire
Southeast.
"The question of how this is to be
distributed, or rather through what
channels it should be distributed, is,
of course, the next question, after
first giving the nitrates to the farm
ers at the cheapest possible cost to
build up the lands that have grown
sterile through the constant planting
of cotton, which is of the greatest
Importance
"Then comes the question of the
surplus power. 1t would seem to be
the most plausible solution to have
this surplus power linked up with our
already super-pOwer system which
runs through the states of Alabama,
Tennessee, Georgia and North and
South Carolina. | believe that the
rates on the surplus power should be
reasonable and the fact that the pub
lie service commissions of the states
have control over the rates of those
states, would seem to give sufficient
guarantee and protection to the con-
sumner of this power.
"The question as to whether this
power should be distributed through
existing lines or entirely indepen-
dent lines is analogous to the PROPOSE
ton more of where a city has a light
and power company with wiring I'M
der ground and above ground, with
poles and other facilities for convey
ing this power to the consumers in
the city to place another power COM
pany in competition, which would
also have to go to the same expense
of building underground and over
ground systems and soon.
''In other words, it would appear
to be an economic crime for high
power transmission lines with steel
towers to parallel themselves through
the South. If the rates of the exist
ing power lines are too high then see
that the rates are reduced, but do not
commit the blunder of having dupli-
cate facilities. Of course, I feel that
the commissions of the various states
| which are entrusted with the power
of rate making should have the high
est regard for the interest of the pub
| lie in regard to rates as well as proper
regard for those who produce the
/ power. The public at all hazards
must be protected but it would seem
to be against all the laws of econom
les for the surplus power at Muscle
| Shoals to be distributed through an!
! other channel than the existing chan
nell"
eve must be able to assure the
| operators of new factories that they
not only can have an abundance OF
electric power available but also must
assure the mthat it will be available
all the year around. You can't oper'
ate factory successfully if you have
to shut it down every now and Their
because of lack of power. Overhead
/ charges are going on all the time and
factory cannot stand many shut
| downs if it is to be operated profit
ably. We want all industries now in
Georgia and all industries that may
be located here to operate success
fully. Their success means our sue
cess and their failure would injure
the whole state. The utilization of
the reservoirs of power found in the
companies of Alabama, Tennessee,
Georgia and the Carolinas, which are
now linked together, gives the assur-
ance of ample power all the year
around for industries.
During low water periods in one
part of the south the power reserves
of other sections are tapped. This
gives the inestimable advantage of
being able to avail itself of the vast
power reserves of several great hy-
dro-electric companies which have
spent many years in perfecting and
constructing their systems"