Douglas daily dispatch., 1926-10-03
AME.S B. GRAND HITS RIVER PACT

an initial development of some two
hundred thousand h. p, to- be followed
by like amount every five years in a
progressive ratio. This would result
in complete development of the river.
should necessity demand, in period of
about one hundred years. The method
of offdevelopment will naturally FOLLOW
the lines of least resistance as influ-
eneed by cost. River control should
begin in the upper reaches, thereby
lessening the danger from floods as
each power unit would be built.
DIAMOND CREEK PROJECT
This is solely power project with a
limited storage capacity and no water
will or could be taken from the river
1t will not interfere with any flood
control, reclamation or power project
on the Colorado river. 1t will help the
flood control to the extent of its limited
reservoir capacity, about one million
acre feet. 1t will benefit reclamation
because it would stabilize the flow.
The development of power here would
not only fill want now existing but
would furnish electric power to future
development.
Every law, rule and regulation of the
United States and the state govern
ments have been complied with at a
cost of more than one hundred and fifty
thousand dollars and L am now at a
loss to understand how the Federal
Power Commission can take the posi-
tion, viz: that the parties proceeding
regularly under the laws of the United
.ho1
accruing under these laws, pending pos
sible action by Congress- on further
laws which may themselves, in turn,
be held up pending action on future
laws to be enacted. But I continue to
rely on the integrity and justice of
the Federal Power Commission.
The Diamond creek project can sup.
ply power cheaper than could the gov
built Boulder power dam, and
in addition thereto it will pay taxes to
the federal and state government in
stead of going down into the pockets
of the already overburdened taxpayers
to raise the enormous sum necessary to
build the colossal Boulder power pro-
ject 1t will require four years to COM
plete the construction of the Diamond
creek project, the services of more than
one hundred engineers, between three
and five thousand mechanics and la
borers, the purchase of some seven or
eight millions of dollars of materials
and supplies and total expenditure of
some forty millions of dollars, which
includes the building of the dam, power
gllouse, substations and transmission
lines. It is financed and ready to begin
oo11 ,ofi ON,
THE SWING-JOHNSON BILL AND
BOULDER CANYON POWER DAM
H. The primary object of this bill is the
building of the Boulder canyon power
DAM Thinking people and unprejudiced
engineers hold to the opinion that the
Boulder canyon power dam will never
be built for the following reasons:
/ i. The necessity for this huge pro-
j6ct, costing two hundred million dol
lars, does not exist.
1 2. For the reason put forth by Col.
William Kelly, former Chief Engineer
of the Federal Power Commission, who
said: storage for regulation of flow
should be located above the canyon sec
rtion so that the equated flow can be
used through the greatest practicable
/ head"
3. Excessive depth of bedrock
4. Objection of upper basin states
who fear priorities may be initiated
by the building of such huge reservoir
at the foot of the canyon.
| 5. And not the 1east-a better site
exists at Glenn canyon which will ac-
complish everything, as far as the
United States is concerned, that the
iT2O11dar copuo1 will 1icIo on6 10
addition thereto would stabilize the
flow of the river throughout the canyon
section, thereby removing the flood
menace when future power dams are
built.
! 6. Inability to cope with floods dur
Il ing the long period of construction,
which Secretary Hoover estimates to
be ten years.
| Yet, in spite of these self-evident
facts, unless prompt action is taken the
Swing-Johnson bill will pass at the
next session of Congress- This opinion
is of special value because it was
enunciated by western Senator from
Colorado river basin state who We
hemently voiced his opposition to the
bill but added that in his Judgment
the bill would surely pass the Senate
at it's next session. He further stated
that it is the consensus of opinion that
the President would recommend it's
passage in his next message to Con.
gress, that it was backed by both Sec
retaries Hoover and Work and the en-
itire administration forces.
| What has brought about the radical
change in the President and Secretaries
Hoover and Work? For it is well
known that such policies are in direct
deposition to their pronounced views,
and that they were in the beginning
opposed to the measure. The secretaries
openly so.
| Now for moment, let us examine the
purport of this bill. What is proposed?
The erection of a huge dam and power
iplant at cost of about two hundred
millions of dollars at point at or in
the Boulder canyon section of the Col
orado river, to a height of about five
hundred feet above the river bed and
with a development of some six hun
dred thousand electrical h. p. The pro-
ceeds of the sale of this power would
be offered as a bait to the government
to loa nits credit to provide the nee
ieSSary funds to build the project