Evening star., 1927-06-19


the hydro-electric power generated
could be disposed of to advantage
within a radius OF 200 miles. which
would take in a large part of Mary
land and Virginia.
Some of the cotton mills of the
South obtain current from greater
distances than 200 miles and in some
portions of the country the distances
run up to 500 or 600 miles. Before
his death the great electrician. Stein
metz of the General Electric Co, pre-
d1cted that the time would come when
cheap hydroelectric current would be
so universally employed as to per
form large percentage of the labor
which is now otherwise performed
and greatly reduce the hours of labor.
He even dreamed about four-hour
labor day IN consequence.
Bills Now in Congress. t,
In the last Congress there were
bills introduced in each house pro-
viding for the development of the
power at the Great Falls. The Senate
passed the bill introduced by Senator
Norris, the theory of which is that
the Government should do all of the
construction work and operate the
plant as a Government enterprise. The
House bill provided for construction
by the Government. but the senti.
ment of the committee on the Dis
trict of Columbia, which considered
1t. seemed to be in favor of the Gov
ernment leasing the plant rather than
operating 1t. The sponsors of the BILL
Representatives Zihlman and Moore,
conferred with Senator Norris, sug-
gesting that the differences in views
be tentatively reconciled by providing
Tor Government construction and leav-
ing open for future action the question
as to whether there should be Gov
ernment operation or operation by a
Government lessee, but Senator Nor
ris adhered to his opinion that any
measure enacted into law should be
definitely for Government operation.
| The net result was that Congress
closed without any action being taken.
Speaking of the application for a
license by private corporation as
made to the Federal Power Commits.
sion, Representative Moore, when in.
quiry was made of him, said that he
knew nothing of it except what he
had read, but that he is most anxious
that the work shall be done without
the interminable delay which he has
been fearing.
1t is, of course, recognized" said
MIR. Moore, that the proposal to have
| the development made by the Gov
ernment at its expense has relation
to the use which could be made of
the current in the District of Columbia
by the Government itself and by the
public in the area over which Con-
gress has exclusive Jurisdiction. Ex-
cept for that it would be necessary
| to look to private enterprise and capi-
tai But If there Is no prospect of
Government action in carrying out
the recommendations of the Tyler re-
port, l would like to see those recon.
mendations carried out by some strong
and dependable private concern.
Offer Same Benefits.
'"The same benefits would accrue
and the fact that nowadays public
utilities are subject to official control,
not only in the District of Columbia,
but in the States, is a protection
against improper methods or extrava-
CANT charges. Since the recent news.
paper statement as to the application
for license, 1 have had no oppor-,
tunity of comforting with Mr.. Zihlman,
nor do l know anything about the
company which Is making the appli.
| cation, or about its plans. but as
| resident of northern Virginia, l hope
that what is being said is not mere
talk and that we are on the verge
of fulf1llment of the expectations
that have so long been entertained,
OF seeing practical use made of the
power which now goes to waste at
the Great Falls"
As matter of fact in going further
| than the Tyler report recommends for
| the initial construction work by Fed.
eral engineers under authority from
Congress, the application made by the
Potomac River Corporation of VIII.
mington. really contemplates what Is
an essential recommendation of Mai.
Tyler toward furnishing power at de.
creasing rates.
Maj. Tyler in his report said that
| 1T is not economical to develop the
| power of Great Falls merely to supply
the small public demand in the Dis
tr1ct of Columbia, and sound policy
IN the use of a continuing natural re-
source, such as waterpower, and In
the conservation of an exhaustible one,
such as coal, dictates the utmost pos
sioie employment of the waterpower."
Would Lower Rates Here. >
The records at the Federal Power
Commission show that the proposed
scheme of development under the per-
NIT applied for is similar to that
recommended by Maj. Tyler, with the
addition of storage dam at Charles
Town. w. Va; and with the addition
of dams and powerhouse near Har-
pers Ferry. w. Va. e
This makes the present project cover
four storage dams-near Charles
Town, w. Va; at Brooks Gap near
Springfield, w. Va, and on Great Ca.
capon near Berkeley Springs, w. Va
Power is to be developed near Har-,
pers Ferry, w. Va: at Great Falls.
near Washington, and at Chain Bridge
up the Potomac from Georgetown.
The power to be generated would
be sold for public utilities purposes 70
operating and distributing companies,
to industries and to other users of elec-
trio energy.
Any development of Great Falls
probably means that the individual
washington householder would secure
service exactly as at present, through
the Potomac Electric Power Co., which
has an underground network OF cables
for delivery service that would not
be duplicated, but that through lower
generation costs and a larger service.
the price to the householder could be
considerably reduced.