Evening star., 1927-04-13
GREAT FALLS DAM
URGED FOR POWER
Senator Norris Proposes
Harvesting Potomac for
People of District.

Charging the power trust" with
spending millions of dollars annually
to poison the minds of the people, 8"
Senator Norris, Republican, of Ne
braska, last night urged the Federal
Government to develop the Boulder
Dam and Muscle Shoals projects, ito
harness the power of Great Falls for
the people of the District" and to
take the water-power question out
Of politics.
The occasion was a testimonial din
ner in honor of the Nebraska SEN
atOr, arranged at the City Club under
the auspices of the National Popular
Government League, with former SEN
ator Robert l.. Owen of Oklahoma
presiding. Among the 800 guests
were many members Of Congress and
others prominent in the fight for the
Boulder Dam bill, which was "scut-
tied" by a Senate filibuster in the clos.
ing days of Congress.
Senator Norris charged that the
power trust" spent more than $780,
600 TO prevent passage of the Boulder
Dam bill and berated the electric in
terests for indulging in what he
termed dirty. disreputable politics. 3"
Flooded With kilograms.
Speaking at length on the proposed
Boulder Canyon Dam as a case in
point, Norris said when it was under
consideration in the Senate members
of that body were flooded with tele-
grams, and one Senator who favored
the bill, he added. switched his posi-
ton because he received 60 telegrams
in one day from all parts of his State
urging that he vote against it.
6n I,o 4
of the issues involved Senator Nor
ris said. These kilograms were sent
at the command of the power trust ;
The question of giant power, rep.
resented in part by the Boulder Can
yon Dam" he declared should be
kept out Of politics, The representa-
tiveS of the power trust talk fearfully
of the question getting into politics
when they really fear that it will be
kept OUT
In contending that the Government
should develop hydro electric power at
Great Falls for the benefit of the Dis
trict, Senator Norris cited the Gov
ernment-controlled waterworks of on
tario, Canada, as an example of the
cheapness with which the Government
could operate. He declared that even
farm houses there We're equipped with
service
Says Trust" Never Sleeps.
In an effort to arouse the friends
of the Boulder Dam project, Senator
Norris gave a detailed outline of the
activities of the power trust, which
he said never sleeps
''The power trust has an army of
highly paid attorneys and experts
throughout the country" he said. "It
goes into every aldermanic body, every
legislature. as we'll as Congress, to get
these public servants to pull their
chestnuts out of the fire. And every
dollar that they use in this nefarious
work comes out of the pockets of the
people who are paying eXorbitant
rates for power.
THE power trust does not stop there.
1t is employing numerous publicity ex-
pertS to write newspaper and maya
zine articles and editorials in q false
and deceptive propaganda all designed
to poison the minds of the people, to
create public sentiment for ownership
of the peoples property by this ava
ricious monopoly"
Norris Sounds Warning.
Senator Norris warned friends Of
the Boulder Dam bill or the efforts
of the power interests to have the
Swing johnson measure amended so
as to eliminate the provision for Gov
ernment supervision Of power devel-
oped at Boulder Dam.
IF we could consent to eliminate
that provision-the very backbone of
the bill-there would be no opposition
from the power trust" he said. THAT
opposition would melt away and Ari-
zona would be left out in the cold.
But the real friends of the measure
will never consent to such a cowarily
compromise. There can be no com.
promise on the principle. The bill
may be amended at the behest of the
power trust, but the real friends Of
the bill will desert it and fight it."
At the conclusion of the meeting
Edward Heating, editor of Labor and
former Representative from Colo
rado, declared. II hope God will give
one Of the major parties sense enough
to nominate George Norris for the
presidency
Among others who spoke at the
meeting in praise Of Senator Norris
and the efforts to take the water
power question out of politics were
former Gov. Pinchot of Pennsylvania
Senator Walsh, Democrat, Of Mon
tana; Frank Morrison, secretary of the
American Federation Of Labor, and
AT,-c. n dnl l1V