Evening star., 1927-11-23
POWER AND PARKS
PLANS ARE SEEN
AS |NCOMPAT|
National Capital Commission
Holds Coordination is
Impossible.
FEDERAL POWER BOARD
URGED TO INVESTIGATE
Notifications Would Increase Cost
as to Endanger Profits,
Grant Writes.

DEVELOPMENT of the Potomac River
above the Chain Bridge for hydro
electric power and for park purposes
co.ordinately could not be accom-
plished without q destruction Of the
park extension plan of the District of
Columbia, according to a letter which
was sent today to the Federal Power
Commission by Lieut.. Col. u. s. Grant,
Sd. executive officer of the National
Capital Park and Planning Commits
sion.
The letter, which was sent at the
direction of the commission, was sup
Elementary to the commissions orig
inal stand against the hydroelectric
development and was brought about
by a conference some weeks ago be-
tween Robert j. Bulkley and Col.
Charles Keller, representing the Po-
tomac River Corporation, and in which
they sought TO find some means of
getting approval Of their harnessing
the river by finding some method OF
also developing it for park purposes.
The commission states that the two
projects are incompatible, and if any
should only be done after a thorough
investigation by a public agency. 1t
fortifies it's original stand against the
project by saying that a preliminary
power permit should not be issued
under any circumstances until such
investigation is completed.
Would Endanger Profits.
"Since writing my letter Of July IS,
1927. to you," said Col. Grant in his
communication, the commission had
conference with Mr.. Bulkley and Col.
Charles Keller, representing the appli-
cant for a preliminary permit now be-
fore, your commission with a view to
ascertaining whether a reasonable
power development would not be pos
sble without destroying the essential
park value of the Great Falls and the
gorge of the Potomac River down to
the Chain Bridge. All the notifications
Of the project, which seem in the light
of present fact to promise the posslbil-
ity of accomplishing this were consid-
cred"
while the economic practicabillty
of any OF these suggestions could
obviously not be determined without
further investigation, and the appli-
cant persistently advanced this plea
in behalf of their being granted
preliminary permit, nevertheless, the
investigation of the project by Gov
ernment officers has already been
sufficient to define fairly we'll the
economic limitations of the project
and to make it clear even now that
notifications of the project along
any of the lines suggested would
probably so increase it's cost as very
nearly to consume the margin OF
profit. The commission is, therefore,
as the result of the conferences with
the applicant, only confirmed in its
belief that the two projects are in
compatible.
Resolution Is Adopted.
"The results of this conference and
further delibcratio have led this
commission to adopt the following
resolution:
First, the commission believes
that the park value Of the Potomac
River is paramount and should be
preserved.
Second. Any power development
that may be practicable should be so
adjusted as to substantially retain the
park values.
Third. If an investigation is neces.
sary to work out these possible ad.
justments, such investigation should
be made by public agency.
Fourth. preliminary power per-
nit should not be issued until such
investigation shall have been COM
pleted.
"The Commission has q definite
park project. If the investigation.
suggested above, be left to the appli-
cant, it may be so long delayed as
to permit material increase in the
cost of land to the Government and
perhaps make parts of it unobtain-
able Should the Federal Power
Commission decide that further in
vestigation is desirable. this COM
mission would be very happy to