Evening star., 1927-05-23
NORRIS ASKS DELAY
ON GREAT FALLS
Opposes Private Develop
ment Until Congress Acts on
Proposed U. S. Project.

The Federal Power Commission was
requested today by Senator Norris Of
Nebraska to postpone action on any
application for private development Of
the waterpower of Great Falls until
Congress gives further consideration
TO the long-pending proposal to have
the Government harness this nearby
waterfall.
In letter to the commission from
Waupaca, Wis, where he is passing
the Summer, Senator Norris tells the
Federal power agency that Congress
already has expended large sums Of
public funds on suverys and plans for
development of Great Falls by govern
mental action, and announced his in.
tention of bringing the question once
more to the attention. of the legisla.
tors as soon as Congress returns in
December.
The question Of utilizing the falls
for power purposes in Washington
and vicinity has been before Congress
and local organizations periodically for
many years without reaching the
stage of final action, and the issue has
been dormant during the past few
years.
Back in Limeiight.
It was brought back into the lime.
light 10 days ago, when the Potomac
River Corporation of Wilmington.
Del, applied to the power commission
for a preliminary permit to develop
a powerful hydro-electric plant at the
falls, with additional facilities at
Charles Town and Harpers Ferry.
w. Va.
The letter sent to the commission
today by Senator Norris is the first
definite indication that the filing of
this recent application is likely to
revive congressional discussion of the
Great Falls project next Winter.
1t was learned today that letters
urging postponement of action on the
pending application for development
OF water power at Great Falls until
Congress meets also have been writ
ten to the commission by Senators
Dill of Washington. Johnson of Cali
fornia and Senator.elect Blaine OF
Wisconsin.
Senator Dill suggested that few
months of delay would not be serious,
even if 1t is to be developed finally
by private interests.
Sees Object Lesson.
Senator Johnson said it has been
regarded by some that in view of
its location the development of Great
Falls would serve as an object lesson
for the Nation, and concluded by
recommending postponement of action
until December.
Under its rules the commission waits
eight weeks before taking up an ap-
plication for preliminary report, and
1t was said today that an even longer
time may elapse before the staff of
the commission Is ready to lay the
pending application before the COM
mission itself. A preliminary permit
would not be authority to proceed on
the project, but serves to give
priority to the permitee..
The letters of the Senators will be
laid before othe commission when the
entire matter Of the application is
taken up.
Senator Norris. who has been an
active advocate in Congress of har.
Messing Great Falls, wrote the COM
mission as follows:
From newspaper reports I learn
that the Federal Power Commission
has under consideration a request for
a permit to develop hydro-electric
power at Great Falls. desire to call
the attention of the commission to the
fact that the Federal Government has
spent many thousands of dollars in in
vestigating the possibilities of the
hydro-electric power at Great Falls.
Congress has appropriated public
funds and several Investigations have
been made.
Langfitt Report Cited.
"Since / have been in Congress we
have had the report of Col. Langfitt.
He spent $4,000 of public funds in