Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-01-02
PERSONNEL ASKED
FOR POWER BOARD
Jones Bill Seeks to Double
Force of Commission, Be-
- hind in Work.

Doubling, without cost to the Gov
eminent. the personnel of the Federal
Power Commission. which is now five
wears in arrears on the work of pass
ing upon licenses for water power de
velonment. is proposed in hlil
fa.1,e,,c1 hv Senator Jones Of Wash
inytou and REPRESENTATIVE Burton OF
Ohio. which Will he introduced when
CONGRESS- gets back ON the job We'd
ncSdaN.
This effort to speed up power de.
vplCprnent at time when demands
err pressing proposes to Nut the
rrcnse fees CO lccted int" special
fund. from which the commission can
nav its personnel thereby CARVING
on, the intention Of the act. which
authorized such fees for the purpose
o. reiy,,hurSinc the United States tor
the costs Of the administration ~ tn
set
For seven years. the commission has
been operating with personnel Dor.
rawed from the Departments OF
Agriculture Interior and War. al
though it collects on license fees an
amount nj least 80 per cent in excess
Of the cost az work. 1t needs. the
commission has reported IN Congress,
about twice its present personnel 10
meet the inCrea sine number Of ap-
T,!cct;ons for water power develop
n,ent. anj 20 keep q proper check on
The actual costs of construction that
are charged into capital accounts.
Seek Appropriations.
In the budget estimates for the
fiscal year 1929. FOR the first time. the
commission. consisting Of the Secre-
taries OF War. Interior and Asricul'
ture. has made application for APP
propria lions Heretofore. only small
amount was appropriated directly, oit
OF which the salary of the executive
secretary alone has been paid. All
other employees were loaned. 1t Is
estimated that cost OF operation with
an adequate personnel would he a..
proXimately 5000. 200 a year, where
now about $500. 600 year is collected
In license fees which are increasing
a. the rate of about $4,000 a wear.
The bill. which is awaiting con-
side, alton. was passed by the Senate
I'm the last Congress. but failed to
cume before the House for concur
rent approval Since that time the
need has grown.
ne present III the
sion is only three more than it was
when the organic act went into oper-
alton in 1920, and additional person
nel cannot he employed without EN-
towering legislation. Under existing
conditions it will take five years or
more 10 dispose of the pending ap-
plications for licenses.
Demand Is Pressing.
The demand for water-power devel-
opment is pressing, senator Jones
points out. and il can proceed only as
the commission is able TO act on these
appiicaiiors. which ara being made at
the rate OF more than 100 per year.
Emphasizing that license receipts
Gre largely in excess OF all costs of the
commission. Senator Jones said:
This fund will increase and be
ample TO meet all The expenses of the
commission in carrying ON its work as
II should be carried on without the
charge nj penny upon the Federal
revenues II We are not going 10
provide the force ample 10 meet the
needs nj the commission then the
charges imposed on pernittees should
he reduced. They make no complaint
q gajnsf these charges now. They want
IN see water power development ex-
pand. but il we are not going 10 allow
II 70 do so by negiecGng to provide for
ample funds. they are going TO insist
that these charges be reduced.
Under this bill these charges will
be pot in a special fund 90 be expended
for these purposes an the same may
be sppr 0priated therefor by Congress.
Secretary Of War Davis. as chair.
rf R-w All II
Congress fully upon the subject
while d considerable number Of
important cases are delayed for rea.
IONS beyond the control 81 the com.
mission. il remains true that the com
m ssi0n has completed action upon
only one.hsif Of those appIlca ions or
file which are Of real importance and
which are Of character 10 justify the
belief that they will lead 80 eventual
development he explained.
III the public interest IN TO he rea.
s9nably guarded and il the interests
OF navigation and other collateral mat.
ers are 10 he properly protected. appii.
Gallons fled with the commission mus;
reeve careful examination. and enel-
neef3rg. eco3osu,C and legal studies
must be- made before final action in
taken With the means afforded /,
has been and siiii iS physically imDos-
sb''e t. Keep the commissioner work
s'e' approximately current. Under
ES1e'ih2 conditions II would REQUIRE
from 10 years 10 dispose II the an,
p'h allots now pending. even IL no neg
ores were submitted. but nem appli-
'"u"hs are bfins filed at a rate Of
about 100 per snnum
Eef0rd Activity.
Never before H. our hlstor., haas
'hejt i@eI such activity in wafer.
power development az during the lag,
HFt teaiA. and this activity has been
t1"nSni about primarily becaDse the
FEoeiai mater i,Oger act for ihf. nrst
ahff mas afforded conditions which
mike IL possible 80 devotion with safe
~ me letWer sites under Governrueut
c0ti'roi. The demand for usw Dc.
tsioptneni II pressing THIS demand
ilas brought upon the commission a
volume ~ HD1k entirely beyond It's
He3illy ~ perform ~fth cklsiing
means, D"f"loptneui caH proceed ouiy
~ iasi sc The commission IT, able 10
H6- JnS delays which are 100. IN
soAasi1ie VIII he ia increasing degree
pafEhfY AfHiiiHx faciDr on water
power Development E'utfhern1ye so
WORK ~ the commission are covered
~ ~ multitude II sDpropriafi0us
1'iffF fbbH u.s. rHD aud ir tncaitttr
ere Likewise Di,srDr"d u nd sp.ntiited ar
fhf ari npN provides. there ran be-
NJ Intelligent budaeting and no busl
n*hsl)ke appraisal ~ tie WINK III the
commission. TIE commission there.
gore "a mostly recommends fn&Dynlln
CONSERVATION and ehfjy passage"
IN" r%tHh'lsslrn niso has plfiei8iiv
H"i3bFd ii3% Pr sident If ibe "iftrafir.
s9tf"'y status of the work " pointing
cpt mat ~ @xDsDEs* viii be entaiied
u" fh" ti"afufS. since the funds rol
b't"G may moi otherwise swell lie
t"tFtftn"ff revenues no wing
he at butHofjIss tile commission
- tpij"'t from ~ licensees annual
EpatR"s tor tis" purpose al Ieiulbute
ing tie ffnIlHd States fof fbr cosis IF
sac a3tnif3tFtt tIpB ~ lie at JnE