Douglas daily dispatch., 1928-01-10

WASHINGTON, Jan. 9 up - The
Chamber of Commerce of the United
States was advised today by a COM
mittee appointed to study the Boulder
canyon dam project of the Colorado
river to oppose any legislation not
giving to private enterprise such OPP
portunity to develop and distribute
power as is provided under the federal
water power act.
This, the chamber was told, is in
line with the position that the gov
ernment should refrain from enter
ing any phases of business which can
be successfully carried in by private
interests.
A, statement issued tonight by the
chamber follows:
"A special committee of the cham
ber of commerce of the United States
was recently constituted to study the
problems involved in the Boulder dam
project and report to the chambers
board of directors what if any action
it might properly take in connection
Herewith This committee has now
submitted report making a recon-
mendation only as to the govern
ment's relation to the water power
which may be developed and its re-
port now goes to- the chambers board
of directors for consideration.
'"The report of the special COM.
nittee follows
"You have asked this committee to
consider proposals which are pending
in congress for large project on the
Colorado river, usually described as
the Bou, ar dam project, and to sub
nit to you our recommendation as to
the course which you should take
either in inaugurating th echamber's
procedure or arriving at position
with respect to subjects on which it
as yet has no declared policy or in
interpreting existing policies which
have already been given to the
chamber by the organizations in its
membership as these policies may
apply to any feature of the project
in any of the forms which have
recently received prominence.
Examination of the Boulder dam
project discloses its great Importance
and the purposes of national char
acter which it serves. These pur
poses involve questions of preparation
for adjustment of international rela
tions with Mexico, flood control, and
apportionment of such resources, and
compensation, if any, to states in
respect thereto. Upon some of the
questions which arise in connection
with these purposes it might be ap-
prOpriate under other circumstances
for you to have the studies made
which are preliminary to the cham
ber'S referendum system. It ap-
hnfnFN
congressional committees are at hand
and that the time for for legislation
decision may arrive before deterni-
nation of new policies could be COM
pleted. For this reason we are not
recommending to you that you should
begin the procedure leading to ref
erendum as to any of these ques-
tions.
"One of the features of the pro-
ject is of such nature however,
that we believe and recommend that
the board should take action with
reference to a policy which has been
considered by the membership to be SO
important that it has been reiter-
ated. This is the position that the
government should Scrupulously re-
frain from entering any phases OF
business which can be successfully
undertaken and conducted by private
enterprise
"This action on the part of the
board should be taken with reference
to provisions in any proposed legis-
lation as to the utilization OF the
water power which will be made
available by the project and the dis
tribution of electricity which is gen.
Grated. We believe that any legis-
lation which is enacted with respect
to the boulder dam project. should
expressly and affirmatively provide
that all proper effort shall be made
to have private enterprise receive
such opportunity to generate and dis
tribute power at Boulder dam as or
provided under the federal water
power act as to the utilization OF
water power at government dams
elsewhere in the country and will
be consistent to the other purposes
for which this dam will be con-
structed. The federal power act not
only provides for opportunity to pri-
vate enterprise but for opportunity
to states and their municipalities as
well as to the federal government.
"The committee recommends that
the board of directors authorize pre-
sentation to committees of congress
considering the Boulder dam project
the opposition repeatedly declared by
the chambers membership to the gov
ernment undertaking any of the
phases of business which can be sue
cessfully undertaken and conducted
by private enterprises. This presen-
tation should include suggestion
that in any legislative authorization
for the Boulder dam project the pow
er provisions will be contrary to the
principle to which the chamber J.
committed unless they contain clear
and distinct recognition that private
enterprise is to have the opportunity
above described We also recon-
mend that the board of directors
authorize action as it deems consis-
tent with it's report, and desirable
WASHINGTON Jan. 9 Up The
charge that federal officials in grant
ing power permits on the Colorado
river were discriminating against Ari-