White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1929-03-08
APPLY FoRgNEW LEASE
OF PRIEST RAPIDS SITE

lust about all Of the bets that were
made that the Priest Rapids dam
would be started under the old lease
of the site, have been paid. The first
of March has come and gone, the
lease has been cancelled and the title
again rests in the government.
H. ]. Pierce. president of the leas-
ing company, has worked necessarily
for the past. twelve or fifteen yearG
promoting the project, has not given
up, however. Under the water power
leasing law no further extensions OF
the old lease were possible. But press
dispatches on March /, said that Mr..
Pierce had made application for a
new lease.
Technically, there is no reason I'M
der the law why the board should not
grant new lease to Mr.. Pierce's
comany. Particularly is this true in
the absence Of any counter applica-
zion. OF course a protest might be
filed with the board against granting
a new lease to the same company,
alleging that such tactics tended to tie
Up the project and delay development.
A lot of argument could be made
along that line and, under all circurn-
stances, might be effective enough
to cause the board to deny the appli-
cation. But from the standpoint Of
this valleys interests, would that be
desirable7 II Mr.. Pierce's company
is eliminated, who is there, or what
concern or interest is there, that
would tackle the proposition?
When one considers the large
amount of money that would be in
volved in the development of the site
and the great amount Of work neces-
sary to create a market that does not
now exist, for the power to be gener-
ated, the concerns that could and
would undertake it, are extremely
limited. Most Of the power companies
operating in the northwest are closely
linked up and any concern antagon-
istic to them would probably find it
exceedingly difficult to secure a
certificate of necessity from either
the Interstate Commerce Commission
or the State Board of Public Works.
A showing, Of a pretty conclusive
nature, would have to be made that
the companies operating in this terri
tory who have the franchise, are un-
able to supply the demand. That
would not be such an easy thing to
do.
In his application for new lease,
Mr.. Pierce will be able to present a
lot of argument to the board. He will
be able to show that since the grant
ing of the old lease he has worked
diligently, first to determine the fea-
sibility of the project and second,
to create market for the power; that
a large sum OF money has been Aex7
pended BY the company In securing
engineering data and acquiring real
estate at the site, in promotion and in
an effort to interest power using in
dustries, and, finally, that his COM
pany is financially able and willing to
undertake the development as soon
as there is market for a sufficient
amount Of power to justify the in
vestment.
There are those who believe that
sites like Priest Rapids should be
developed by the government and who
cite the Boulder Dam project as an
example. Without going into the mer-
its of the controversy as to whether
power sites should be developed by
the government or by private capital
there are some facts about that Boul-
der Dam project that should be con-
sidered by any one urging government
development here.
It took the united efforts of all of
the political, commercial and civic
bodies of five states, ten years to get
that bill through Congress. What or
ganization is there that could supply
even fractional part of the influence
and energy behind the Boulder Dam
bill for a government project at
Priest Rapids? Spokane has her own
water power, which she would like
to see developed; the same can be
said of the coast. About the best that
could be expected from either of them
would be passive support, which
would be just about the same as none.
Things don't just happen back at
Washington. Behind every bill fin
ally enacted into law, there has been
expended tremendous lot of effort,
energy and influence. If there is an
organization capable and willing to
try to get bill through Congress to
make Priest Rapids a government
project, it is not in sight now.
The water power leasing board is
made up of the three secretaries Of
war, interior and agriculture. With
the incoming Hoover administration,
these are all new men. According to
press accounts, the new board will
meet March IS, to consider Mr..
Pierce's application.
Every one here would like to see
the work started on the dam the
sooner the better. But in the light of
all the circumstances, it looks very
much like it will be built by Mr..
Pierce's company or it won't be
built at all at least within the life
time of those of us. who are here now.