The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1929-11-15
The WASHINGTON SCENr
By LAWRENCE TODD. Federated Pre-.


Washington-FP) = PRESIDENT /,
Hoover in doing honor to Edison's
invention Of the electric lamp half
century ago, has made himself a
headliner in the biggest publicity
program ever staged by the power
trust. Washington correspondents
who have paused from their work
of reporting tariff-lobby scandals
and the selection of big-navy men
to represent Hoover at the London 4
Conference have found the radio .
loaded with material which is de-
signed to paint a Schwab halo on
every power company in the land.
1t is noticeable that these eulo-
gies of the power industry, these
paeans of thanksgiving to the men
who gave" the American people
their electric lighting and electric
power facilities, have stayed far
aloof from the sordid theme of
rates or stock-watering or mergers
or dividends. Not chilling breath
of criticism of power companies
ecret propaganda in schools and
in the press and in government cir
cles, to prejudice the people against
public ownership and operation of
this utility, has been breated. The
aged Edison has been exploited
once more-this time to rehabili-
tate the soiled reputation of the
whole brood of economic birds of
prey which now dominate the pro-
duction and distribution of electri-
city, electrical equipment, radio
broadcasting, wireless commercial
transmission, and allied industries.
Fortunately for the dignity of the
show, the Federal Trade Commits
sion is not at this moment expos
ing any new intrigues by these
self-styled Aladdins.
But no sooner did Hoover leave
the capital than his lieutenant, Ra,
Lyman Wilbur, secretary of the In
terror, got up courage to announces
a decision as to how the vast pow
er 10 be developed at Boulder Can
yon dam on the Colorado rive
shall be allotted. Wilbur has 70
the past six months been fightin,
stubbornly the advice of govern
: ment engineers that the fedora
government build and equip it
own power plant at the dam, an
sell electricity to the city of Lo
Angeles and other municipalitie
that have bid for it. Wilbur, VIII
chose F. E. Bonner to be executiv
secretary of the Federal Powe
Commission at the recommendation
of President Downing of the Pac
fic Gas & Electric Company, Ia
refused to listen to arguments thu
! Boulder Dam should serve publ
ownership in the world of powe
He now rules that the SoutheT
California Edison Co. and associa
ed companies shall have Is pt
cent of all power developed by tn
e federal enterprise.
!. Inc metropolitan water dIsurl
!. of southern California, which il
cludes Los Angeles, is to get
: per cent of the power, or so muc
! thereof as is needed to pump Il
: water of the Colorado river, a
cumulated above the dam, over Il
mountains on It's way to the citi
: where it will be consumed. IT
! city of Los Angeles, which bid f,
= all the power, is allowed 25 D
!! : cent. Engineers for the city h:
estimated that at least 65 per &c
! of the power would be requir,
:, for pumping. Yet from the abo'
: ALLEGATIONS Wilbur says they m;
= yet be deducted as much as Is D
cent of all the power for use
Arizona, Is per cent in Nevad
= and a per cent in other municipa
= ties that have filed application
: This may cut down by 40 per &c
- the California public and priva
= use of power from Boulder Dam.
hit Wilbur's ruling will be tentati
is until objections are heard on NJ
a IL. At that time the city Of L
as Angeles viii know whether it c
st legally enter into his schen
t which requires that each origin
t. sharer IN the power shall be repl
7e sented IN a board which will !
ar stall the power machinery in
ar federal power house. Each par
to clpant is to pay its proportion
IN the cost of this machinery, and /
a its operation. Thus the Southe
II. California Edison and allied co,
in panles, represented the DOW
ut trust, will be partners with t
hit cities of Southern California. 7
companies will try to keep /
We price Of electricity as high as o,
OF slble; the cities interest is that
We be very cheap. Wilbur deer,
nd that the power produced at 1
I dam shall be sold at rates VIII
tie the Federal Power Commissi
OF shall approve as fair "to all c.
sumers."
Hoover, by his pilgrimage to
Edison shrine, has avoided the I
Angeles city representatives v
have objected to the plan.
Washington - (FP)-When 1
NJ executives of the 10a nak;oro1 ,