The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1930-02-20
West Virginia Public Service Commission
Defers West Penn Hearing Indefinite Period

| practically a unit" in favoring the
development because of the increased
valuation it would bring to taxable
property. He read resolutions from
the DAVIS board of trade, city of Par
sons, River City club, Council of
Kingwood, boards of education of
Blackfork and Davis districts, the
American Legion of Davis and Pc
tition signed by $50 or 200 fishermen
of the Blackwater river. w. E. Weim-
er, president of the Tucker county
court, also urged speedy action on the
application and engaged in an ex-
change with Kenneth A. Reid, Con-
nellsville, Pa, who appeared at the
hearing representing the Morgantown
chapter of the Izaak Walton league
against the development. To ques-
ton by Reid as to the effect of the
development upon Blackwater Falls,
which other witnesses said would be
eliminated, Weimer declared "the
people of Tucker county know what
they want and should not be dictated
to by people out of the county and out
of the state"
Fish Slaughter Recalled
Mott, during his discussion, refer
red to the investigation last summer
into Cheat river pollution by the
Tucker county grand jury, of which he
was foreman. He said the death of
the fish resulted because of low water
and urged approval of the project as a
means of conserving fish, declaring
that with tn, development "this will
not occur again." At that statement,
Governor Conley, sitting as member
of the commission, asked Mott if he
knew the American Legion at Nor
gantown opposed the development in
order to keep the fish and further
asked him if he thought the district
should be developed for enterprise or
, to keep the fish.
eff they will employ our labor and
pay our taxes, we will surrender to
them," Mr.. Mott replied.
Among communications filed in the
case was one from the Monongalia
Post No. of the American Legion at
Morgantown opposing the develop
ment on the ground that it would de-
prive citizens of the use of the recre-
ational area. At the bottom of the
communication was a notation that
it was adopted at an informal meet
ing.
Roger and Downs Testify
Changes in topography that would
result from the development were de-
scribed by David B. Roger, Morgan
town geologist, w. S. Downs, Morgan
town, engineer, and H. A. Dunn, an
employee of the company in charge of
real estate concerned in the proposed
development. Roger said that in sew
eral instances a few acres of coal
basin would be within flooded areas
and Downs testified there would be
very slight damage, if any, done to
coal resources, declaring all work.
able Goals were above the water line.
Roger first told of the proposed
inundation of the town Of st. George,
former county seat of Tucker county,
having dozen or so families with the
statement he understood all of the
town was owned by the applicant
company. Dunn later said Clifton
Mills, town of 40 or As inhabitants,
would also be flooded out and said
residents f neither town were oppos-
ed to the development. Dunn said the
company owned total of $4,000 acres
in the basin which it had been ac-
quiring for the last 10 years with
the water power development in view.
Dunn said an agreement had been
reached with the town of Davis COW
ering the flooding of certain streets
and alleys and that an agreement also
had been reached with the state roads
commission for relocation of a por-
ton of state route that would be in
undated.
Would Benefit Industry
Supporting a contention of the COM
pany that industries would be attract
ed to the state by the development,
John S. jerks, vice president and en-
gineer of the company, said negotia-
tons were in progress with one COM
pany that would use large amount
of power. Questioned by F. M. Liv-
ezey, counsel for the commission, as
to possibilities of completing other