The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1930-11-28
|TheCherry
" Where with esr
We tell the truth
about many things. sometimes pre-
foundly, sometimes 1ippantly,
Sometimes recklessly. ........


We do not cease to observe that
great aches from little oh! corns grow
and a little ruling on Virginia
power development may put the roll
ers under the federal power commits
sion.
An AL Capone stunt on the Serbian
border got the Big War under way,
whereupon thousands were slain
weekly and often daily without much
notice. One killing by itself is news
One among million is nothing.
Likewise, Staying on Broadway or
State street may be big news, while
similar Staying in some out-of-the-
way place goes unnoticed.
1t seemed for a time that the Ap-
palachian Power Company, picking
out development site on the New
river in Virginia, might get by with
out any great public fuss. 1t applied
for permission to develop the power
without being compelled to live up to
the accounting and valuation pro-
visions of the federal water power
act.
There is provision by which
| minor licenses" for minor parts OF
projects may be SO developed and the
attorney general ruled that this was
just one of those cases and the COM
pany went away happy.
But the day of quiet seems to have
gone. The National Popular Govern
ment League has petitioned the Dis.
trict of Columbia supreme court fol
the right to intervene in a suit
brought by the Clarion River Power
Co., involving constitutionality of the
federal water power act.
The league contends that the as.
sistant attorney general assigned tt
defend the act cannot do so Success.
fully and without embarrassment
because his hands are tied by that
Appalachian ruling issued by his
boss, the attorney general. The
league doesn't question the appoint
ment of the assistant to handle thu
case. 1t just says his boss has pu
him in such a hole that he can't win
Therefore the plea to intervene ant
help him.
A lot of noted lawyers are back
ing the league, and the case ma.
become one of those that decide many
things for many years to come
Tied in with this contest owe
whether the federal water power
act is valid is the whole question O.
conservation, that battle issue of tn,
Roosevelt era, out of which Gif
ford Pinchot emerged as a striking
national figure and as one result O.
which the late chief justice was tor
pedoed by the Ballinger scandal.
lieu III also is Lne recent clecClOl
and some of the contests involved il
that affray d. ballots, including tn,
contests in Nebraska, where Morris
clinched victory after hammering th'
power trust all over the state, and il
Tennessee, where Muscle Shoal
brought Today candidate to victor,
owe rthe only nominee who went int
the campaign with a public presiden
tial blessing.
Power interests have been tryins
to miss no bets. Up in New Hamp
shire a power company has been try
ing to tell editors what they mustn'
print if said papers want compan.
advertising. The investigation o
power doings in Washington brings tt
light three-for-one write up" il
stock values in merge proceedings
making three dollars grow where on
grew before, without adding any valu,
to any material thing.
The hopeful phase of the situation
is that all Of these things come t,
light. However well kept some of tn,
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