Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-02
COL. GRANT SCORES SOMERVELL
FOR STAND ON POWER AT FALLS
Continued From First Page.)

the views OF all the other members OF
the National Capital Park and Planning
Commission, Gen. Jadwin puts the
possible value of the power project at
SAC, 000, 900, and this was understood to
be based on Mai Somervell's report.
So evidently the amount is somewhat
elusive, somewhat like the arithmetic
of the hurried husband who spoke
Grossly to his wife about the delay In
breakfast: I want my breakfast now.
have had nothing to eat since yester-
day and tomorrow will be the third
day.
But there is no need to be so precise,
and since the same elements must enter
into any such calculation, let us take
the $48,000,000 which is itemized in
Gen. Jadwin's so often published state
ment. The same remarks as to these
individual items will apply to them,
however large the amounts, with the
application of suitable multiple. Gen.
Jadwin enumerates the various poten-
tial values which would inure to the
financial benefit of the people and
about which an honest difference of
opinion exists. as follows:
"(a) Savings on production of HYDRO
power instead of steam power, capital
lied on per cent basis at $4,000, 900;
(b) saving by elimination of two bridges,
$3.000,000; (c) savings in the form Of
income from taxes at the rate of 2 per
cent, capitalized at $4,000 900; cd saw
ings which the power structures would
produce if navigation should be eX-
tended up the Potomac River, amount
ing to S14,000,000; (e) savings on the
preliminary treatment Of the Washing
ton water supply and estimated value
OF Hood protection, 100000. Total,
$48,000,000.
Differential Is Cited.
Item (e) is evidently based, and can
only be based on the computed differen.
tial between the cost of steam and water
power. Maj Somervells own figures
for the cost of waterpower vary for
different methods CT treatment between
5.57 and 612 mills per kilowatt hour
assuming fun development and sum
Gent market to utilize the completed
fnal installation-pending such full de-
velopment and using a combination Of
water and steam power he finds the
unit cost would be sos to a14 mills:
but he uses SOS mills per killowatt
hour for the comparison.
With this amount, he compares SOS
mills as the unit cost for steam generat-
ed power; although he believes it must
be costing more than mills here in
spite OF the Potomac Electric Power
Co.'S figures, indicating a cost of 6.5l
mills for 1929 and an anticipated
5.915 mills in 1888. The table of steam
plant costs used in the report shows
several below 6.78 mills and one down
TO 5.12 mills per kilowatt hour, while
there is good reason to believe that
some particularly favorably and recently
built steam plants are producing power
on a large scale at as low a cost as
As mills, or even less. There has been
a tremendous improvement in steam
plant machinery within the last few
years, and the differential between
hydro and steam on which he bases his
conclusion, even if it was accountable
today, will no longer be correct by the
time any such extensive power project
can be built. Indeed, this differential
is so small in any case as to be within
the margin of error of the basic figures.
Moreover, careful reading of the
above figures will show to what extent
there being any saving at all depends
upon the assumptions made, not only
as to operating costs, but also as to
market. character of load, etc. His own
figures show that during the develop
ment by successive steps the cost Of
hydro and steam will likely be greater
1t seems hardly necessary to question
any of the assumptions on which the
unit costs are based, they themselves
do not justify any such conclusion as
he has reached.
Flow of River Varies.
Finally, the Potomac River is very
f1ashy stream With a flow varying be-
tween wide limits. Consequently, dis
proportionately large reservoir capacity
must be developed to equalize the how
for large scale power development so
that the proposed power project has
disproportionately large first cost, $3.50
to 1922 per kilowatt installed, whereas
a good average would be SITS TO 5000.
This alone justifles the belief that
unless unusually favorable conditions
for generating and distributing the
power exist, and no one has found that
they do exist, the water-power project
will not be profitable.
"(b) Justification for counting any
saving for eliminating two bridges is
doubtful. There is already evidence
that these bridges can be built without
cost to the Government as toll bridges
if permitted If the cost Of providing
the crossings is included in the power
project development it will be paid by
the power consumers. 1t is hard to see
any special benefit in shifting the
burden to the latter. And then, If the
bridges are built by the Government or
by private toll bridge companies, they
will be placed so as to meet the best
interests Of trafic. If built as part Of
the power project they will be located
to meet the best interests of the lat
ter and ignore traffic convenience as far
as necessary.
"Cc) AS to taxes, if the project is not
fully developed or the market is in
sufficient to make the project pay there
will be no such large amount of taxes
paid. On the other hand, if the power
is needed and is developed by new steam
plants the taxes will be paid any
way:
the Potomac when needed, irrespective
of power and should stand on its own
feet-float on its own keel. AS the
principal freight for which a navigable
channel would be advantageous is coal,
and as one of the arguments for the
hydro power development is that it will
largely eliminate the use Of coal, there
will be little value in navigation when
the power project gives this help.
Water Saving Is Doubted. .
"(e). The saving in treatment of the
Washington water supply is very doubt
ful. In TACT, IL would appear That the
proposed power project actually will set
up water rights inconsistent with the
future needs Of the region about the
National Capital. If the population and
the per capita consumption continue to
increase as in recent years, the water
requirements of the area will exceed the
total supply of the readily available
sources, including the Potomac River,
before the expiration of the power COM
pany's permit. Verbal conditions in
se1.fad in the hermit NAV he found mt