Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-05
And Now for the Senate.


bill moves now to the Senate and to
those who have enjoyed the preliminary
skirmishes involving internecine strife
within the Army it may be said, You
amt seen nothin' yeti"
For the Cramton bill, actually park
purchase bill, has very naturally be-
come a measure that determines the
Federal Governments policy toward
power development Of the Potomac
Power development projects always
provide room for plenty of discussion
in the Senate, and there have been
presidents enough to warrant assur-
ance that mention of power develop
ment of the Potomac will at least move
Senator Norris and others to many
words.
There need be no great fear that the
merits Of the Cramton bill will suffer
through prolonged discussion in the
Senate. The one danger is that the
power controversy may so overshadoW
the park project that the bill itself
may be too long delayed. 1t is we'll
nigh inconceivable to believe that the
Senate will emasculate the Cramton
bill to the extent of handing over the
Great Falls of the Potomac to the
power interests. But if the Senate
merely delays passage of the Cramton
bill at this session, the ends OF the
power interests will have been served.
It is we'll to point out the issue once
more. This issue is whether the people
are to acquire the shores OF the river
and develop them as a park, thus
blocking any power development until
the time that Congress believes neces-
sity demands this development, OF
whether the river and its shores are to
be turned over now to private power
interests, who will develop power first
and fit a park in afterward.
The issue is not between park and
power development of the Potomac. The
issue is not whether the taxpayers viii
spend few millions on a park and lose
q hundred million dollars more through
loss of potential power.
The complaint Of the power interests
seeking the permit for development Of
the river IS that the Cramton bill shuts
OF this great natural resource, capable
IF returning millions in hard cash, mere
~ for the purpose of providing fit place
for the fauna and the fora to "hobnob'
together as they have done for the last
~ nf They
have sought diligently to rest the matter
on a choice between economics AID
esthetics, between tangible and practical
returns and between intangible and spir-
itual returns.
But the Cramton bill does not destroy
the possibility of proper power develop
ment of the river. It does not waste a
spade of earth or a drop of water that
later may be turned to account. 1t
merely places this natural resource in
the hands of those to whom 1t properly
belongs-the people, for them to enjoy
and to keep as long as they can afford
to keep it as it is.
If by chance the issue should change
and the Senate should feel compelled
to settle the question of immediate pow
er development of the Potomac, that
will, of course, involve the equally i'm
portant decision as to whether the
river is to be developed for power by
private interests or by the Government.
The present Congress is not ready to
decide that question. The best thing
: for the present Congress to do is to
pass the Cramton bill, acquire the land,
go forward with the relatively mex
pensive park development projected and
permit the years and the wisdom they
bring to settle the question of power
and who will own it.