Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-02


sive to build and maintain, and inev-
itably increasing leakage losses, whereas
steam plants can be built where the
market is and this added cost saved.
From the foregoing it should be EVIL
dent that the 500, 100000. or $48 ,000,-
600, or whatever the sum may be, is
not as sure as the spokesman for the
power company would make it appear
while it is not desired to suggest any
doubt of the applicants altruism and
patriotic motives in seeking this permit,
the question naturally arises why does
this company want to put its money
into such a doubtful venture? The
answer is, perhaps, in the search for
new worlds to conquer or in some con-
dition that makes this last missing
link in the Eastern superpower net
particularly tempting to Western
firm. Certainly there is no great eco
nonic advantage per sc since the Pc
tomac Electric Power Co., very pro-
gresSiVe company, furnishing excellent
service at very reasonable cost to the
consumer, has owned some critical
property at Great Falls for a long pc
Rod of years with the desire to be in
a favorable position when waterpower
should prove worth while. To its Of
ficials this time does not yet seem to
have arrived.
Concludes SomerveII Mistaken.
"The foregoing considerations have
forced me to conclude that Maj. Somer-
veil is mistaken in his estimate of the
value of the power development, even
though he is as sincere and as con-
WINGED himself as q prospector with a
newly discovered gold mine; but what
ever weight may be given by individual
opinion to his estimates on power
values. he is certainly not an authority
on parks, and on this subject the Gov
eminent has the matured opinion Of
the Nations most experienced minds,
backed up and Endorsed by an array
of educated opinion and public-spirited
organizations that have never before
been unanimously back of any measure
relating to the National Capital. The
way of true conservation would evil
IDENTIFY be for the Government to secure
the land In the public interest and
then use it in whatever way may be
found best.
After attending the hearing on the
Capper- Cramton bill CHR. 26) on Fri
day afternoon, March 81, 1880, the
National Capital Park and Planning
Commission decided upon the following
statement, which it is hoped will be con-
sidered by the committee on the Dis
trict of Columbia in connection with
the statements of the applicants for a
power permit and the United States
District Engineer ONCE:
Effect Is Outlined.
1.-The effect on the status of the Po-
tomac Gorge region of passing the Cap
er-Cramton bill with the Dempsey
amendment would be to make possible
the requirement by the Government
of complete control of the land, post
poning until Congress acts on the mat
ter further any decision as to the precise
combination Of uses, In addition to
park uses, to be provided for therein
and the precise method Of combining
those uses
wide differences Of opinion have
been expressed in various quarters as
to what will be the most expedient
combination and manner of combina-
ton Of such uses, including improve
ment of water supply, development Of
navigation, development of power, de-
veiopment of highway crossings and de-
velopment of park uses. But whatever
combination may be decided on, it is
obvious that the aggregate values can
net be attained from any combination
unless the intricate details of the COM
bination are worked out BY some one
consolidated agency so constituted that
it will not be under temptation to sac
rif1ce values of one kind for the sake
of values Of another kind. To intrust
the details of such complex combina-
ton to private power company, even
subject to measure of supervision by
Government bureaus, would obviously
put a premium on sacrificing park
values and navigation values to power
values.
Explains COmpany's Purpose.
The power company, naturally
enough, would much prefer to have a
decision made now by Congress that
the area is to be devoted primarily to
power development, that the power COM
pany may acquire the land and that 1t
shall decide, subject to some measure
of approval Of details of its plans by
governmental agencies, what conces-
sions it shall make toward providing
for incidental use of the area for water
supply. for park purposes and for fu-
ture improvement of navigation. Fear
has been expressed both by the repre-
sentatives Of the power company and
by the officer who has investigated the
matter for the Federal Power Commits
sion, that If the Capper-Cramton bill
RocoOA
that bill and made available initially
for park purposes, insuperable obstacles
may arise to the development Of power
there.
These fears appear to be based in
part on the possibility that Congress
might decide after the Government ac-
QuireS the land, to authorize extensive
and costly park improvements, planned
in disregard Of the possibilities of
power development; in part on the pos
sibility that Congress might authorize
a combined development for navigation,
power and park use under governmental
control instead Of under the control
OF a private power company, and in
part, perhaps, on the general POSSIBLE
ity that if the public once gets full
control Of this area, in the absence of
a pre-existing power development, pub
lie opinion and the opinion of Con-
gress will become more adverse than at
present to the sacrifice of its park
values to its power possibilities and
more adverse to making a power COM
pany the controlling factor in deter
mining its development.
1T appears to this commission that
the one safe course is for the Govern
ment to attain complete unified control
Of the land in question and during or
after the requirement of such control
to work out plan and policy for its
development satisfactory to Congress.
That course the Capper- Cramton bill
as amended provides for; and for that
reason has the approval both of the
Federal Power Commission and Of the
National Capital Park and Planning