Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-06-02

tCOULluuSQ E1ISJ FdBS.D
years ago there was less laughter. To-
day I can repeat:
"As Pennsylvania and the Nation deal
with electric power so shall We and our
descendants be free men, masters OF
our own destinieS and our own souls, or
we shall be the helpless servants of the
most widespread far-reaching and pene-
trating monopoly ever known. Either
we must control electric power, or its
masters and owners will control us.
Interstate transmission Of electric
power Is still in twilight zone in
control. while Federal power has not
yet been fully exercised. Interstate
commerce in power is still outside
either State or Federal control"
Roosevelt Also Speaker.
Cow Franklin D. Roosevelt told the
State executives that in time of BOOM
ing industry I'VE can overlook defects
Of organization and danger signals
from industry and agriculture, but in
times such as the present these symp-
toms attain new importance and show
us the urgency Of new problems facing
u.s."
Many believe that some new factor
is needed in our economic life, and this
new factor must come from utilizing
our experience and our ingenuity to
draft concerted plans for the better
use of our resources and the better
planning Of our social and economic
life in general.
Reviews State Work.
Gov Roosevelt reviewed the work of
New York State for the past three years
for the better use Of our agricultural,
industrial and human resources"
LAS q Nation we have { 41ly begun to
scratch the surface along these lines
and the possibility of diversifying our
industrial life by sending a fair pro-
portion of 1t into the rural districts is
one of the definite possibilities of the
future. Cheap electric power, good
roads and automobiles make such ~
raj industrial development possible.
1T is my thought that many of the
problems of transportation, of over
crowded cities. of high cost of living,
Of better health for the race. of q
better balance of population as a whole.
can be solved by the States themselves
during the coming generation"
Deplores Government Increase.
The increase In the last decade Of the
functions Of State government was de-
scribed as appalling by Gov. Gardner Of
Maine.
He said this situation has arisen In
almost every State, with only two
courses open to the people composing
the government "They may contem-
plate the increase in activities and
budgets with dismay on tax day and
pride the rest Of the time and wonder
how they can still swing the conduct
of affairs under their old administra-
ton machinery, or they can meet the
problem in the spirit Of the age and
logically redesign that machinery to
their needs, so that their government Is
within their control"
He continued: state government
should be more than q mere aggrega-
ton of independent activities. If we
should be on the alert to improve the
work of each department, by the same
token we should be more alert to i'm
prove the whole structure Of govern
ment, to eliminate waste, duplication
and lost motion"
Gov. George H. Dern of Utah advo.
Gated that Chief Executive be given
the duties and powers OF Q general
manager, and be made the real business
head Of the administration.