The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1933-12-12

Residents of the upper valley
of the French Broad river, a
tributary of the Tennessee river,
and therefore included in the
scheme of the Tennessee Valley
Authority, are deeply concerned
over the proposal to build a So
called "flood control dam" across
the French Broad river, just
above Asheville, as it means the
wiping out of all the high-gradc
agricultural lands in western
North Carolina.
The proposal, as explained by
government engineers at a recent
public meeting, contemplstes ihe
construction of 200 foot dam
to create an impounding reser-
voir over 40 miles long and from
5 to 7 miles wide. Taxpayers
outside of the Tennessee Valley
are particularly concerned over
the proposal because it cOntem-
plates using funds Of the Public
Works Authority and not funds
of the Tennessee Valley Author
ity. even though the entire vaIud
of the project will accrue to the
latter.
Having secured an invitation
to speak before the Asheville
Chamber of Commerce, Doctor
Morgan stated at a meeting IN
October that there was no I'M
mediate need for the construc-
ton of the French Broad dam
as far as the Tennessee Valley
Authority was concerned, hut
limited that, if the people want
ed construction begun at once,
funds might be obtained from
the Public Works Authority. In
asmuch 40 none of the citizens III
the area affected had considered
the construction of such a dam,
and as scarcely any of them APP
proved of it. Doctor Morgan'S
visit was locally construed as
the opening move in an effort
to have this dam constructed by
Public Works Authority money
and then be turned over to the
Tennessee Valley Authority with
out cost to it.
According to statements made
by government engineers, the
dam is capable of development
125, 900 horsepower, but will be
used chiefly for a stream flow
control, in connection with the
present plant at Muscle Shoals,
several hundred miles down
stream. Water is to be impound-
ed in the French Broad reservoir
and released for use at Muscle
Shoals during prolonged dry sea-
sons. This will result in the
variation Of 25 to 80 feet in the
level of the lake, the engineers
state.
Doctor Morgan's statement that
the Tennessee Valley Authority /,
could not invest in such a dam at
the present time is justified by
the fact that there is now a
large amount of surplus power
developed and available
for use in the territory which
would be served by the propos-
ed government dam. Residents
of the upper French Broad Val
ley believe that the construction
of such a dam is utterly unJustl-
fled from any economic point OF
view.
In his address before The Law
yers' Club Of Atlanta on Novem-
Der 10. 1888, David E. Lilienthal,
director and general counsel of
the Tennessee Valley Authority,
makes the following statement:
"The electric industry, both
and publicly-owned, is
into a financial blind
alley unless the use of electri-
city can be very substantially
within the next three
years. The plain fact is that the
use of electricity has fallen be-
hind the installation of power
facilities. This is
true, almost without exception,
the country"
Mr.. Lilienthal also said that the
Valley "area is to be
on a comparable basis with typi-
cal private operations. To set
up such 'yardstick' the Author.
ity obviously must undertake to
serve an area which is large
enough and sufficiently concen+
trated, and with an adequately
diversified industrial, commercial
and residential load to provide a
fair test"
Most of Mr.. LilienthaPs adj
dress to the Lawyers Club was
concerned with the desirability
of using the Tennessee Valley