The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1933-12-14

! Vic lIllpl ONCu Nullcy IdHuS, ICISl
above described, and the roads
public utilities, schools, churches
dairies, homes and other improve
ments therein. all at an aggregate
direct cost of approximately $685.
100000, and aside, entirely, from
indirect damages to the adjacent
area; and
Whereas the flooding and de-
struction of this highly developed
and intensively cultivated area of
the counties of Buncombe, Hen
derson and Pennsylvania will not
only seriously affect the econom-
ic. commercial future of Asheville
and expose it to a destructive dam
breaking flood menace but will
practically surround and cut off
the cities of HenderSonvllle and
Brevard with stagnant waters, Sc
riously threatening the purity Of
their present water supply, even
with dam of the minimum height
of 1875 feet, above mentioned; and
Whereas the three counties of
Buncombe, Henderson and Tran
sylvania, each have substantial
bonded indebtedness which, to-
gether with the current cost Of
governing said counties will i'm
pose an intolerable tax burden on
the hillside and mountain lands
left in said counties after the
flooding of the valley lands, and
which would be, thereafter, tax
free; and
Whereas the agitation, discus
sion and possibility of this dam
construction and consequent
flooding and destruction of what
are, possibly. the finest truck,
stock raising and agricultural
lands in Western North Carolina,
has filled the people with panic
and dismay; has paralyzed buying,
selling, financing and further de-
veloping said area; now, there
fore, be it
RESOLVED by this association,
organized for the protection Of
the upper French Broad valley
and its tributaries:
/. That the Tennessee Valley
authority be requested to make,
at the earliest convenient day:
some definite announcement as to
! its policy and purpose with re-
/ spect to flooding the valleys and
! lands herein above described and
| destroying the public and private
improvements thereon and menac-
ing the economic and health con-
ditions of the cities described.
! 2. That the said Authority is
respectfully requested to have re-
sponsible engineers make an early
survey of those reservoir storage
facilities in the valleys of the Lit
tie Tennessee river and lower
French Broad, the Tuckaseegee,
/ Hiawasee and the Nantahala riv-
ers and their tributaries, to the
end that ample water storage ia
! cilities to insure the even flow OF
, the Tennessee river may be OBJ
tanned in those areas, where lands
may be obtained or condemned al
approximately $500 an acre as
against an average cost of $500
an acre without improvements II
the French Broad river valley anc
its tributaries.
Resolved further that the Unit,
ed States senator's from North
Carolina and the member of con
J gress from this district be earnest
ly requested on considering the
further financing of the Tennes
/ see Valley Authority to give con,
sideration to the propricty anc
humanity of destroying, or threat
ching to destroy, immense area!
thickly settled. highly civilized
and very fertile valley lands a
immense expense to the tax pay
inc public and remote from tht
activities being planned on the
Tennessee river for the purpose o.
developing surplus electric power
now unsold, or fertilizer expert
mentation, especially in the ligh
of the fact that the public utilities
now under state and goternmen'
rate making control, have unused
surpluses of approximately 81
per cent of their power producing
capacity and taking note Of The
fact that the proposed plans ant
ideals of the Tennessee Valley
! Authority with respect to refores
tation, soil erosion, collective pur
chasing and selling, each of which
duplicate and over lap established
activities which have been carried
on for decades by the department
of forestry and the department OF
agriculture of the United State!
government, and that if necessary
the act of congress, creating the
Tennessee Valley Authority. be 81
reconstructed as to limit its activ
tiles entirely to those objects man
dated by the United States con
gress. Be it further
Resolved that If the discretion
airy powers of the Tennessee Val
lev Authority are to be continued
said Authority be requested, II
conjunction with the war depart
ment, to examine the French
Broad river and its tributaries II
the territory above mentioned ant
remove the jetties, rocks and 9th
er distractions at Long Shoals
and other sections thereof, so thai
these valleys may be hereafter
freed from the danger Of over
flow which these obstruction!
have, at times, occasioned. Be i
further
Resolved that the railways
highway commission and public
utilities. now owning, controlling