The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1934-06-26
Building OF FRENCH BROAD dam WOULD
RUIN HENDERSONVILLE ASHEVlllE view

diction over the waters OF th'
Little Tennessee river IN TIN
state. in current land condemna
ton proceedings in Graham
county.
. Presumably the IVA is not
questioning the jurisdiction OF
the North Carolina courts ovel
the waters in Graham county, sc
il is hard TO see how the iva
can at the same time do any dit
ferent in Henderson and Bun
combe counties. Meanwhile the
constitutionality of the federal
water power act which sets up q
federal power commission 10
claim this jurisdiction for the
federal courts, has been question
cd in the federal courts but De-
lieyed has not been finally set
tied. Now the iva. according
10 newspaper reports. as | under
s,and. taks the position that the
act creating the authority aoCl-
ighes Jurisdiction or control IN
the power commission, as far as
the Tennessee watershed is con-
cerned and places this in the d.
rectors Of the IVA. ! believe II
will be argued successfully that
the congress does not have u
right under the constitution 10
take this Jurisdiction away from
the State of North Carolina ut
all.
To further complicate matters
suit has been recently filed in the
federal court in Birmingham,
praying temporary injunction to
restrain the IVA from construct
ing additional hydroelectric
plants, as we'll as other contem-
plated acts, with an allegation
that the IVA is believed to be
about to expend some 5l5O,OOo,-
900 of public money unauthoriz-
ed by law. How long it is gong
TO take to untangle all this, is a
serious question, and meanwhile
private capital can hardly be ex-
peted to develop any more power
around here. Some elements OF
this situation blocking progress
we have had ever since the fed
eral water power act. The su-
preme court recently decided un-
animously against a new. deal law
relating to some veterans insur-
ance matter and there may be
further such decisions.
The State of Maine has main
tanned the position that the water
found in the state must be used
there and not used to build up
the industries of other states. The
interests are now con-
demning land in Graham county
to building one OF
the greatest dams in the world,
$50 feet high. at an estimated
cost of % million dollars, pre-
sumably to supply power to their
aluminium plants near Knoxville.
That is a loss to North Carolina,
but not so bad as the IVA plans,
because this % million dollar
power plant will be in North
Carolina and privately owned and
will have to pay taxes. In Maine,
a power company could not get a
charter under which it could go
ahead and condemn land for
power purposes. except with a
limitation that the power could
not be transmitted outside the
state. What may be accomplished
here by legal action, or what the
beneficient iva may be induced
to agree to for this area. is a
question: but if they make a sec
ond Essen or Pittsburgh out of
Knoxville and use our power to
help do it, and all we get from
them is instructions on how to
can blackberries, make rag rugs,
and weave baskets for the tour
lists, we shall be disappointed.
At the same time. the fact is
not to be lost sight Of, that there
are important advantages in COM
prehensively planning of water
power development of a whole
water shed instead of private par
ties haphazardly putting in plants
here and there from time to
time. Undoubtedly the congress
men who voted for the federal
power act had all that in mind,
but | do not see how they could
have voted for this act if they
had been alive to the proposition
Of taking private rights away
from individual owners, away
from the protection of the courts
Of the states in which the prop
critics were located and which
courts had heretofore had un-
disputed control and jurisdiction
over these rights and properties.
That is to say, there are impor-
tant advantages in comprehensive
plans, but for whom were these
advantages planned? The coun-
try, as usual. had been flooded
with propaganda preparing con
gressmen TO vote az they did, but
was there a plan somewhere, To
lay a foundation for the issuance
and sale TO the people Of addi-
tional billions Of bonds and stocks
at high prices TO be predicated
on the cheap production Of this
power and its sale at high, mono
poly prices.
The French Broad, of course. is
variable stream, first high, Their
low, especially in the fall. Al
the existing dams down the river
most Of the power goes to waste
Still. the plants were relatively
cheap and the power rights, ever
with unregulated power, made
important earnings, and were
and are. valuable. But with watel
storage above, the amount o.
! ataady nower would he prcatAl