Evening star., 1934-11-11
Huge Tennessee River Basin
Development Is Making
Rapid Progress.
CHEAP ELECTRIC POWER
TO GO TO 200 CITIES
Great Dams Take Shape and
Model Towns Grow as Work
Proceeds Over Wide Area.
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
NORRIS, Tenn, November 10
When President Roosevelt visits the
Tennessee Valley this month he will
see great strides made to bring true
his dream of conservation and de-
velopment of the Tennessee River
Drainage Basin.
Eighteen months ago he named the
Tennessee Valley Authority. a board
of three members, to carry out the
project.
Cheap electric power was to play a
big part in the scheme to develop a
program for the social and economic
betterment of the valley, and the au-
thority set out to establish yard
stick to determine the relative cost
of private and public power operation.
The authority's power program so
far has met with partial success.
Oil Lamps Displaced.
Today giant turbines of the long
idle Wilson Dam at Muscle Shoals
SCllCl dtlllS ClC(ll lIlIy, NlilSh 10
flowing into homes and factories in
rural sections and towns near the
dam.
The towns of Tupelo. Miss. and
Athens. Ala, are getting Muscle
Shoals power at about half the former
rates. The use of electricity has more
than doubled in these two towns.
Corinth, Miss, and nine counties in
Northeastern Mississippi also are get
ting T.sV. A. power.
The Authority recently turned power
into S8 rural lines serving 300 farm
hones and 100 village homes in
--<dderdale County. which formerly
were lighted by oil lamps.
200 Towns Want T. v. A. Power.
More than 200 cities and towns in
the Muscle Shoals area have applied
for T V. A. power. Memphis. Tenn,
largest city of the group, will vote
soon on issuing bonds for a municipal
distribution system served by Govern
ment-generated electricity.
The authority'S power program has
been challenged in the courts and be-
fore the utility commissions of Ala
bama and Tennessee by ice and coal
dealers and preferred stockholders of
power companies.
Their actions have delayed the sale
to the T. V. A. of $2,200,000 worth
of Alabama Power Co.'S properties in
Northern Alabama. A suit in Federal
Court has delayed the sale of the
Tennessee Public Service Co.'S proper
ties in Knoxville to the T. v. A, which
planned to turn it over to that city
for operation.
T. v. A. Employs $4,000.
More than 10000 people are now
employed on T. V. A. projects. The
Norris Dam, costing s34, 10000 is be-
ing built on the Clinch River in East
Tennessee. When completed, it will
impound 2,55O,000 acre-feet of water,
to flow southwark to supplement Will
son Dam on the Tennessee River.
Nearby the T. v. A. has virtually
completed its model town of Norris.
Nearly 300 brick, stone and frame
houses and 80 apartment houses have
been built and are occupied by fam
lilies of workmen and engineers.
To Make Fertilizer.
Rapid strides are being made on
the Joe Wheeler Dam, which will
span the Tennessee River Is miles
above Muscle Shoals, augmenting the
power at Wilson Dam.
Some time in November the first
electric furnace for the production of
phosphoric acid will be placed in op-
GRAFTON at Muscle Shoals. This will
be used in the manufacture of fer
tilizer.