The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1934-05-22
COAL MEN SEE
DISASTER IN
IVA ACTIVITY
Protest Newly Proposed
Fifty Million Dollar
Appropriation

WASHINGTON, May ZL.-l he
nroposed appropriation of an
other so million dollars for tne
IVA designated in part to I'M
tate further expansion OF hyu 4ho
electric power development IN VI; u,
Tennessee valley, is protested IN
statement issued here by tne
National Coal association IN De
half of the bituminous coal inauS-
try on the ground that the u na
mate consequences OF such iat
scale hydroelectric proauro ,;u
will he disastrous to the oltun mn.
ous coal industry and rob OF theii
iobs thousands Of men engageu
IN the mining and transportation
of coal. o;o+;on
charges that the financing WIN
government funds of new ana ao-
ditional hydroelectric power pro-,
cots in that erea and elsewhere
Is without economic justiflcation'
and, if contaminated, will tend TO
the displacement Of millions Oh
tons of bituminous coal.
The statement is as follows:
"The National Coal association
views with grave Apprehension
the rapid multiplication of hydro
electric power projects when tne
Tennessee Valley Authority Is
proposing to launch and Tor
which congress is now asked to
make a further grant of many
millions of dollars.
"The consequences of such
hydroelectric power program to
the coal industry in the displace-
ment of coal tonnage and in re-
sulting decline in mine employ
ment, in railroad coal freight and
further general impairment OF
the industry, will be extremely
serious. 1t is an aspect which
the promoters of the power pro-
gram appear to have entirely ig-
nored. The bituminous coal min
ing industry will, as heretofore,
continue to protest such unWar-
ranted expenditures as the IVA
proposal - the so-called Loup
River project in Nebraska and
the st. Lawrence Waterway prof.
ect, for their contamination means.
the breadlines for thousands of
American citizens.
"The IVA hydroelectric plant
at Muscle Shoals, plus two addi-
tional power projects now under
construction - the Norris dam,
adjacent to Knoxville. and the
Joe Wheeler dam, adjacent to
Muscle Shoals - will supply a
large amount of power to an
area in which the existing power
capacity far exceeds the demand
and an area Astounding in coal,
with unlimited capacity for the
production of cheap steam power,
if and when more power is need
ed.
eve submit that under such
circumstances the launching of
further hydroelectric power prof.
ects at thi slime is without the
slightest economic justification.
"The IVA now seeks congress
sional sanction for commencing
construction of four more dams
on the Tennessee river and its
tributaries. The more important
of these new proposals are the
Aurora and Pickwick landing
projects of an aggregate estimat-
ed cost in excess of 70 million
dollars.
"The Norris Dam, now under
construction, has an estimated
cost of 81 million dollars. The
Joe Wheeler dam, now under
construction, will cost around 20
million dollars, plus an electric
generating plant, which, when
built, may add as much as 0
million dollars more.
eff the Aurora and Pickwick
landing projects are to eventuate,
lit will represent a total govern
ment investment in IVA hydro
electric power in excess of $50
million dollars, exclusive of all
the other phases and costs of the
IVA program. 1t will provide
on an annual basis nearly three
billion kilowatt hours of prime
electric power. Coan combustion
power plants of capacity suffi-