Evening star., 1935-05-01
BUSINESS IS ASKED
TO AID UTILITIES
T. V. A. Foe Appeals to
c. of c. to Fight New
Deal on Power.
BY J. A. FOX.

The utilities interests of the coun-
try today called for the support of
American business as whole in their
war on the administrations power
program.
As the convention Of the Chamber
Of Commerce of the United States, for
the second successive day. provided
a forum for a general attack along
the New Deal front, Wendell L. Will
kie, president of the Commonwealth
& Southern Corp, With vast holdings
in the South, bespoke aid for those
he represents. Concurrently group
of utilities representatives was expec-
ted to go before the Resolutions Com
mittee of the chamber to urge strong
declaration on the power issue. in
opposition to the Wheeler-Rayburn
holding company bill.
Platform Is Offered.
From William B. Bell. president OF
the American Cyanamid Co.. the cham
ber heard a five-count recovery pro-
gram in which. the first plank de-
manded an end of "so-called national
economic planning" which, the speak
er says. finally ends in system for
determining whether there are more
votes for the administration among
the Southern cotton planters or among
the textile mills of New England"
Bells speech had been anticipated
with interest by the business men. be-
cause his company is that in which
Lewis w. Douglas, former budget di-
rector, became vice president after
his resignation when he found himself
out of agreement with Federal spend
ing policies.
II believe that you men, represent
atives of all phases of American busi-
ness, should have as lively an interest
in preventing the passage of this leg
islation as the industry does itself" j"
Willkie said in an address in which
he declared continuous agitation
against the utilities companies had
caused securities to depreciate by biz
lions Of dollars in the last few years,
and that the proposed legislation
would result in additional losses of
like magnitude.
Bank Legislation Hit.
Banking legislation and the pro-
duction control policies of the Agri-
cultural Adjustment Administration
also came in for their share of criti-
cism.
Willkie said that "unqustionably
the country has made some progress,
but it is clear that the progress has
halted" due to apprehensions over
the future.
Recalling that in his inaugural
address President Roosevelt had in
spired the country with that chal-
lenging sentence-'the only thing we
have to fear is fear itself "-Willkie
added:
Il want to say to you with as much
sincerity and solemnity as can COM
mand that in my judgment there is
only one thing that has halted the
Nations economic recovery, and that
Is the very thing which the President
told us he would eradicate from our
hearts. The thing that is holding us
back is fear''
Urges Threats Be Lifted.
Willkie, whose companys units are
faced with the competition of the
Tennessee Valley development, said
that If the utility business were freed
from three major threats" all of
which, he added, are "artificially in
voked by the Government, the electric
utility business will do more to lift this
country out of the depression than any
other industry.
He listed these "threats" as the
passage of the Wheeler-Rayburn bill,
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