The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-10-10

TWAS sponsors believe the gov- ernment-generated cheap electricity will stimulate an industrial boom and will bring a more abundant and less arduous life to farmers.
 Two of TWAS dams now are fur- nishing '.yardstick" electricity to 16 small towns and 12 rural com lnunities in northern Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee. The power is being generated at Norris Dam, on the Clinch River north of Knoxville, and at Wilson Dam, Muscle Shoals, Ala.
 Norris Dam was the first large project completed by the author ity, as Wilson Dam had been con- strueted by the government dur ing the World War period.
 Nineteen Companies Opposed
 Nineteen of the major power companies in the Tennessee Valley are waging an intense legal fight against IVA, however. Believing the Supreme Courts opinion = favoring TVA-to be incomplete, attorneys of the power companies have filed a broad suit again att tacking the constitutionality of the authority. A supplementary petition to this suit asks that IVA be enjoined from expanding and that its activities be frozen at the present status. The suit and peti- ton are before a Tennessee .. s. district court.
 The power companies also are making legal efforts to prevent Knoxville, Chattanooga and Mem phis from contracting for IVA generated current.
 Another of the utilities legal at tacks is directed against construc- tion of Chickamauga Dam at Chattanooga.
 There are nearly a score of other suits pending against the author ity. Attorneys believed action would be taken in few of them and that utilities would concentrate their attack in the major litiga- tionS.
 IVA Plans Go Forward
 These litigations, however, have not yet prevented IVA from pro- cecding with its plan of covering the Tennessee Valley section with a network of wires carrying cheap power.
 TWAS supporters hoped 8 sug- gested power pool" or grid sys- tenn plan eventually would remove the friction between the authority and private utilities. This power pool" plan. as its x. name implies, provides for the private utilities and IVA pooling electrical power into Q network which would pro- vide electricity to a maximum number of customers at a mini mum cost.
 Norris Dam, in addition to sup plying electrical power, is factor in improvement of navigation and in control of floods on the Tennes- see River, into which the Clinch flows. The dam was credited with preventing much property damage as well as enabling 5000 families to remain in their homes during a flood this spring.
 Incidental to construction of Norris Dam was creation Of an im- mense lake in the East Tennessee hills. The lake has a coast line of 300 miles. In the lake area, two parks = comprising 5000 to 4,000 acres-have been devepo!ed and are being operated by IVA as pub lie swimming, boating and camp ing resorts. Sportsmen expect the Norris Lake region to become a paradise for hunters and fisher men.
 Dams of Two Types
 TWAS dams are of two types storage and main-river.
 The storage dams are Norris and the Fowler Bend Dam, recently started on the Hiwassee River in North Carolina. These dams hold back excess water on head rivers at periods of high water and release water during low-water periods, thus aiding to maintain navigation channels and to control