Evening star., 1936-08-24

appraised lies In Dav,d Iawr.nc.
the fact that the
campaign has hardly gotten going yet.
Even the business men, who, in most
cities have become stirred up about
the national campaign, are to some
extent apathetic. This partly arises
out of a defeatist feeling analogous to
that which prevailed among Repub-
lcans in the East last May.
In my talks with persons OF every
class here, found the lineup about
the same as in the State of Washing
ton-a distinct friendliness amounting
to a genuine enthusiasm among the
working classes for Mr.. Roosevelt
and a sharp antagonism in the white
collar groups which, while not par
ticularly active as yet beyond its
own sphere, may spread out more in
Auentially as the campaign progresses.
Debt Worry in Evidence.
talked with precinct committee
man from one of the poorer sections
of the city. He was working hard for
Mr.. Roosevelt, admitted he didn't
have much time to get around except
evenings, but that he was finding the
working folks almost unit for Mr..
Roosevelt. When asked him what
he thought of the outcome in this
State he was quite sure it would not
be a "walk-away" for the President,
but that at the moment the President
had decidedly 'the edge" have been
impressed with the number of per-
1f Gai tr
be a close State. I had come here
with the distinct impression that it
would go overwhelmingly for Mr..
Roosevelt.
Incidentally. when asked the
Democratic precinct committeeman
what subject he encountered most in
his canvas he told me that the debt
and expenditures of Government was
more often mentioned than anything
else. He said people were beginning
to ask when the debt was going to
be paid back and who was going to
pay it.
Portland is a city that has been
especially conscious of financial prob
lens because there's a mayor here.
Joseph Carson, who has balanced the
budget, and because of it has just
been assured of another four years
in office by q majority vote in the
primary. So evidently the people
hereabouts would be considerably con-
cerned about the national fiscal issue
If it happened to be crystallized for
them before the campaign is over.
Spending Atmosphere Prevails.
AS yet, the idea of financing the
deficits of the national Government
has not come to the surface of con-
sideration, and the atmosphere is still
one of continual spending. The atti-
tude Is really that while the spending
goes on, or rather while the getting
is good" Oregon had just as well get
her share. Hence all sorts of promises
of an ell dorado character seem to be
in the air. There isn't any candidate
as vet proclaiming it in so many
words but there are many people in
Oregon, I am told, who believe the
Roosevelt administration means to
give them free power" Like free
seed in the old days it has come to
be a slogan in the agricultural areas.
The Oregon Journal, leading DEM
ocratic paper in the State, in recent
editorial, throws light on the prevail
ing impression here that the Federal
Government is about to finance trans
mission and distribution systems. The
editorial contends that the utilities
are fighting the administration for
these reasons:
Because Roosevelt built the Bonne-
vile Dam, which offers cheap power
to the users of electricity without any
excessive profits to Wall Street hold
ing companies, or profits from write
UPS or management contracts or fancy
bonuses of one kind or another.
Because the Roosevelt administra-
ton proposes to build transmission
lines through Oregon and Washington
from which municipalities and farm
ing districts can buy cheap power and
distribute it themselves, through dis
tributing systems financed wholly or
in part by the United States Gov
ernment."
u. s. Apparently in Business.
Constitution or no Constitution, the
Government of the United States is
apparently in the power business in
the Northwest whether the excuse is
navigation with respect to the Column
bia River or irrigation in the State OF
Washington.
There are, to be sure, legitimate
obiectives of both navigation and irr!-
cation at the Bonneville and the
Grand Coulee Dams, but the sale OF
the surplus power already has become
not an incidental consideration, but
Q matter of threatened Government
competition with existing businesses.
Seeing the handwriting on the wall,
some of the private companies. rather
than become the football of policies,
are planning If the trend continues.
to sell out their properties to the
States or the Federal Government, or
the power districts Of the farm areas
or the municipalities on q basis OF
salvaging whatever they can of their
investment.
What is the economic Justification
FOR the Governments going into the
mower business out here? Certainly
there is q huge surplus Of power ca
pacity already. Thus one company
has q dam at Ariel which, with an
additional s7,000.000 investment, can
generate $4,000 kilowatts, whereas
the Bonneville Dam, with the present
investment of $43,000.000 will gene
rate about 10000 kilowatts. Not all
of the $43, 100000, of course, will be
charged off to power. But assuming
that two-thirds of it is put on the
books as due to navigation-a very
liberal estimate-then the remaining
$14,000,000 is chargeable to power and
that's Just twice as big an amount IS
would be needed to get through prt.
vate facilities not the same amount OF
power. but actually so per cent more