The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1936-09-11
RATES
ARE CALLED
TOO HIGH
Brazilian and Canadian
Advocate Control
BY Government

The Roosevelt Administrations
steps toward controlling the
power resources of the United
States were praised today by
foreign delegates speaking before
the Third World Power Con-
ference.
The advocates of Federal super
vision of power and of controlled
economy" levelled their guns saw
agely upon private power interests
during the session of the con-
ference at which President RooSe-
welt is to speak later in the day.
Brazilian Backs Control
Asserting that the Federal Gov
eminent in this country is fully
justified in the attitude it has
taken in controlling the power in
duStry," Joao DoSReiS, Brazilian
minister of communications and
public works, declared:
There is no other industry in
which the sale price is so largely
diSprOpOrtiOnate to that of the
cost Of production for the great
majority of consumers as in the
electric power industry.
ct has been understood that
when a special public interest is
involved in any private enter
prise the State can and should
intervene, following the general
criterion that it is necessary to
adjust the various elements of
the economic structure with the
purpose of creating a cOmmun-
ity Of interest between the diff
ferent parts of the nation, be-
tween various economic units
and between groups as well as
units"
OLD COURT RULING CITED
Arguing that such control of
power is authorized under the
Constitution and that there are
precedentS eXistant here for the
Federal Government assuming
such supervisory control, the Bra
lillian continued:
THE spirit and teachings of
Jefferson might be invoked as
the principle basis for the inter
probation of the police power of
the State which interveneS
whenever it is necessary to safe
guard the community of interest
on which he based his ideas of
government by the people.
Here in the United States Of
whose Constitution President
Coolidge said To live under it
is the greatest privilege ever
granted to the human race; in
this country of freedom where it
is possible for the general good
to enforce important restrictions
on individual liberties, the pO-
lice power of the State, over
coming the policies Of laisseZ-
faire, established the legal basis
for control of public utilities in
the case of Illinois VS.. Mum and
Scott, decided in 1876"
Plea by Canadian
A plea for collective action in
connection with the control Of the
natural resources and power OF
this country was made by Arthur
Surveyor, consulting engineer Of
Montreal, Canada, who asserted:
Zone must admit that if the
machine has contributed great
deal to material and social
progress, it is difficult to claim
that it has contributed to moral
progress. MechaniZatiOn has
evidently not altered mans
character; cupidity and private
interest are more powerful mo-
tiveS of action than disintereSt-
edness and a concern for the
collective interest.
at is certain that at the pres
emit time it is technically pos
sibIe to supply every human
being, not only with the neces-
stiles of life, but with a certain
measure of comfort. UnfOrtu-
nately, it is not sufficient to
have discovered the methods of
producing wealth, it is also
necessary to know how to Circu-
late and distribute this wealth."
He urged that the United States
give up it's laiSseZfaire policy and
proceed with controlled econ
omy," as has been done in many
other countries. He added, how
ever, that in order to thus pro-
coed properly, a thorough scien-
tific knowledge of how to go about
the process must be had. He pre-
scribed:
"Teach the elite how to gov
ern, the masses how to select