Evening star., 1936-09-12
Power
Continued From First Page.)


son Of the Los Angeles Bureau OF
Power and Light that Carlisle's con-
clusions we're based on incorrect fig
ures carefully selected"
Later, E. F. Scattergood. also Of the
Los Angeles bureau, declared the Car
Isle paper was a Misrepresentation
Of sort common to the private
utility propaganda"
The Presidents address to the dele
gates yesterday, after which he
pressed the button to begin operation
Of the giant Boulder Dam project
across the Colorado River, was q
fortnight defense of the administra-
tion's past policy toward power de-
velopment and pledge that the in
terest of the Federal Government
would not be curtailed short of
achievement Of the objective of wide
spread use of electrical energy.
Beyond this primary objective Mr.
Roosevelt also laid before the world S
leaders in the power field the respon-
sibility of shaping the way Of life in
the not distant day when "the con-
version and application Of energy
will be so directed that half
the population can provide the basic
machine-made products necessary for
the welfare Of the whole population.
1--WE can conceive that this would
mean that the people between 20 and
SO years Of age will be able to pro-
duce the basic commodities for them
selves and also for all others below
and above those ages.
IF that condition should arise, it
is the duty of you who would be so
greatly responsible for it to think
what would be the effect Of our leis-
ure, our culture and our way Of life.
I would suggest that the answer should
not be left solely in the hands Of BANK
ers, Government officials or demo-
gogues."
Ask "Social Accounting"
Touching twice upon the need OF a
system Of social accounting" the
NillCl CACCutlfC od1u.
"A higher form Of accounting than
any yet developed by commerce and
industry appears to be essential. It
must be q form of accounting that
takes social values, now left to mere
assumption, into its calculations and
measures them. II a nation were to
establish in its social balance sheet a
capital account for its energy assets,
and were to charge against that ac-
count the water it permits to 60 un-
are used; or If the petroleum indus
try were charged with the gas 1t per-
mits to go to waste quantity that
is enormous in the United States;
then perhaps all citizens would per-
ceive that public policy and private
conduct in respect Of natural re-
sources should be quite different from
what they now are.
"Sheer inertia has caused us to neg
lect formulating q public policy that
would promote opportunity for people
to take advantage of the fexibility OF
electric energy; that would send 1t
out wherever and whenever wanted
at the lowest possible cost. We are
continuing the forms Of over-central-
ization of industry caused by the
characteristics of the steam engine,
long after we have had technically
available . form of energy which
should promote decentralization OF in
dustry. What Is economically sound
is to be determined by social account
ing more than by present methods" :"
SCOTS At Claims.
Declaring that q sound and cou-
rageous public policy will lead toward
consummation" of the objective of
widespread use Of cheap power, the
President scoffed at the idea that such
a program could destroy the private
industry Of today.
Zone who considers the matter with
fortnight vision," he said, cannot
convince himself that public policy
for promotion of electric energy can
really harm the electric industry that
exists today. It would give opportunity
for that industry to add to achieve
ments already great"
High rates and consequent limited
use Of electricity he termed . vicious
circle" which must be broken. Sig
he added that If the Gov
ernment yardstick projects now In
operation or under construction are
not sufhcient to break this circle the
influence OF additional meritortous
projects awaiting development can be
added"
II still hold" he continued, TO the