The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1937-10-07

precisely the same condition on inc
other! The local merchants would
be selling groceries and clothing
and drugs to the workers. The 10
cal doctors and dentists would be
getting some fees from the tram
sients.
But when the whole job is COM
pleted, Lewis points out, 1t takes
very few men to take care of the
dam and the electric plant. Where
as a lot of coal miners are out OF
work forever as a result!
Agree With Lewis
1t so happens that every one in
the electric industry agrees with
Mr.. Lewis in every particular on
this particular subject, little as they
may think of his c. I. O. and ideas
about gratitude in politics, etc. The
point they make is that the govern
ment right now in this electric busi-
ness is gambling with the peoples
money.
The point is that the chief cost
OF producing electricity from n.y.
droelecfric development is interest
on the cost Of the project. Due to
abnormally low interest rates at
present-they being held down by
artificial government restrictions
this particular item of cost is very
unlikely to decrease. Quite the con-
trary. When the bonds sold now to
finance such developments mature
the government is more Likely to
pay much higher rate.
But the cost OF producing cleo
tricity from other sources is ex-
tremely apt to become less. Mr..
Lewis says current can be produced
more economically now from coal
than from water power. Most en-
gineers agree. But not after the
dams and hydro plants are built,
providing the cost of these dams
and plants is charged to profit and
loss.
Nearly every year the cost OF pro-
ducing current from coal is reduced.
Every few months there is some
Improvement in Diesel engines,
which makes the production OF cur
rent from oil cheaper. No one knows
when the terrific waste now involved
in cooling systems will be elimi-
mated. But scientists say it's COM
ing and will revolutionize the pro-
duction of power, cutting its cost to
q fraction.
So it might pay the coal barons
to have Mr.. Lewis discuss this ques-
ton with them to their mutual adj
vantage. It would certainly drama
tie the situation before the country
and tend to stop more government
competitionl
Scribes Smoker
The fiendish gIee Of anti-adminis-
tration column writers over the dis
covery that Charley Nicholson, pre-
mier Democratic press agent, at
tackled Hugo l.. Black in 1926 as a
Klansman, and AS unworthy to fill
the shoes of Oscar w. Underwood,
is rather interesting commentary
on how the status of the once abused
press agent has advanced in the
last decade. Also ON how much this
same Charley Nicholson has done
to advance it.
But it is also rather amazing In
that it has always been the accept
ed doctrine that newspaper men
who wrote editorial or policy into
their stories at all injected the par
tisan flavor desired by their bosses!
So that unless one assumes that
bosses employ writers solely for the
hrilliance of their writing, or per-
haps in order to present all sides of
the picture, the slant taken by the
writer is In accord with the edito-
rial policy of the paper.
/ 1t SO happens that the New York
World, at the time Nicholson wrote
this attack on Hugo Black, had
been running an anti-Klan crusade.
Aliio Nh QSaAG WdS 1Diid0LlEQ DJ illEli
in the New York office, only helped
out in pinches by the Washington
bureau, of which Nicholson was the
head.
1t also happens that the World
was, of all the outstanding news
papers of its time, the most anxious
to have its editorials backed up by
news stories, interviews and color
in general.
Brought Up Reserves
As a matter Of fact, there was a
sort OF reserve staff, consisting OF
ten or twelve young men working
for other-though never rival
papers. Generally these were
youngsters covering the senate or
house of representative for non
New York newspapers or press
services. They would be called on
the telephone, as soon as the chief
of the World bureau received his
orders, and directed first to read the
editorial for which endorsements
were wanted, and then get them.
This policy accomplished the
point of indicating to World readers
that their paper had tremendous
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