Evening star., 1938-04-05

Department, show that the entire
Tennessee River could be made nayi-
gable from Knoxville to its mouth by
a system Of low dams that would cost,
not billions Of dollars as the Tennessee
Valley Authority contemplates, but
$76 100000, and the area from the
mouth Of the river to Gunthersville,
206.6 miles. could be made navigable
by five low dams, costing less than
$10,000,0OO.
With public debt of now actually
more than $4,000, ,O00, 900, and the
Federal budget continually unbalanced
and operating on a deficit with bor-
rowed money, can 1t be said to be the
part OF wisdom on the part of states
men, trusted with the lawmaking
power, to continue such wild and fan
taStlc schemes as the Gilbertsville
Dam? And have related only 4 part
OF the things of destructive nature
1t will bring about We are spending
hundreds of millions of dollars every
year to provide for the conservation
OF our soils that our population may
have the opportunity of living in 4
land Of plenty, and at the same time
we proceed to cover up and DESTROY
the rich alluvial lands Of one of the
greatest river valleys in all America.
winding its way from the hills of East
ern Tennessee across that State into
Alabama, Northern Mississippi and
Western Kentucky, to the Ohio River.
taxing out OF cultivation and produc-
ton approximately 100000 acres of
rich land and out of taxation by the
affected counties and States more than
S30O.O00,000 worth of taxable property.
resulting not in the conservation, but
leaving us the rapidly depicting rolling
lands with the task of perpetual soil
erosion prevention, and at the same
time some 40 counties whose taxable
values are practically destroyed, are
now knocking at the doors of the Con-
gress, demanding legislation requiring
the Federal Government to provide the
revenue thus lost to their treasures,
The truth is several bills are now
pending before my committee asking
that the Government recoup the losses
OF some of these counties, and they.
OF course, will continue agitation, and
with present inclinations on the part
OF the Federal Government may cause
vast expenditures of Federal funds so
that nobody knows. or ever will know,
how much this wild, reckless and So
cialistic venture may cost the Ameri-
can taxpayers
Discrepancies in Accounts.
During The long hearings before the
Military Affairs Committee on the
amendments of 1885, the evidence dis
closed many discrepancies in the ac-
counts of the Authority amounting to
thousands of dollars. and the expla-
nation made by the directors was that
children had been playing with the
cash register" Now the Controller
Generals annual report for the fiscal
year ending June 30, 1897, has this
to say about the T. v. AS financial
policies:
During the fiscal years Of 1896 and
1887 exceptions were made and the
Authority regularly notified on a total
OF 1854 transactions involving SIS
542, 2,459.70. OF such number and
amount there was released, after prop
er explanations or recovery, a total
of 3,077 exceptions amounting to $4,-
814,s50, leaving 4,8s7 still pending in
the amount of $lO,727,5O9.70."
suppose the children are still play
Ing with the cash register!
Now it is proposed to abolish out
right the Controller Generals Office,
or at the best audit all Government
spending after the expenditures and
not before. Another case of locking
the door after the horse is stolen.
All remember the written pledge of
the Democratic platform of 1882, to
reduce Government expenditures by
rs per cent and abolish useless and
unnecessary bureaus, and yet, in the
last five years there has been such
wide expansion of Government agen-
cies and activities, both in and out Of
Washington. that the Government now
occupies in the States outside of WASH
ington more Office space than would
be provided by SO buildings Of the
size and capacity of the Empire State
Building in New York. Let's speed the
investigation of the T. v. A. to its
fullest extent! Good night.