Evening star., 1938-02-06

From that beginning the split in the board
widened until now there are many who be-
lleVe the three members will never be able
to work together harmonously.
II that view is correct the situation
would be all the more unfortunate in view
OF the fact that virtually all legal barriers
to completion of the Authoritys program
have been removed
The first substantial legal victory came
with the 8-to-l decision of the Supreme
Court that T. v. A. could sell surplus power
generated incidentally at Wilson Dam,
Although that decision did not pass on the
constitutionality of the act itself. it con-
tanned the implication that the court would
be reluctant to invalidate the program of
the Authority if it could be shown that it
bore any reasonable relation to flood con-
troll or improvement of navigation.
Inhnctions Wiped Away.
Then came the unanimous decision of the
high court sanctioning the legality of loans
and grants by the Public Works Admins
tration to municipalities for the erection Of
their own power systems That ruling
wiped out injunctions that had tied up pub
lie power projects in many sections of the
country and marked the end of effective
resistance by the private utilities unless T.
v. A. itself could be brought under consti-
tutional restriction.
Hope OF accomplishing that substantially
disappeared, however. with the recent
unanimous decision of a three-judge Fed
eral Court at Chattanooga, Tenn, which
held constitutional virtually every activity
of the T. " A. Presumably there will be
an appeal to the Supreme Court, but with
the present membership Of that tribunal
there is little if any likelihood that the
ruling will be reversed.
With the legal situation thus clarified,
both friends and enemies of T. v. A.
believe the next step is to uncover and
rectify the internal difficulties that are
threatening to undermine the Authoritys
program to greater extent than the ac-
tivities of the power companies.
Norris Fathers Probe.
To accomplish this reform, Senator Nor
ris Of Nebraska, known as the father of r.
v. A." has offered resolution calling for
an investigation by the Federal Trade
Commission. The Norris resolution has
been reported fayorably to the Senate by
its Committee on Agriculture, together with
recommendation that $100 900 be appro-
priated for the investigation. Among the
matters Senator Norris would have probed
are whether the work of the Authority
has been handicapped by any internal dis
sension; whether any member Of the board
is holding Office in violation of a section
of the act requiring that all members of
the board shall be persons who profess a
belief in the feasibility and wisdom of the
act, and whether any member of the
board has given aid or assistance either
directly or indirectly, to private power COM
panies in suits for injunctions.
companion resolution has been intro
duced in the House by Representative
Maverick of Texas, who has also proposed
that if the Federal Trade Commission is
not to conduct the inquiry, it should be
held by select committee Representa-
tive May OF Kentucky, an outspoken critic
Of T. v. A., has offered another resolution
that the investigation be conducted by
the House Military Affairs Committee,
which he heads. Support for m inquiry