Evening star., 1939-03-11
FHeudIineFoIk
land What
They Do
jones D. Ross
Saves New Deal
Another Fiqht
BY LEMUEL F. PARTON.

When James D. Ross was ap-
pointed by the President as chief
Of Bonneville, the biggest dam in
the world, in October, 1887, it was
believed in some quarters that his
selection would sharpen the dis
agreement between the administra-
ton and the power companies. To-
day, as a Senate committee spars
with the question Of new Bonne-
vile appropriations, the distribution
of the Bonneville power and deriva-
tive problems, 1t appears that Mr..
Ross has allayed, rather than pro-
voked hostilities. The utilities rate
him as reasonable" and he has
open passage between the two
camps without bearing any white
flag or truce. Bonneville has been
the bette noir of Western power de-
velopment. This writer hears there
is now better chance for two-way
appeasement than at any time in
the past.
Mr. Ross, for 20 years head of the
municipal power development Of
Seattle, has human traits, which
perhaps account for his eXpedient
rather than doctrinal trend. No
mere doctrinaire would amuse him.
self by keeping copper ball in the
air with no visible means of sup
port-just because he loves kilo-
watts and likes to see them work.
High up on one of the Bonneville
tributaries, near the British Colum-
bia line, Mr.. Ross has famous con-
servatory of tropical flowers. Flow
ers engross him and, as he drives
over mountain roads. an off-season
violet will bring a yell to his chauf.
feur and screech of brakes.
He was consulting engineer for
the New York power authority and
the st. Lawrence seaWay, a consult
ant for P. w. A. power development
and later member of the S. E. c,
before the President made him the
Bonneville boss. He padded his own
canoe, but he started life pumping
his own bicycle. AS a boy, he rode
his bike from Chatham, Ontario, to
New York City, to learn pharmacy.
He got job as an apprentice chem
ist, but pestling seemed pifhing so
he hit the long grind back to Chat
ham-but he kept on pedaling. He
, headed up through Edmonton to the
Alaska gold fields, and. when dry
\,
boat and pushed on In Seattle,
years later, he helped design the first
municipal power plant He has on
the living room table of his rambling
Old house book on natural sciences,
Which, he says. shaped his career.
He still uses it. A few years ago. a
eWly-elected Seattle mayor dropped
him from his power job. They re-
called the mayor and named
mountain peak for Mr.. Ross.
Big. bulky and deliberate, his
hobby is butterflies. He has writ
ten book about them.
A few highlights on Mexican Am.
bassador Francisco Castillo Najera,
main home of the conciliators in the
oil grapple between the United
States and Mexico:
He is distinguished surgeon and
an expert on yellow fever: he is a
poet and critic of poetry, the author
OF "One Hundred Years of Belgian
Poetry" written when he was Am
bassador to Belgium: he fought with
Carranza against Huerta and became
brigadier general; he is a chess
student and expert and one of the
| best players in Mexico; he holds
medals and citations from many for
eign countries for his studies and
activity in public health. and was
the organizer of the Mexican Pub
lie Health Service; he wrote his first
volume of poetry in 1915 while he
was fighting in civil war: he has
represented Mexico in China. Bel
gium, the Netherlands, France and
the United States; he loves to fy
and shuttles back and forth by plane
between Washington and Mexico
City.