Evening star., 1941-03-18


comparison with r. v. A. rates $10,-
100000. The people Of New Mexico,
1850, 900 and the people of Colorado,
$780, 900. The total overcharges
paid that one year by the people of
those eight States by comparison
with the T. v. A. rates was $79 500, =
600. Think Of 1t, SIS, 100000 annu-
ally. That would pay for all IS dams
now planned In five years.
The power rates in each OF these
States are from two to three times
higher than in the T. v. A., and,
mind you, the T. v. A. is reimburs-
ing the States, the counties, mu-
inequalities and school districts for
all tax losses.
The average T. v. A. residential
consumer Is using, due to the low
rates, 1,425 kilowatt hours of power
annually as compared to $50 for the
Nation and 720 for the A. v. A. re-
gion. The consumer in Tupelo,
Miss, can use 100 kilowatt hours per
year for $2.25, but in Harrison, Ark,
a typical A. v. A. town supplied by
one Of the big companies, the same
amount Of power costs him $4.30, as
compared with the $225. A COM
mercial user in Little Rock must pay
$67 for $500 kilowatt hours monthly,
but in Knoxville the same power
costs not SGT but $22.
From power sales alone last year
T. v. A. netted $4,000 after pay
ing tax equivalents and providing
depreciation. At the same time LOG
cooperating municipalities earned
a net income of more than $4,000, 900
after paying $1,700,00 in tax equiv
alents.
Yes, Tennessee lost a member of
Congress under the reapportionment
OF 1881 but she is gaining one under
the reapportionment of 1941. T. v.
A. came in the meantime.
Two A. v. A. dams now under con-
strlIction will produce 100000 kilo-
watts Of firm power. II these and
others can be tied into an integrated
transmission system and peak power
built into firm power, facilitated by
steam, this can be doubled and the
rates still further reduced. If the
IS dams already on the way are to
be Of maximum benefit for the con-
troll OF floods, aid to drainage, nav
igation and irrigation and for power
production, they must be intercon-
nected for systematic and scientific
operation. That is a major objective
of A. V. A. and that is the alterna-
tive of waste.
Could Build Recreation.
1t is now the Governments policy
to construct permanent recreation
pools in flood-control reservoirs
Multipurpose reservoirs with higher
permanent levels for power are even
more ideal for recreation. The most
popular tourist attraction is water
The lakes Of the A. v. A., like those
Of the T. v. A., would become val
liable recreation centers.
This vast A. v. A. domain has en-
1oyed very little Of the permanent
New Deal construction. II this pro-
posal becomes law, not much new
work would be begun during the de-
tense program, but 1t would be ready
to go when the war is over. I think
am at liberty here to quote Presi-
dent Roosevelt. His words were SUBJ
stantially these: This war will be
over one of these days and then
what are We going to do with mil
lions of unemployed? We've got to
get this Authority and other projects
set up now"
Each dam will provide an average
employment for 1000 to 1000 men
for two to four years.
We could help the democracies win
this war and yet lose all. Make no
mistake about 1t, the forces of de-
struction are at work among us and
they thrive on insecurity and ine-
quality Of opportunity.
This program will In the end cost
the Nation not a penny and in addi-
ton will have brought all those
tremendous benefits. Returns from
power alone will pay the total cost.
Follows T. v. A. Pattern.
What is the nature Of the proposed
Authority?
Drafted at the direction of Presi-
dent Roosevelt, it naturally follows
closely the plan of the T. v. A., but
with material changes - changes
based upon T. v. AS experience and
that fit it into a slightly different
topography. 1t is, in plain Ian
guage. an agency to assist a cour-
ageous and hard-working people in