The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1941-06-18
BY JAY FRANKLIN

At the time when the Grand Coule
project was under consideration, tn
chief engineer of the Montana Powe
Company testified Even if powe
were supplied to us free at the Crane
Coulee plant we could not transmit
to our present distributing system al
cheaply as we can develop power
nearer home :" And Congressman
Rich of Pennsylvania, famous for his
lfayorite question Where are you go.
ing to get the money!, remarked: III
you gentlemen in Oregon want to de
velop the Columbia River, develop il
and God be with youi We wish you
all success in 1t but do not want the
Pennsylvania taxpayers to be called
upon to give you something out in
Oregon that you ought to have your.
selves"
| Today, the Bonneville Grand Coulee
generating system is one of the chief
assets in our defense Industries and
the country recently was surprised
when Secretary Ickes declined to en-
large the power output accorded TO
the Aluminium Company and gave the
extra power instead to competitor.
The chief complaint is that not
enough power is generated and that
there ought to be more generators
on the Columbia River to supply the
airplane industry with aluminium and
magnesium.
On the completion of Bonneville
dam in August, 1888, two generators
of 1920 kilowatts each were switched
on. In December, 1910, an additional
generator of $4,000 kilowatts was in
stalled Another one, also of $4,000
kilowatts, was added in January, 1871.
Two more will be installed next jan
uary, bringing capacity up to 302, 400
kilowatts. Four more generators are
recommended, for a total of 51S,400,
but this will not be enough to meet
demands.
That is why power work at Grand
Coulee is being rushed. Today two
standby generators of 10000 kilo-
watts apiece are in operation at Grand
Coulee. The first major Coulee unit
will start grinding on July la 1885,
600 kilowatt generator that is the
largest piece of electrical machinery
ever manufactured, requiring 20
freight cars to haul it unassembled
across the country. By next October,
the second such generator will be in
stalled, and third in January, 1912
the first of eighteen of these enor-
nous units which will produce a total
of 1,944,000 kilowatts, making Grand
Coulee incomparably the greatest gem
Grating plant on the face of the globe.
Bonneville has already contracted
for 27S,830 kilowatts-S1% of which
go to industry, including Aluminium
Corporation, Pacific Carbide, Pennsyl-
vania Salt and Reynolds Metal. When
all ten generators are installed at
Bonneville; the total cost will have
been $75,000,000, with an additional
S40,000000 invested in high-tension
230, 000-volt lines. This is the base of
the Northwest grid" system, linking
Vancouver, Grand Coulee and Coving-
ton on Puget Sound: Tapping in addi-
blOl W DOUUeNlli6 anu 1Tduu OOulcty
the Seattle system on the Skagit and
the Tacome plant Grand Coulee has
cost over $135,00O,0O0 so far out of
an estimated total cost of $500, 900
1t is said that private utilities and
business interests have spent $1,000
600 to hinder the creation of this gov
eminent power grid, the latest Incl
dent being the defeat of the public
power program In Spokane.
Incidentally, Bonneville is an aid to
navigation Of the Columbia, with re-
sultant savings in industrial costs for
Before the dam was |
built maximum of 100000 tons went
upstream past Bonneville. In 1910, |
the tonnage was 707400. Thanks to
existing locks and canal at Gallo, the |
Columbia is now open to navigation
as far as the mouth Of the Snake |
River deep in eastern Washington.
From the defense angle the Coulee |
lam is especially important, because
It is located nearly four hundred miles |
from Puget Sound and hence is safe |
rom the possibility of air-raids COM
ng from carriers in the Pacific 1t
IAN tap the huge mineral resources of
he Northwest, including inexhaustible