The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1946-01-04
The Struggle for Power
Editorial in Portland Oregonan December Is, 1945)
Neutral on eva


Everyone the Pacific Northwest should
this region biondolar empire of dams, electricity rriga
ton and river development is the prize in tremendous strg
gle among federal departments and brueau Private
business interests farmers state and just plain
people involved in this fight The principal battles will be
in congress, and the skirmishes have started.
The manifestations this struggle are
The organized campaign force the 750per
kiowayear federal power from Bonneville and
Grand CouIee the fight
cation power the project;
resolutions and agitation for and against Columbia Valley
Authority and the mmnence revised bill for establishment
CVA the vote in the house appropriations committee
which eliminated from the deficiency supply bill items for
flood control by the engneersbecause
dams in the willamette valley involved
Northweserners afford stand idly by while
fight cyncay abetted by the industrial permitted
jeopardze development of the regions is
empire that at stake future that is being gambled in
the game power politics The president United
should to control his cabinet the of interior
not disposed to keep two of his bureaus in line
One need not be advocate of eva recognize that
development of the Columbia basin has into
major difficulties Congress is confused by the conflicting
for funds and authority that will be in the mood
soon not already to call halt in federal sponsorship of
additional dams onthe Columbia Snake and Willamette Let's
take one illustration.
Bonnevllee Power Administration an agency of the
department of Interior charged by law with marketing
lines the generated Grand
Couee built and operated by the bureau of reclamation also
of the interior department and at Bonneville built
and operated by the war department. BPA which ran its
up $2OOOOOOO year wartime pay most
the of Bonneville and Couee including the million
irrigation project of the Couee basn yet has nothing to
say about those COSTS
months ago the administrator of Bonneville, the
of reclamation and the president the United States
signed memorandum stating what the final of Coulee
dam and the irrigation project would be- and pedgng cleo
trcy substitute 1910 of the $355anacre of irrigation
These figures went to Without consulting Bonneville
the bureau of reclamation subsequently revised its estimate of
the Couee project by adding sos 100000 The
bureau insists that the Bonneville Power Administration
must contribute $685. instead of $270 while the rga
ton ALLEGATION remains at $85.
The change in estimate inevitably provided ammunition to
those who seek to force increase Bonneville rateand
these include competitors certain reclama
the customers of the reclamation bureaus Boulder
other projects and be strongly suspected the
of reclamation itself 1t further
congress who have revived the old argument
hat the should sell its the busbar and
orce the (meanng in most instances private
IF company to build its own lines to the DAM
the principal attraction of industry that
region has Offer and that the threat of increased rates
a strong deterrent industry locating here.
secret that the bureau of reclamation has never
idea of delivering its at the busbar to
agency for resale and the suspicion current
circles that the bureaus goal to absorb the Bonneville
Administration Friction between the agencies ap
roaches open warfare Why has Secretary Ickes inter
ened We think his sympahies lie strongly with the Reca
nation Bureau, his first love.
The Missouri Valley Authority proposal, which became
involved fight bitter that developing the
VA evidently dead duck far this
the is to vote