The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1947-10-31

IL Il NVACW vi y.
This is the second installment OF
the analysis of campaign issues in 194e
by Judson King, director of National
Popular Govt League, Washington
A New Definition of "Navigability"
Everybody supposed that this hoary
iurisdictional question was at last set
tied except the power trust and Cong.
William j. Miller of Connecticut, a
Republican. He, on April 7, 1917
twenty-seven years late - introduced
H. r. 1913 amending the Power Act
to limit the authority and jurisdiction
of the Power Commission by defining
navigable waters to mean those
(which at the time of the inquiry are
generally and commonly used for COM
merce of a substantial character" etc.
That definition (Which, please note,
congress has the power to make) up
sets judicial findings on navigability
for over 100 years 1t, with other
amendments, would practically end
federal supervision in the national in
terest authorized by congress for over
40 years and make the states happy
hunting grounds for restless private
interests.
In vain political spokesman may cry
from the stump that the electric con-
sumers would be amply protected by
the state commissions. That is sheer
nonsense. Even the man in the street
knows that state regulation has failed
because commissions are easily con-
trolled through political manipulation,
and court decisions have restricted
their powers. Hence the resort to
public competition in many municipal
tiles and the yardstick effects of
power from federal dams when sold
direct.
But that was not enough. Mr.. Miller
on the same day introduced another
bill, H. r. 1912, further destroying
the usefulness of the Power Commits
sion. Prior to 1885 power companies
wholesaling power over state lines
were in this respect entirely I'M
regulated both as to rates and Sc
curities. Incidentally, to keep our
politics on straight, Herbert Hoover
was the outstanding opponent of fed
eral regulations although the states
were clearly without jurisdiction. FL
nally in 1885 New Deal Democrats
and Republicans in Congress added |
Title 2 to the Power Act and since
then the Power Commission in regu-
lating rates has investigated company
financing and to date has squeezed |
81 $50 100000 Of water out of private
company rate bases. Such "commu-
nistic" activities interfered with the |
free enterprise of water stock sales
men and so Mr.. Miller obligingly urges
a bill to, in effect, kill jurisdiction
over around three-fourth of the private
companies whose wholesale rates are
now regulated by the Federal Power
Commission.
Do not laugh. Don't even smile.
These bills were given long, quiet,
and deliberately one-sided hearings,
and grave consideration by subcOm
mittee OF the House Interstate and
Foreign Commerce Committee until
the significance of these raiding bills
was exposed by a half-dOzen wide
awake publicly minded columnists.
But the next session will be another
day
Back to the Pyramids
fufLHef, as 10 regulation some
will recall that in 1885 progressive
Democrats and Republicans, after a
sensational battle with utility lobby
lists both electric and gas, passed the
Holding Company Act and set up the
Securities and Exchange Commission
to end 'pyramiding" and many other !
evils and protect the investing public
against the kind of financial chican-
cry that added the word 'Insullism' {
10 the language.
That also interfered with the enter /
)rising stock floaters who. longed to
get back to the good old days. Hence
Cong. Hugh d. Scott, Jr., of Pennsyl-
7ania, Republican, on June 28, last t
introduced two bills Oh. r. 400S9) |
he effect of which would be to kill {
he famous Death Sentence Clause {
md permit our Egyptian-minded util- {