Evening star., 1948-09-26
BY the Assoeioted Press

i Ell PASO, Ter., Sept. 25-Tert
OF President Trun,an's speech here
today:
Mr.. Chairman, Gov. Jester, Hon
orable Mayor of Ell Paso, the At
torney General of the United States,
and distinguished guests on this
platform, and fellow Democrats of
Texas
1t gives me a great deal Of pleas
ure to come back to Ell Paso once
more. have been here on a num-
Der of occasions, and have spent
here some of the pleasantest hours
of my life.
I want to talk to you very frankly
about some of the vital issues In
this campaign, issues in which you
are interested. You all know what
the Democratic record has been in
building up the West. In 1888, the
Democrats took the reclamation
program out of mothballs and put
it into practice. This was because
the American people had elected
President who believed in the West
Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Today, reclamation projects irri-.
gate 4,500,0OO acres Of land and pro-
vide more than 100000 kilowatts
OF power.
$4,000, 900 Spent.
You people in Ell Paso know how
important these things are. Over
$40, 100000 has been spent on the
Rio Grande project. Right here in
your area, it irrigates 100000 acres.
The Republicans have consistent
ly fought this program for the de-
velopment of the West. That is why
| I have been amazed in this cam
paign to hear spokesmen for the
Republican Party claim that the
Republican Party is friend of
reclamation. The record proves that
is not So There is not word of
truth in that claim. The record
shows that the Republican leaders
in the House of Representatives cut
the reclamation program for the
West by more than so per cent in
1948. You people here in the West
rose up in anger at this slaughter.
Now, what do you suppose the
Republican chairman of the ap-
preparations Committee thought
about your protests? Well" he
said, "the West is squealing like
stuck pig" That is what the Re-
publican leaders thought about you.
That same Republican chairman
squeals himself every time he has
to make an appropriation that
would be helpful to this part of the
world.
Some of Funds Restored.
The Democrats in the Senate and
in the House succeeded in restoring
some of the necessary funds.
Ninety-fve per cent of the Repub-
licans in the House voted against
providing the money I said was
necessary for reclamation. Ninety
two per cent of the Democrats voted
for the restoration.
BY their votes ye shall know them.
That is the difference between the
Republican and the Democratic at
titude toward the West. These are
hard, cold facts. That is why I am
amazed when I hear Republican
campaign orators trying to take
credit for program that the Demo-
Gratis had to save from the Repub-
lican meat axe.
That is just one example Of what
the Republicans tried to do to the
West last year.
Now, what do you suppose they
are planning to do If they gain
complete control of the Government
next year? Let me give you one
example of that. Let me tell you
about their plans for electric power,
which is so vitauy important to the
continued growth and prosperity OF
all the West.
Cites Magazine Article.
You know how public power from
publicly constructed dams has helped
bring new industries out here. The
Republicans don't like to see cheap
public power, because it means that
the big power monopolies cannot get
their rake-od at the expense of the
public. The Republican Congress
man, who would be chairman OF
the Committee on Public Works in
the House of Representatives, If we
get another Republican Congress,
has just written very revealing
article for a magazine. That mans
name is George A. Dondero, and he
comes from Detroit, Mich. His ar
ticle is entitled, Wanted: A New
Federal Power Policy 1t is printed
in the Public Utilities Fornightly
can give you the chapter and verse,
and I am going to give you some
quotes from it. If you want to read
it in full, you can get it. The date
is September 9, 194s, and it is called
Public Utilities Fortnightly. I am
going to read you some OF the things
that this committee chairman says
in that article.
He says, and I quote. "We can
stop the trend toward increasing
the number of publicly owned power
facilities"
That is vitality important. I am
going to read it to you again: I'VE
can stop the trend toward increas-
ing the number of publicly owned
power facilities.
Mentions Another Quote.
Now, he will be the chairman If
the Republicans get control.
Here is another quote: THE Gov
ernment should follow a policy OF
selling the power at the bus bar, or
at the dam, to all corners, without
favoritism or discrimination"
Now you know what that means
that means that these public util-
tiles fellows and the public utilities
lobby who will have control of that
committee, If you elect a Repub-
lican Congress, want to turn this
electric power over to the hijackers
so they can stick you with high
prices. That is what it means.
Congressman Dondero goes on to
. say that our present laws, which let
the Government build lines to get
" IN