Evening star., 1949-05-13

Columbia Authority
Needed for Defense.
Davidson Tells Parley
A national defense plea for sup
port Of legislation creating q
Columbia Valley Authority In the
Pacific Northwest was made today
by Assistant Secretary Of the m
terror C.. Girard Davidson before
the National Emergency Confer
ence on Resources
The Columbia River. II totally
developed. could produce twice the
amount Of hydro-eiectrie Capacity
now existing In the whole United
States" he told delegates in the
Interior Department auditorium.
That power put 70 work In AT
aluminium plant would begin TO
make I'D the present shortage Of
SOC. .oo0. 900 pounds ef aluminium a
year--a shortage that has TO be
made UP II we are TO have q larger
air force.
MIR. Davidson urged support Of
President Truman's program to
set up another IVA In the Pacific
Northwest for conservation and
development Of resources. II Is a
program. he declared. that would
avoid the mistakes Of the Tennes-
see Valley Authority.
Missouri Development Asked.
Similar legislation was urged
for the Great Missouri River
Basin. where Jerome q. Locke.
director OF the Regional Commit
tee for q Missouri Valley Author
lity. who said that millions Of
dDllars have been poured down
q ''rathole" under the so-calied
Pick Sloan plan. which has been
promoted by the Army Engineers
and Reclamation Bureau. He said
81 200, 900 900 has been spent un-
der this plan.
Under investigation in recent
months for prolific spending. the
IPick-Sloan plan also is under the
fire of the Hoover Commission.
IF purposeful and beneficial
development Is what we seek. very
much of this outlay has gone
down q rathole." he said. Other
hundreds of millions are In proc
ess Of going down the same rat
hole. Not only Is our valley being
denied most OF the benefits 1t
could and should have. but the
American taxpayer is footing a
considerable bill for sheer ma
tional waste"
Planning Called Confused.
A conservation organization
spokesman told the conference
last night that never has there
been SO much confused thinking
and confused planning In river
basin matters as right now"
He was William Voigt. jr.. OF
Chicago. executive director Of the
Izaak Walton League OF America,
who addressed the special evening
session In the Interior Department
auditorium. Grover Cleveland Lad
|ner. Judge of the Orphans Court
of Philadelphia. was the session
chairman.
Mr.. Voigt criticized river basin
plans and proposals as "wasteful
and Inadequate" He advocated
the immediate enactment OF legis-
lation to make effective the Hoover
Commission proposal for an over-
all board of review to analyze and
pass on all basin projects. This
proposal. he said. has been largely
"a forgotten or ignored portion Of
the Hoover report"
On pollution, control, the league
spokesman termed the existing
Federal law weak" but said 1t viii
have to do until strengthening
amendment Is shown to be needed.
Pollution has resulted In q "des-I
perate contest" between sanitary
engineers and the medical profess
sion to try to Keep the forces OF
CASTRO intestinal diseases from
breaking out OF control. he de-
clared.
Agriculture Secretary Brannan
yesterday conveyed q warning OF
public regulation of timber cut
ting on privately owned lands. un-
less the national timber budget Is
better balanced. Now the Govern
ment regulates only cutting on
public lands.
His warning followed decfara-
tions by Earle N. Clapp. former
associate director Of the Forest
Service, that the apparent solu-
ton to the tremendous forest
wastage Is public regulation or
public ownership"
Cir Herbert Rroadiev derAsfv