Evening star., 1950-05-11

me pQTLlGL LeJL OF PTeSlueHL
Trumdn'S address today at
Grand Coulee Dam dedication
ceremonies:
This is an inspiring occasion
We have come here to dedicat
Grand Coulee Dam-one of tn
mightiest structures man has eve
built.
With this dam, mans ingenuit
and perseverance have dramat
ically thranSformed the energy @
a mighty river into a great nel
source of national strength.
At the foot Of this dam is tn
worlds largest power plant. It
already generating more low-cos
electric energy than any othe
plant in the world.
Behind this dam is a reservoi
which extends ISL miles to tn
Canadian border. The water Il
that reservoir not only generate
electricity. It helps prevent floods
And soon, it will pour forth tt
irrigate thousands of acres of LAM
which are now desert.
Instrument of Democracy.
Grand CouIee Dam-with it
tremendous power and irrigation
benefitS-iS an instrument of oul
democracy. Forged to contribute
to a better life for ourselves anc
our children.
This dam was not built by acci
dent. -.
The dam had to be fought for
It had to be built over furious op'
position. You remember what it,
opponents said. One Congress-
man said: "Up in the Crane
Coulee country there is no one II
sell power to except the coyote!
and jackrabbits. And there never
will be-"
We can laugh today at such
foolishness. Right now the gen.
orators at this dam are being rur
at overcapacity, straining to NEE
the soaring demands for power
All about us in the Pacific North.
west-in this land that was called
the land of coyotes and jackrab.
bitS"-new jobs, new industries
new opportunities have been ere.
ated.
Can't Erase Record.
Today, those who opposed
Grand Coulee are trying to cover
their tracks. They are trying
to jump on the bandwagon.
But they can't erase the record
They did not understand then
and they do not understand now
the progressive steps that are
necessary to keep our democracy
strong, and confident, and moving
forward.
The fundamental error of those
who opposed aGrand Coulee was
their failure to understand that
the United States is a growing
dynamic country.
The results are clear. The
Northwest is no longer a back.
ward colony. 1t is now one of the
fastest-growing parts of the coun.
try. In the past 10 years, thu
population of Washington ano
Oregon has increased more thar
80 per cent.
Jobs permanent, productive
jobs-have been made available il
new industries that have beer
established to use the Columbia !
low-cost power. In the last /:
years, II new plants alone have
paid more than $135 million ii
wages and nearly $50 million ir
taxes.
Every State Aided.
The growing payrolls of the
Northwest have made bigger mar
kets for producers in every State
The products turned out here are
needed elsewhere. Nearly halt
the aluminium of the United
States is produced along the banks
of the Columbia. This aluminium
is used everywhere in the coun-
try. =.
What has happened here is
what happens in the case of un-
derdeveloped areas everywhere in
our country and the world. Sound,
productive investment always
makes bigger markets and more
jobs.
Elsewhere in the Northwest
work on other dams is proceeding
Hungry Horse Dam in Montana
Chief Joseph Dam just down the
Columbia from here, and McNary
Dam on the Oregon Washington
border, are all under construction
These and other dams are part OF
the great work that must be done
to produce power, promote inland
navigation, reclaim land for cul-
tivation and prevent destructive
floods.
But even more than this is in
volved in the development of the
resources of this area for solic
growth. Forests and grassland:
should be conserved and improved
Fisheries should be protected
and enhanced. Mineral resource!
would be reopened and devel.
oped.
This is the goal we are working
toward here in the Northwest. 1
is the same goal for which w
are working in other parts O
the country.
In the central valley of Cali
fornia, we are developing grea
power resources. With the hell
Of that power, we are re-directins
the available water of the Sacra
mento and San Joaquin River
to bring about the most produc
tive agricultural use.
In the Colorado River basin, w
are working to achieve the mos
sensible uses of the very limitec
water supply, and to expand thu
power supply throughout tht
basin.
Down in the Texas, Oklahoma
and Arkansas area, a number o
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