The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1951-07-06
HAVE ETHICS ALSO FADED
AWAY?


of its government to meet this fear
full emergency, and TO increase its
profits place added burdens on the
backs of our citizens and attempt tic
wreck a national policy which has
proved so beneficial in delivering
cheap public power directly to defense
agencies or to cities and farm co-ops
which serve ultimate consumers.
Yet this is exactly what is being at
tempted and thus far successfully.
Take an example from the experience
of the Defense Electric Power Ad-
ministration.
PRIVATE UTILITIES VERSUS
DEPA IN THE NORTHWEST
In World War II the nations pow
el facilities, public and private, were
controlled by the War Production
Board. PUBLIC POWER AND R.E.A.
GOT A RAW DEAL. This time pow
er is being handled by DEPA under
the Secretary of Interior as before
noted. Secretary Chapman prompt
ly announced that neither private nor
public power would be given an adj
vantage one over the other. Both
were asked to cooperate peacefully
in this hour of danger. However,
there was some apprehension that the
former experience would be repeated
when Administrator McManus pro-
posed not only to determine REA's
allotment of construction materials
but to designate just where they were
to be used. REA Administrator
Claude Wickard promptly objected
and Secretary Chapman resolved the
conflict by authorizing McManus to
fix the total quantity and Wickard
to decide what co-ops most needed
material to help defense.
But McManus is having trouble
with his friends, the utility eXecu-
tives. He has moved to relieve that
serious power shortage in the North
west, mentioned in his Chattanooga
speecr. After careful study his ex-
perts proposed to construct a 800
mile tie line from Klamath Falls in
extreme southern Oregon to Shasta
Dam to connect the Bonneville power
system with the Central Valley prof.
ect for interchange of power; CON
struction to start at the earliest pos
sible moment.
Since in war emergency all pow
er is pooled, this line would enable
both public and private systems in
both areas to firm up their loads.
Steam would help hydro when water
was low and coal and oil would be
saved at steam plants when water
was high and running to waste over
the dams; steam power only when |
generators were not in full use.
Cost of line and equip. $6,250,000 |
Total added power, XVIII 100000 !
Annual operating rev.-$1,500,00O |
Net profit -- 100000 |
Cost of steam plant to
generate that amount
of power SIS, 100000 |
Who recommends the line? Adj
C. B. McManus, consult
ng engineers Frank Bower, and j.
:. Moore, and the entire staff of
)EPA; Secretary Chapman and
Michael Strauss, Reclamation chief;
Paul j. Raver, Bonneville administra-
OF, and staff; and the Federal Power
Commission.
Let me add here that the late j.
}. Ross, father of Seattle's City
light, several times over this work
able pointed out to me the advant-
ges of a circular network of lines
UP federal power projects
rom Washington to Boulder Dam in
Nevada, to Colorado, to Idaho, to
Gontana and back to Coulee and Bon
leville. And predicted the lines
would some day be built by the gov
renment.
Who is against it? The Power
rust. J. E. Black, president of the
'acific Gas & Electric Co., appear
ng before a subcommittee of the
louise Appropriations committee, tes-
flied it was not needed and the APP