The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1951-07-06

Engineer j. II. moore, whom none
can accuse of being prejudiced in fav
or of public power, when asked at the
hearing "Do you mean a siX-million
dollar shortage is Gripping the Pacifif
Northwest" replied with a fla
eyes" as reported by the Wall Street
Journal on May 3.
Result, doubtless due to the oppo
sition of the power interests news
papers and some politicians are
frightening the people of Washington
and Oregon by charging that they
would suffer from shipping their own
Bonneville power which they need
into California over this transmission
line, while Californians are told they
would suffer from their power going
north. All this is utterly wrong be-
cause only hydro power going to
waste would be so interchanged, like
wise only unused steam-power capa-
city.
The scare is just as absurd as the
propaganda that Columbia River
lish a communistic dictatorship
over the Northwest and destroy
representative government.
ENTER A TROJAN HORSE
One of the clever methods by which
this coup is being put over, doubtless
not understood by most busy con-
brings us to the Heating
mentioned in the New
York Times dispatch quoted above.
1t reads:
provided, That no part Of this ap-
preparation shall be used to initiate
the construction of transmission IA
cilities within those areas covered by
POWER WHEELING SERVICE con-
tracts which include provision for
service to federal establishments and
preferred customers"
Most readers will ask what is pow
er wheeling? 1t is a term the his
tory of WHICH marks a precedent of
great significance which must be
clearly understood before we can get
the impact of Mr.. Keating's proposal.
Heretofore the private utilities
have declined to be common carriers
and transmit, for pay, power from
Reclamation and other government
dams over their transmission lines.
So the government has built it's own
lines while utility propaganda pro-
claims it was duplication and an eco
homie sin. Said they, "sell us your
power at the busbar."
But some two or three years ago,
With the magnificent transmission
ystems of IVA, Boulder and Bonnie
lille in successful operation, utility
managers changed their minds and
a desire to cooperate and
make wheeling contracts to transmit
government power. Why it is called
wheeling no one seems to know, but
is tantamount to common carrier.
The 81st Congress accepted the
For example, in the general
precipitation bill for 1851 it elm
mated $150,OOO for a transmission
me for the great Canyon Ferry rec
amation dam in Montana, now build
ng. The conference report justi-
led the cut on the ground that "the
ommittee expects the Reclaim ton
'ureau to negotiate . wheeling |
ontract for the disposal of Canyon
cry power"
On October 7, 1949, Senator Hay
en- had explained to the Senate that
ne new policy was acceptable to Sec
etary Chapman and the President,
nd that wheeling agreements were
eng negotiated with the Bonneville
over Administration and with the
outhwest Power Administration for
lie delivery of Denison Dam power
y the Texas Light & Power Co.
Thus the new policy was introduce
d. To repeat for the sake of clarity,
lie idea is that it is unnecessary for
2ngress to appropriate money in
lese parlous times to construct ex-
ansive transmission lines from a fed
al dam to serve region, provided
private company has in operation,
: will build, lines of sufficient sur
us capacity in the region and will
gree to carry government current
reasonable rate.