Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-12-22
Power Debate

American Public Power As
sociation's General Manager
Alex Radin erred in his letter
in assuming that a detailed
analysis made by the Federal
Government about two years
ago, mentioned in a letter
written by the undersigned.
referred to a report of the
Second Hoover Commission
Task Force on Water Re-
sources and Power that was
sent to Congress in June. 1855.
The reference rather was to a
statement by Admiral Strauss
of the Atomic Energy Com
mission made December II,
1854. and release of the Blu
reau of the Budget dated Au-
gust 81, 1854. Admiral Strauss
pointed out that comparative
studies of costs revealed that,
assuming a uniform fuel cost
of 10 cents per million BTUs
and excluding all taxes, IVA
energy at Oak Ridge cost 1878
mills per kilowatt-hour and at
Paducah cost 1893 mills, COM
pared with the Ohio Valley
Electric Company cost of 3.79
mills per kilowatt-hour at
Portsmouth, Ohio. The Bureau
Of the Budget used a uniform
fuel cost of 1850 per million
BTUs and computed the Oak
Ridge cost at 3,77 mills. the
Paducah cost at 1913 mills and
the OVEC cost at Portsmouth.
Ohio, at 3.74 mills. These fig
ures provide measures of the
relative efficiency of engineer
ing and management, and they
indicate comparable efficiency
of the plants. This is what the
letter of the undersigned said.
It is with pleasure that I
note that Mr.. Radin recalls
my assignment on the staff
serving the Commission Task
Force. However, in pointing to
this twenty month segment Of
twenty-nine years of Federal
service he has not accurately
put his finger on the expert
ence that led me to feel quail
flied to present my original
comment to The Star. The
pertinent experience is that
received while employed in the
Bureau of the Budget examin-
ing operations, estimates. and
legislation pertaining to the
water and power programs of
the Roosevelt and Truman adj
ministrations.
But. biographical notes on
correspondents should not be-
cloud their questions. 1t might
have been adequate in con-
nection with a comment ques-
tioning the economic sound
ness of public power to assure
readers that the writer was
not a ringer committed to a
particular position in order to
provide his bread and butter.
Now that Mr.. Radin has
chosen to introduce comment
on the Task Force on Water
Resources and Power, must
point out that / was not a
member of the Task Force,
and it would be entirely out Of
order for me either to assume
responsibility or to claim
credit for Task Force propos-
ais. 1t is correct that the COM
mission. as 1t stated in its
letter to Congress, reached its
own conclusions and its recon-
mendations may not neces-
sarily coincide in all respects
with those Of the Task Force"
The commission in its report
also said, THE Task Force has
made the most exhaustive
study Of our water problems
in all its phases that has yet
been taken" The research
staff should share in that
credit.
Mr.. Radin poses rhetorical
questions to the people Of the
Roanoke and Savannah River
Valleys. l cannot speak for
those residents, but as q resi-
dent OF the Potomac River
Valley ! can say that / look to
the Federal Government TO
preserve the public domain
and to so regulate the develop
ment Of resources that they
shall be conserved for all OF
US and our children and not
be wastefully exploited. This
does not mean that the Fed
eral Government must itself
develop every resource or that
any resource need be devel-
oped before II is economically
Justidable. II we in this valley
are 70 encourage the Federal
Government 10 undertake. a
phase Of industrial production,
let Us recognize fully what we
are doing and where this road
OF industrial naturalization
ultimately leads.
A writer. whose name Is now
lost, said in the London Times
Of August II. ls4e. over . cen