Show Electricity in Federalism Our national federal power commission made its eleventh annual annual annual an an- I nual report of thirteen pages for forthe forthe forthe the press for use December 2 It deals with this question of national national na na- naI I power vs state power power power- where does one end and the other begin or how far may they be safely interlocked As this effects the Uintah Basin very much we shall g give ge e a short summary of the report before us which is also a brief of the complete complete complete com com- report The commission sion recognizes co the somewhat regional limitations of the power commissions commission's present present present pres pres- ent jurisdiction That is we take tak it that the power question appertains appertains appertains apper apper- mostly to the undeveloped areas and that means the public land states On page 10 it is admitted admitted admitted ad ad- that the national government government government govern govern- ment secures its authority from two avenues viz 1 By reason of ownership of lands containing the power possibilities and 2 by the control of navigable waters by the constitution After reading the summary it is apparent that the conflict between the the the- stale state and the federal authority ty is manifested all along the line The commission plainly desires tomake tomake to tomake make a governmental unit as it were out of the light and power business and at the same time tune admit and work in harmony with I state supervision and control Hence there is electricity in the matter although the report al almost almost almost al- al most admonishes us to keep it out of ot politics Considerable information is given given given en that is illuminating In ten years the investment of the in industry industry industry in- in has grown from five to twelve billion dollars about per cent while class 1 railroads have increased only about 30 per percent percent percent cent or to a total of twenty-five twenty billions In the decade the average national national na na- rate has been lowered from per kilowatt hour to cents per kilowatt hour in 1930 and up to July 1 I 1931 this lowering cost was still lowering reaching cents How is that compared with Uintah Basin rate of fifteen cents Use of electricity in the home has increased per cent No other public utility compares with this Increase except the telephone In homes in July 1931 the use was 22 per cent greater than in January 1929 yet the cost each month had increased ed only 9 per cent There is every reason to believe belleve that this increase in use will continue and that the cost to consumer will de de- de- de crease Transmission of electrical energy energy energy en en- ergy in wholesale quantities has been declared by the supreme court to be interstate commerce hence bence beyond the regulatory powers powers powers pow pow- ers of the states This gives the commission wide latitude In states where there is no public land left but congress has not provided the details for this and the states yet handle it The commission would have us understand that such a big business business business busi busi- ness is approaching the th-e status of ofa ofa ofa a national economic unit That Thal ThatIs ThalIs Is a federal bureau and one or more commissions are essential Frankly we enjoy reading the report It recognizes that publicity publicity publicity public public- ity is necessary All public state and national demand publicity There Is much sound advice in inthe inthe inthe the report For instance we are arc told that pioneering Is more the characteristic of individual effort than of governmental action This is the very point the kernal kern kern- al in the nut effecting and relative relative relative rela rela- tive to our Uintah Basin The Uintah Basin is too much feder- feder Too many bureaus and commissions control us Unless they show that they are of benefit benefit bene bene- fit to Utah and to this basin we want them to get out of the way and let priva private e initiative take the lead If state-national state socialism Is best then we want some practical practical practical demonstration of it Yes there is electricity in this whole power business perhaps as much as in this public domain question |