Show t fc- fc k NATIONAL AFfAIRS r. r t i. i Reviewed by 6 CARTER FIELD called So-called yardstick yard tick be becomes beti ti r- r t. t comes a straw man in joint joint t senate house investigation of af TV A How govern govern- government v- v ment went can sell electricity cheaper than private con con- concerns concerns cerns corns explained Ap Ap- Appointments Appointments present tough problem to President One WASHINGTON One of the most extraordinary developments of any congressional Inquiry in the t e mem memo memory ory of the oldest Inhabitants Is what the joint senate house senate house committee in in- fn the Tennessee Valley Authority is doing with regard to the Ule called so-called yardstick The point is that the committee has heard testimony for days run ning about the yard yard- 4 i. i z stick Experts for forthe the utilities have oc occupied ocI occupied I tL days of the cot tl committees committee's time at at- attacking attacking tacking the th concept k Lk i. i seeking to prove rove 4 i that it is the bunk i that it Is unfair that t it has no relation to what it is really sup supposed posed to be The committee counsel Francis Francis Biddle has Diddle Biddle spent endless effort trying tring to knock down the conten conten- contentions contentions contentions of these experts with some assistance from several of the Dem Dem- Democratic Democratic members of the committee Which would be all right except for lor one little thing What Is hap hap- happening happening pening Is that a straw man has been erected and everybody Is act act- acting acting acting ing as though he were real The experts for the utilities arc attack attack- attacking attacking attacking ing the straw man and trying to knock him over Biddle and the Democrats ts arc are also acting as though the straw man were the sacred ark of the covenant and trying to pre pre- prevent prevent I vent a single dent or singe sl ge What Is this straw man It is the concept of the TVA TV A yardstick that the public in general and congress ss in particular held up to last sum sum- L t mer It was the idea that the TVA was going to determine by actual r operation what electric rates t. t should be what prices would be fair and what prices extortionate This yardstick was to be held up to the country with the general idea I that the public would then know whether wh Vb er in any particular Ity Ity it was being treated fairly by its utility company company w- w But that concept was thrown to td t the winds last summer at Knoxville by no less an authority authority than David E. E Lilienthal who is the tiie most pow pow- powerful powerful erful of the two remaining Tennessee Tennes Tennes- see Valley Authority commissioners |