OCR Text |
Show SEEN SEcN SEENand SEcNand ; E3&N E3N E3&Nand & andHEXRD andar6 and andQv HEXRD HEXRDar&Und ar&Und arUnd ar6ind't ar6 Qv & < mnd\\\e mnd e mndeNATIONAL ind't indt 't t \ ' ' \ \ e eNAITIONAL N NATIONAL NAITIONAL NATIONALAPITAI TIONAL TIONALCAPITAL APITAI CAPITAL - API TAL TALfr < I ' fr frCarter \ uy Carter Field Fieldt t < ) WASHINGTONA WASHINGTON -A A - A new idea of o1 ofthe o1the ofthe the : > yardstick ardshck as applied to TV TVA TVABonneville TVABonneville A ABonnevll1e Bonnevll1e Bonneville and other government governmentPO governmentpower governmentpower PO\\ PO POer power \ er proiects proJects is being discussed discussedin In New Deal circles with the pOSI pOSIhve positive positive hve tive statement in some quarters quartersthat quartersthat quartersthat that it is JS really reall rea1l > ) what the President Presidentand Presidentand Presidentand and David E Lilienthal mean when whenthey " , whenthey hen henthey they use the wordFirst wordFirst word wordFirst First , , , lot let s consider what has hasbeen hasbeen hasbeen been the popular conception-what conception what conceptionwhatcongress conceptionwhatcongress conception - whatcongress congress thought it was when It Itwas itwas itwas was voting votmg the money for TV TVA TVAStated TVAStated A AStated Stated briefly the idea was that it itwould itwould Itwould would be demonstrated what the theprice theprice theprice price of electricity should be to tosmall toemail tosmall small email consumers-l1terally consumers l1terally consumers - literally a yard yardsuck yardstick yardstick suck stick to determine determme whether "hether hether " ratescharged ratescharged rates [ charged by privately owned utilities uhlitIes were fairThis fair fairThis 1 This is JS the tbe only explanation of theyardstIck theyardstick the theyardstick yardstick that has ever been pub pubhcly publicly pubhcly hcly licly considered It is the only one oneCOI'gress onecongress onecorgress COI'gress COIgress congress ' ever thought of of . . . It Is what whatthe whatthe whatthe the average intelligent mtelligent , , well In Informed informed informed formed person thinks thmks it is all about aboutAnd aboutAnd aboutAnd And it may still be the correct an answer answer aaswer aaswerBut swer swerBut But let s look at this new concep concep- conceptIon conception conception - - tion advanced now by people in insympathy Insympathy Insympathy sympathy with New Deal objectIves objectIvesand objectivesand objectivesand and particularly in sympathy WIth WIththe withthe withthe the government electric projectsAccordmg projectsAccording projects projectsAccording According Accordmg to this theory the thewhole thewhole thewhole whole purpose Is to demonstrate to tothe tothe tothe the country and to the electric in industry industry industry dustry that if power is produced producedin in enormous quantities and 'Offered Offered ' "offeredto offeredto 'Offeredto " offeredto to ordinary consumers at very low lowrates lowrates lowrates rates consumption will leap up to toan toan toan an unbelievable unbel.1evable unbel1evable . extent and hence hencethe hencethe hencethe the reduction of rates would be thesoundest thesoundest the | soundest thing economically that thatthe thatthe thatthe I the electric companies could doNote doNote do doNote Note m In this connection that Lllien Lilien LllienthaI Lilienthal Lilienthai thaI thal was actually attacked by Ar Arthur Arthur Arthur thur E Morgan tor for having havmg used usedhI.h usedhibh usedhibh hI.h hIh hibh . pressure methods to induce induce'People inducepeople inducepeople 'People People ' to use more electricity than thanMorgan thanMorgan thanMorgan Morgan thought they could affordForced afford affordForced Forced Prosperity ProsperityNote Note that Lilienthal has repeat repeatedly repeatedly repeatediy edly insisted mSlsted that the privately privatelyowned privatelyowned wned owned electric systems in TV TVA A ter terrltory territory terntory rltory ritory had bad literally hterally had prosperity prosperityforced prosperityforced prosperityforced forced upon them thero by TVA compe competIhonthat competitronthat competition tIhon-that tIhon that titron-that titron - that is by being bemg forced to toreduce toreduce toreduce reduce their ratesNote ratesNote rates ratesNote Note that in m Bonneville what whatseemed whatseemed whatseemed seemed to the electric industry mdustry a avery avery avery I very bad policy from the purely purelyeconomic purelyeconomic purelyeconomic economic standpoint standpomt was laid down downIn down-In down In . - In this case the stream flow is such suchthat suchthat suchthat that there Is an enormous quant ty tyof tyof tyof of constant power that is JS pov.er pover power powerwhich powerwhich . which " , hlch is available tor for 24 hours a aday aday aday day and cannot be economIcally economIcallystored economicallystored economicallystored stored during durmg the hours when the theconsumption theconsumption theconsumption consumption might be low For ForthIs Forthus Forthis thIs thus sort of situation private pov.er pover power pov.erexperts powerexperts powerexperts . experts figured the most economical economicaluse use would be to get industrial mdustrlal plants plantsto plantsto to locate near the switchboard and andparhcularly andparticularly andparticularly parhcularly particularly the type of plants 'I\blch 'I I blch which 'Iblchwould whichwould ' whichwould \ would operate in m three shifts shilts thus thususmg thususing thususing usmg using all ali the potential pov powerBut power powerBut . er erBut But emphatically emphatJcaJ1y the government governmentdoes governmentdoes governmentdoes does not \ want ant this trus It wanted wide wided d stribution strlbutlon It was to give the theht.usehold thehcusehold thehousehold ht.usehold htusehold hcusehold . consumers tor for hundreds hundredsof of miles around the benefit of thIs thIscheap thischeap thischeap cheap power po\\er po er \ The answer accord accordmg according according mg ing to this new theory is that it If the therates therates therates rates were made low enough the thesmall thesmall thesmall small consumers would use so somuch somuch somuch much electricity that the whole op operat operat operat erat on . would v.ould vould be profitable But Butalso Butalso Butalso also that it would be an outstand ng ngobJect ngobject ngobject obJect lesson to the util utll ty execu executIves executives executives tIves ot of the country showing showmg them themthat themthat themthat that there is 15 gold in m the hills it If ii they theywill theywill theywill will only mine mme tor for it with low ratesCertalnIy ratesCertainly rates ratesCertainly Certainly CertalnIy one New Dealer pomt point pomted pointed pointed ed out Lihenthal Lilienthal must have been beenIgnormg beenignoring beenignoring Ignormg ignoring the old oId yardstick concep conceptlon conception conception tlon tion when he reported to congress congressrecently congressrecently congressrecently I . recently on the alloeat alloca tons ons as to tocost tocost tocost ' cost ot of the three first TV TVA A dams damsas damsas damsas 'I I as between power navigaton navlgat navigat on and andflood andflood andflood flood controlMarked control controlMarked , Marked for Slaughter SlaughterThe 1 The latest development in the theiarYland theMaryland theMaryland \iarYland iarYland Maryland ' \ purge situation is that thatSenator thatSenator thatSenator Senator George L Radcl Hadcliffe Radcliffe Ie who whodoes whodoes whodoes does not come up for re election un untl until until slaughterby tl til . ! 1940 is marked tor for the slaughter by the supporters ot of Representa Representabve Representative Representatave bve tive David J Lev Lewis . IS What hap happened happened happened pened was that Radchfle Radcl Radcliffe Ie after an announcmg announcing announcmg nouncmg nouncing some time back that he hewas hewas hewas was tor for the renominat on ot of Senator SenatorMillard SenatorMillard SenatorMillard Millard acceptedthe E r : Tyd ngs later accepted ' the post ot of campaign camplllgn manager Cor for Corh forh forh h s colleague in s seems to have taken the Lew theLew s people pl.op1e plop1e . by surprise In fact factthey factthey tactthey they are indignant mdlgnant They Thcy are say saymg saymg saymg mg shownh that Radcliffe Radchfle has now shown h mself mseif in his true colors after hav hay having haying ing posed as a New Dealer since smce his hiselect hiselect hiselect elect on to the senate in m 1934Actually 1934Actually 1934 1934Actually Actually it should not ha'l hal ha\c ha c have \ ' e sur surprlscd surprised surprised prlscd prised anyone any one Again Agam and agam again agamwhIle againwhsle againwhile whIle whsle the Tommy Corcoran crowd crowdwas crowdwas was \ as looking tor for somebody to run runagam runagainst runagainst agam against t Tyd ngs they would go to RadcWIe Radcliffe toRadcliHe toRadcWIe toRadcliffe Radcl lor for advice Always Rad Rod Rodcl Radelite cl ffe fie told them that he was for Tydmgs TydmgsSo forTydmgs forTydmgsSo Soh So \ wh \\h h Ie Ic le it may not have been figured beenfigured in advance that he would wouldtake wouldtake wouldtake take the chairmanship of Tydings Tydbgs Tydingscampaign Tydbgscampaign Tydingscampaign , campaign it should not have sur stir surprlsed stirprised surprised prlsed prised the Lewis Lewes people that Rad Radclille Radchile Radclute clille chile should be sitting slttmg in m Tydmgs Tydmgscorner Tydmgscorner Tydingscorner TydingscornerIncidentally corner cornerIncidentally Incidentally the Lewis publicity publicitymdicates publicityindicates publicityindicates mdicates indicates a rather anazmg arsazmg Ig Ignorance Ignorance ignorance norance of the last few years m mMaryland mMaryland inMaryland Maryland politics One need only go back to 1934 to figure flgure that Rad Radcliffe Radchile Radcliffe cliffe chile would be very unlikely to totake totake totake take any public step agamst against agamstTvdings againstTvdings againstTvdings againstTvdingsThe TvdingsThe Tvdings The Case of RItchieAt Ritchie RitchieAt At that time Governor Albert C CRitchie CRitchie CRitcbie Ritchie was still alive a1ve ! and active activeIn activeIn activeIn In fact fact , , he be was the undisputed boss bossof bossof bossof of the Democratic party in Mary Maryland Maryland Maryland land He was serving servmg his fourth fourthterm fourthterm fourthterm term as governor and aspired to a . afifth fifth term tcrm although no governor be- be before before be before - - fore that had bad ever succeeded in eet get eetting gettang getting ting tang tv two . 0 termsTydmgs termsTydings terms termsTydings Tydings Tydmgs who had bad been a loyal loyalheutcnant loyallieutenant loyallieutenant heutcnant lieutenant to Ritchie knew that ros his roschIef hischief hischief chIef had slipped sl.1pped sl1pped . in personal personalstrength personalstrength personalstrength strength due to a combination combmation of o1 offactors o1factors offactors factors One was that too many manypeople manypeople manypeople people were getting gettmg to think tronk that thatRltchk thatRitehh thatRitchic Rltchk Ritehh . should be satisfied with four fourterms fourterms fourterms terms that the honors should be bepassed bepassed bepassed passed passedaround around Another Anothcr was that thatRitchie thatRitchie thatRitchie Ritchie had m nnde m'lde mlde ' ide many enemies In Inthe inthe inthe the Eastern Shore section of Mary Maryland Maryland Maryland land by using usmg the mihtia militIa to break breakup breakup breakup up mobs in a threatened lynchmg lynching lynchmgStill lynchingStill lynchingStill Still another was that rightly or orwrongly orwrongly orwrongly wrongly a lot of ot people blamed blamedRItchIe blamedRitchie blamedRitchie RItchIe for the fact that some of the thebanks thebanks thebanks banks in Maryland had gone sour sourdurmg sourduring sourduring durmg during the dark days of early 1933So 1933So 1933 1933So So Tydmgs urged Ritehie Ritcroe Ritchie to run runfor runfor runfor for senator instead lDstead of governor No Noone Noone Noone one questions that Ritchie Ritcl e could couldeasily couldeasily couldeasily easily have been elected senator senatorThe senatorThe senatorThe The term of a Republican Repub1can ! was ex explrmg expining expirmg [ plrmg pining and no one would have op opposed opposed opposed posed Ritchie for the Democratic I I . I 'I I ' , 1 ' nomination nommabon nominationIn nommabonIn In an attempt to force Ritcbie RJtcbJe Ritchie s shand shand shand hand Tydmgs brought out RadclIffe RadclIffefor Radcliffefor Radcliffefor for governor as a sort of o1 trial baI bal baIloon balloon balloon loon Ritchie was unmoved ran ranfor ranfor rantor for governor and was defeated defeatedby defeatedby defeatedby by Harry W Nice Tydings Tydmgs after afterRItchie afterRitchie afterRitchie RItchie x s decision then supported supportedRadcl supportedRadcliffe supportedRadcliffe Radcl Radcliffe Ie for senator and he was waseasily waseasily waseasily easily elected though be he had never neverrun neverrun neverrun run for office before on the same sameday sameday sameday day Ritchie was defeatedAll defeatedAll defeated defeatedAll All of o1 which wroch put Radcliffe under underaU underall underall aU all sorts of obligations to T Ty Tidingsand dmgs dings dmgsand dingsand and Radcliffe Radcl Ie is not a man to take takehis takehis takehis his obligations lightlyWhere lightly lightlyWhere Where Wdllt Will It Lead ? Although the intention was to put putthe putthe putthe the conduct of the anti trust Inves InvestIgabon investigation mvestigation InvesI tIgabon tigation < on In a high plane admlnIstra administra admlnIstrabon administraton admimstration bon ton critics say that too much muchweight muchweight muchweight weight is put on the prel1mmary preliminary prel1mmarymeetmgs preliminarymeetings preliminarymeetings meetmgs meetings bem between een b bg g business busmess ex executlves executives executives ecutlves ecutives and the New Deal prIma prImadonnas primadonnas primadonnas donnas These critics hold that a.proper aproper a aproper aproper . proper appraisal of such get togeth togethers togethers : ers is that New Deal strategists strategistssuch strategistssuch ' ' such as Thurman Arnold Tommy TommyCorcoran TommyCorcoran Corcoran Ben Cohen and Herman HermanOliphant HermanOliphant HermanOhphant Oliphant are glad to talk to any anybody anybody anybody body but hut they keep on their way wayundisturbed wayundisturbed wayundisturbed undisturbed by the talk ta1k . . In short shortthey shortthey shortthey they seem to be simply ImpervIOUS imperviousto to other views if the other views do donot donot donot not fit m In with their preconceIved preconceivednot not onsI ons onsWhere Where that path will lead is by byno byno byno no means certain certam as halt half a dozen dozensenators dozensenators dozensenators senators and representatives m in mcludmg ineluding ineluding cludmg eluding Senatois William E Borah Borahand Borahand Borahand and Joseph C 0 O Mahoney have havetheir havetheir havetheir their own ideas as to how to pro pro- proceed proceed proceed - - ceed This Tlus economic commiSSIon commiSSIonhas commissionhas commissionhas has not yet orgamzedPartICIpation organizedParticipation organized orgamzed organizedParticipation Participation by congress in the theinqwry theinquiry theInquiry inqwry inquiry was not desired by Presl Press Presldent Pressdent President dent Roosevelt Roose'lelt Rooselelt ' and the independent independentattitude independentattitude independentattitude attitude of o1 congressional members membersis is fair assurance tha that t it will not notbe notbe notbe be dominated dommated by the White House HouseIn HouseIn HouseIn In fact time and again agam Senator Senator0 Senatoro o Mahoney although an orlgmal |