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Show Page 4 July 27. 1956 THE UTAH STATESMAN Senator Watkins FEDERAL OFFICE BUILDING Congress now has before it the proposal to build a $7.6 million Federal Office Building in Salt Lake City, and I am. seeking to complete Congressional action on the project before adjournment, next week. General Services Administration this week notified the Senate and House Public Works Committees of its approval. Delay now is due merely to certain technical information required by the Bureau of the Budget before that agency can give its endorsement. Only action by the Committees is required for full Congressional approval. This would authorize GSA to contract for construction with private investors under the program. Rentals in 20 years will repay costs and at the end of the lease period the U. S. will own the building. Site for the proposed building is that part of the former Fort Douglas Military Reservation on Sunnyside Avenue southwest of the new Veterans Hospital; some 50 Federal offices could use the building, including several hundred employees. Ample parking space is available. As I noted in my special report June 16, construction of this building will cap a drive I began more than five years ago. Salt Lake City Chamber of Commerce and other Salt Lake interests have cooperated in every way to complete this project. expected lease-purchas- e HELLS CANYON DECISION Development of the water resources of the Columbia River can now continue its forward movement, as a result of an his- toric vote in the Senate this week. By a vote of 51 to 41 the Senate voted to uphold the Administrations sound policy of developing our water resources by a partnership of effort by Federal, State and local governments and private enterprise. The Senate, by this impressive majority, rejected a proposal to priarrest a vate development of the hydro-powe-r resources of the Snake Rivers Hells Canyon area, and to substitute therefore a Federally-financedam. that would cost more than a half billion dollars. Since this power dam had been sponsored as a reclamation project .this unnecessary and wasteful Federal-high-daproject if have would had been approved it limitbeen competing for always ed construction funds with legitimate reclamation projects west, throughout the semi-arifoe to have which will projects Federally-financebecause of river - basin - planning complications or because no private or State-loca- l financing is available. I accepted an assignment to help manage the Senate floor action against this power measure, which posed as a reclamation project, because I felt that the proposal ran contrary to a policy expressed by Lincoln and applied in the Reclamation Act of 1902, to the effect that the Federal Government should not do things which the people can do for themmulti-million-doll- ar d -- m d - d, selves. Furthermore, the downstream states on the Columbia River Basin have refused to ratify an interstate compact drafted in 1954 guaranteeing the rights of the states. Our neighboring state of Idaho is dependent almost exclusively upon the waters of the upper Snake, a tributary of the Columbia River, and I for one would be the last to risk the future availability of Idahos water supplies in the centuries to come just to build the worlds second-largepower dam especially when the same power head will water-consumptio- n up-strea- m . st be utilized for t under an alpower production ternative private project already authorized and under way. SOME IIAPPY FIGURES In fiscal year 1953 (when the Government was still operating on the Truman Administrations last budget) there was a deficit of $9.5 billions. In the Republican Administrations first full year the deficit was decreased to $3.1 billions. The next year it was $4.2 billions. However, for the first fiscal year 1956, which ended June 30, it is estimated the Government will have a surplus of $1.8 billions or more. Thus, for the first time since fiscal year 1951 the Treasury's books are in the black and then highly-efficien- some. This week the New York Times observed: If there has been one achievement that the present Administration seems to have set its heart on, next to bringing the Federal budget into balance, it has been to see the Gross National Product (the nations total output of goods and services) reach an annual rate of $400 billions. Ten years ago we felt $250 billions was a pretty, good gross figure. Granted fluctuations in dollar value, $400 billions was regarded as faint and illusory. Majority members of the Joint Economic Committee ary viewed such a gross as unlikely in 1956. Dissenting with them on this point, I also noted in my minority report that a 400 billion gross national produce in 1956 is consistent with the long-tertrend of a 3 per cent increase in the production of goods and services and the maintenance of an unemployment level of 4.5 to 5.0 per cent of the civilian labor force which many economists believe is normal for the economy in years not marked by wars or recessions. Department of Commerce figures show that: 1. In the final 1955 quarter we were producing at an annual rate of nearly $402 billions and, in the first quarter of 1956 at $403.4 billions. 2. Employment reached a new e high of 66 V& millions in June. (Unemployment always up in June due to entrance of students into the labor force represented only 4.2 per cent of the labor force.) ... m all-tim- AID FQR OUR NEIGHBOR Congress this week approved our Conference Report and thus extended the life of the Indian Claims Commission for five years, until April 10, 1962. I have spent many hours and days in study of the legislative history of the this Janu- - Claims Commission Act and de cisions relating thereto, and Sen- NAM Estimates Time ate Minority Leader William F. Knowland and representatives of the Interior and Justice Departments said they would be guided Of Business largely by my recommendations The average manufacturing as ranking minority member of company spends most of the work the Indian Affairs day paying off the costs of doing This Act was intended to pro- business, and only about 19 minutes are left in which to earn n vide a means for the final and settlement of what- profits, according to a recent ever substantive claims the In- study by the Pacific Central Regdians felt they had against the ion of the National Association of U. S. as a result of the taking of Manufacturers. Indian lands. As a reThree hours and 55 minutes of sult of my lengthy study. the normal eight-hou- r working Therefore, I recommended the day are used to pay for materials present legislation pass without and supplies, the report states. amendment, and this was the fi- Wages and salaries of all emnal action taken by the Congress ployees takes another two hours . . ,;A long time is required to and 19 minutes. gather evidence in such cases, Research and promotion take some of which go back to the 14 minutes. After this, there are beninnings of American, history, 19 minutes before the workto a determination of where Inends. In this time, the comday dians lived, what lands they ocmust earn the profits needpany cupied.' Thus the attempt to short- ed to in business, says the stay en the Commissions life to 2 NAM. was not years as proposed helpful. Although the Senate first Actually, concludes the the shorter in term, approved Study, only about half of the Conference Report action we 19 minutes result in dividends were successful in having the for the owners. Approximately term. Senate OK the half of the profit minutes go to - Millions of dollars potentially provide reinvestment in the busiare at stake in these Indian ness for new tools and equipclaims. Some 750 cases are be- ment, for expansion, and for added jobs. fore the Commission. Day Sub-Committe- e. adju-catio- so-call- , ar . |