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Show -w BOULDER DAM The subject of public ownership of private industry is constantly before the voters or lawmakers in some form. Public ownership advocates of Southern South-ern California secured the introduc- tion of Swing-Johnson bill which is j before present Congress for action, j The bill would provide for construe- ; tion by the United States government ' of a dam COO feet high, on the Colo- rado River, 300 miles from Los An-j treles, to impound 20,000,000 acre feet : (. iV.v.tcr, cost $-11,500,000; the build-j ing of an all-American canal to pre- j vent diversion of Colorado river waters into Mexico, cost $31,000,000; j contsruction andequipment of power I plant of 1,000,000 horsepower, cost I $31,500,000; interest during construe- ! tion, $21,000,000; the United States j Treasury to advance the Boulder Dam fund $125,000,000 to cover above cost of construction and interest charges. Taxpayers have paid or experiments experi-ments in government ownership and operation in shipping', railroads, Muscle Shoals and similar ventures into the field of business. In present case, estimated cost of the project is $125,000,000. What guarantee have taxpayers that before the conclusion of such an undertaking the cost would not mount to $250,000,000 ? Based on previous experience with political management of private industry, they have every reason to believe that the estimated cost would be greatly exceeded and that taxpayers would be asked to pay the bill. It is one thing for the government to build a jetty, dredge a river or build a dam for the protection of its people. This is a legitimate function of government which benefits equally all people in a given district. But when the government goes into business, busi-ness, whether it be building a power plant, selling groceries, grinding flour or making cement, it embarks upon an enterprise paid for by all the people, to sell a product or render a service to a limited few who may benefit by the undertaking at the expense ex-pense of the majority. This is not a propert function of government. Construction of the Boulder Dam, if necessary as a flood control measure, meas-ure, is a proper function of government. govern-ment. But tacking on a power plant and entering the field of business, is not a function of government. If a power house and equipment are in-culded in-culded the contsructive thing to do would be for the government to license licen-se the use of the water under the Federal Water Power Act, and permit distribution of power by private enterprise. en-terprise. This would protect the taxpayers tax-payers from deficits such as they have experienced with railroads, ocean shipping and Muscle Shoals. It is to fee hoped the bill as it now stands can be amended accordingly. |