PAGE TWO
THE FRANKLIN PRESS and THE HIGHLANDS MACON LAN
THURSDAY. JUNE 27, IMS
THE LAWN FETE
-by A. B. Chapin
Published every Thursday by The Franklin Pretf
At Franklin, North Carolina
Telephone No. 24
VOL. L
Number 26
BLACKBURN W. JOHNSON.; EDITOR AND PUBLISHER
Entered at the Post Office, Franklin, N. C, as second class matter
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Another Victory for the Power Interests
IT WAS a serious blow to Western North Caro-
lina and a lucky break for the poWer companies
operating in this and adjacent territory when a
House committee in Washington last week struck
from the TVA appropriation bill a sum of $6,000,
000 for commencing work on the proposed Hiawas
see river dam in Cherokee County.
Although Chirman Morgan of the TVA had ur
gently requested an appropriation for this project
and his request had been approved by the Budget
Bureau, the House committee held that develop
ment of the Hiawassee dam was not essential at
this time to the TVA program.
Many people in Western North Carolina will
regard this turn of events as another victory for
rich, influential private power interests in their
efforts to bar the gate on TVA entry into Western
North Carolina.
The Hiawassee dam is the largest construction
project, in our knowledge, ever contemplated by
the federal government in this state. The total cost
has been estimated at $12,000,000. Chairman Mor
gan asked half of that sum at this time and said it
was planned to begin work on the dam immediately.
Congressman Zebulon Weaver of this district,
who only a few weeks ago sponsored legislation
directing the Tennessee Valley Authority , to play
hands off in areas such as Macon, Swain and Gra
ham counties, where the Mellon controlled Alumi
num Corporation of America oWns hydro-electric
properties, manifested surprise and concern when
he learned that the Hiawassee dam appropriation
had been killed in committee. Now, with' the aid
of Senators Reynolds and Bailey, he is endeavoring
to have this appropriation restored in the Senate.
But neither of North Carolina's senators has been
wholeheartedly in support of the Roosevelt pro
gram to bring the power companies under proper
control, and many of their constituents are wonder
ing how effectively they will go to bat for it in this
particular instance.
It is sincerely hoped they will be successful in
obtaining the Hiawassee Dam allotment. It will
mean jobs for hundreds of men and sorely needed
competition for private power interests which have
had things pretty much their own way for many
years. With TVA setting the pace, it is far more
likely that private companies will undertake long
delayed development of hydro-electric power sites
which they now own than they would if TVA re
mained out of the field.
If TVA is successful in its plans to bring West
ern North Carolina into its development area, this
section may well look forward to industrial prog
ress greater than it has ever experienced. On the
other hand, if it is defeated, if a barrier is raised
against it at the Tennessee line, we may well ex
pect to continue under the handicap of what
amounts to a private monopoly in the all important
field of hydro-electric energy.
Subtle efforts are being made by powerful
groups to wreck the whole TVA program, and un
less many democratic senators and representatives
change their tactics and strive more earnestly to
support this phase of the administration's New
Deal, it stands in a fair way to suffer a fate similar
to that of Muscle Shoals, which for nearly twenty
years produced nothing but fodder for debate.
Let thy discontents be secrets. Ben Franklin.
yja-i 4 Wm. Sfi? SmSf coMtVSfiJsT i.wEh5 ) SJLl 1 FN
"WATCH THE FORDS GO BY"
Burdens become lighter when cheerfully borne.
-Ovid.
Over IW ..Mf' be"- A V
Aft -rS3 wt
SEE THE FORD EXHIBITION AT THE CALIFORNIA PACIFIC INTERNATIONA! EXPOSITION AT SAN DIEGO