MCKELLAR IS BACK SWINGING HIS AXE AT TVA

...TVA would ttias be deprived of any voice in the discussion of vital issues affecting the future of the Tennessee Valley where those issues involve legislation by the states or Congress...

...Edward Vennard, research expert of the Middle West Corporation, reorganization company of Insull's old Middle West Utilities, has gathered around him the remnants of what Old Sam left when he jogged off to Greece, just two-and-a-half steps ahead of the revenuers...

...The new activity at 20 North Wacker Drive is all very mysterious...

...Referring to McKellar's charges that TVA chairman David Lilienthal has sought "to beat me in my own state," the Nashville paper asserted that this statement was "not only untrue, but cheap and contemptible...

...Whether the activities at 20 North Wacker Drive are hooked up with Sen...

...One of the amendments provides that all receipts of TVA "shall be covered as and when collected into the general fund of the Treasury of the United States...

...However, investigation has disclosed this much: A Mr...

...The Board of Directors of TVA have declared that "this provision alone would deprive TVA of its essential business-like methods and jeopardize the continuity and dependability of power supply to all who use TVA power, and cripple the prospects of new industrial development...

...It was there that the In-sulls, in the great inflation orgy of that era, piped the tune for this nation's most gigantic utility swindle and plotted the course of a utility empire whose crash brought poverty and suffering to thousands of small investors...

...This vicious amendment would deprive many of the local units of government in the South of TVA's valuable cooperation in planning the vast program of conservation and industrialization made possible by the creation of the Authority...

...Anyone with business experience can appreciate what this would mean at a time when war requirements demand an extremely elastic policy...

...Another McKeliar amendment provides that no funds shall be expended "for any political purpose whatsoever, directly or indirectly, or for the purpose of seeking to influence public opinion, by means of lectures, advertisements, publications, public statements, radio, or otherwise, for or against (a) any candidate for public office or (b) any legislation or legislative proposals...

...But it is just as likely that the Tennessee Democrat is again giving expression to his ancient peeve against TVA officials who thwarted his ambitions to turn the whole thing into an adjunct of his Tennessee spoils system...

...McKellar's Newest Threat They have compiled a list of charges against TVA, the exact nature of which is not known because Mr...

...If it wants to play into the hands of the "smear Congress" crowd, it will pass the McKeliar amendments...

...They would destroy TVA's freedom of domination from politics in Washington...

...His newest threats to TVA, contained in his amendments to the appropriations bill, are serious indeed...

...Kenneth McKellar's assault on TVA* we do not know...

...Vennard insists on keeping this a secret from everyone but the power trusters...

...They know that as long as TVA is allowed to continue as a strong independent agency, exploring the possibilities of cooperative effort for a new and better America, their chances of returning to the days of the old utility freebooter are very slim...

...Kenneth McKeliar, Tennessee Democrat, has timed his vicious assault on the Tennessee Valley Authority to coincide with the flickering of eerie lights and the emanation of strange sounds from the House of a Thousand Horrors at 20 North Wacker Drive in Chicago...

...Another of the amendments is especially revealing...

...The Nashville Tennesseean, a conservative southern paper, said recently in commenting on McKellar's plan to wreck the TVA: "The five million people of this TVA region know, or precious well should know, that as TVA goes so goes their future...

...Vennard and the remnants have apparently decided that the shortest road to the lush days of the '20s is over the corpse of the TV A, which should give you some idea of how successful TVA is...

...Thus TVA would have to stick to a budget prepared six to eight months ahead of the beginning of the year in which any growth took place...

...This is a new attempt to destroy the TVA policy of hiring on merit and efficiency alone and to inject politics into the selection of personnel...

...The ghouls at 20 North Wacker Drive have marked it as number one obstacle on their come-back trail...

...That means, as a simple business proposition, that TVA could not use current receipts from power operations to carry on its current operations, but would have to depend on appropriations to pay operating expenses...

...It's Up To Congress The people of the Valley are well aware that if McKellar's amendments are adopted by Congress, the entire Tennessee Valley program would be destroyed...

...If it wants to justify the faith of the people in the sound, progressive judgment of the legislative branch it will kill the McKeliar amendments and by doing so, nail down the coffin lids at 20 North Wacker Drive so that they can never again be kicked open from the inside...

...For example, the Authority would be compelled to discontinue its splendid campaign against the discriminatory freight rates imposed on the South by the railroads...

...It provides that the appointment of TVA employes receiving $4,500 or more shall be subject to Senate approval...

...Congress will decide this issue...

...Some officials of the Authority think they are...

...Old timers who were around in the roaring boom of the '20s will remember 20 North Wacker Drive...

...Other than that plans are afoot for another financial revelry to be financed by this war's "widows and orphans," very little is known about what actually goes on there...

...There is no doubt that TVA is in serious danger...