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The Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce, meeting Tuesday noon in regular session, named a committee to gather available evidence as to the feeling in the community relative to the proposed Bonneville Power company supported project of a dam at Albeni falls that would raise the water level of Lake Pend Oreille to 2069 feet, and present such evidence to Governor Bottolfsen and Congressman White with the expressed intention of aiding them in their efforts to block the project.
Congressman White, State Reclamation Engineer James Spofford and E. Murphy, secretary of the state Chamber of Commerce, attended the meeting, the congressman to voice his reasons for objection to the project and the others for
enlightenment on the issue here.
The congressman addressed the Chamber, explaining what he knew about the proposal and giving strong reasons for opposition to it. He pointed out that the only benefit would be temporary or "pool hall prosperity," calling attention to what
happened at Thompson Falls, Mont., with the building of a dam there, and said that instead of a needed war effort the project would be positively dangerous to the war effort.
Won't Pay For Loss
He cited the failure of people in other communities to get adequate settlement for property destroyed by federal projects such as this proposal and said it would make for a double sacrifice from the people of this area. While at Washington, Congressman White explained, he had numerous letters from constituents in this area inquiring about what was going in here and telling about the surveys, but that the departments at Washington informed him that these were just part of routine study.
If it is power that is needed, dams and plants can be constructed at points in Montana and at Cabinet Gorge at less cost than the proposed project and nearer the points that could use power, as the Coeur d'Alene mining district and the heart of the timber stand owned by the national forest, he declared.
Too Much Sacrifice
Messrs. Spofford and Murphy stated their positions in the matter was to obtain information as to the stand here and as a war necessity, keeping in mind the long range problem of destruction of productivity. Murphy declared they project should be considered in the light of its complete economic feasibility and its effect upon Bonner county state of Idaho. Both said that, in their estimation, the people here have a right to a definite statement that the project is a war necessity calling for the sacrifice of this area.
Several citizens voiced opinions on the issue, as called upon by President Pennington of the chamber, who first gave a report on the meeting with the Bonneville power administrators and army engineers at Portland recently, and all but one expressed keen disapproval of the project, the one supporting voice being that of Attorney Glenn Bandelin, who was afterward put on the committee named, upon motion, by President Pennington, to gather the evidence on the matter with H.E. Brown, W.W. VonCanon, H.E. Nesbit and Mrs. H.T. Irion.
Bandelin differed with some of the other speakers on the matter of there being a surplus of electrical power now available and declared that he would take the engineer's word for the need and thought that if 250,000 horse power could be developed at the Grand Coulee dam without building generators that would require the use of valuable war materials, people here should not attempt to block it.
The general opinion brought out was that the proposed dam would ruin this county by flooding valuable lands now productive.