Relation of Federal Regional Authorities to State and Local Units

• DOI: 10.1177/000271624020700117
• Published date: 01 January 1940
• Date: 01 January 1940
• Subject Matter: Articles

Relation of Federal Regional Authorities to State
and Local Units
ANONYMOUS
1
WE
HAVE long had a number of
Committee for planning bodies, as the
common levels of government in
Pacific Northwest and New England
the United States, namely: Federal,
Regional Planning Commissions. It also
state, county, town, township, borough,
has resulted from interstate compacts,
city, precinct, and district. A new type
such as the seven-state compact cover-
of district, somewhat intermediate geo-
ing the use of water and power from the
graphically between the state and the
Colorado River.
county, has developed more recently.
These districts
THE TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY
(levee, irrigation, water
conservancy, drainage, mosquito abate-
The Tennessee Valley Authority, cre-
ment, soil conservation, and others) are
ated by the Congress in May 1933, is
organized chiefly for the protection and
a combination of a Federal executive
use of land and water resources.
Most
agency and a business corporation. It
such districts possess taxing power over
is unique among Federal executive agen-
the included lands.
cies, not only in being largely regional
Now a still newer type, the regional
instead of national in scope, but also in
level of government, is receiving atten-
having multiple and normally unrelated
tion, especially for planning and action
functions instead of a single series of
in the conservation and use of natural
technically related objectives.
resources. The idea of regional admin-
The T.V.A. is concerned primarily
istration is not new, having come down
with a natural geographic, economic,
through the Egyptian and later civiliza-
and cultural area, the Tennessee River
tions, as pointed out by Hodge.2
2
In this
watershed, although certain of its activi-
country, regional agencies would lie be-
ties extend far beyond the boundaries of
tween Federal and state in scope and
that area.
It does not have taxing
authority. At present, there actually is
power, but is dependent for funds on
but one Federal regional authority, the
Federal appropriations and the sale of
Tennessee Valley Authority, with an
bonds.
area covering parts of seven states.
The Authority is required and/or au-
The regional plan of administration
thorized by the Congress to pursue six
is commonly employed by numerous
major and differing objectives: 3 naviga-
Federal agencies nationwide in scope, as
3
The Tennessee Valley Authority Act: Pub-
the War and Navy Departments, the
lic No. 17, 73rd Cong., H.R. 5081, as amended
Farm Credit Administration, the Forest
by Public No. 412, 74th Cong., H.R. 8632.
Service, and many others. It is the plan
U. S. 74th Congress, pp. 20, 1935. For dis-
encouraged by the National Resources
cussion of the Authority, its powers and its
work, see, in addition to Hodge, op. cit., the
1
This article is written by a thoroughly
following publications of the T.V.A.: Annual
competent person whose name, by reason of
Report, 1934 to date; The Unified Develop-
his present connections, cannot be disclosed.—
ment of the Tennessee River System—a spe-
THE EDITOR.
cial report to Congress, 1936; To Keep the
2
Clarence L. Hodge, The Tennessee Valley
Water in the Rivers and the Soil on the Land:
Authority: a National Experiment in Region-
The Story of TVA, 1938; Recreational De-
alism, American University Press, 1938. Bibli-
velopment of the Southern Highlands Region,
ography, pp. 249-63.
1938.
130



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tion promotion,4 flood control, national
improve existing plants and facilities
defense, electric power production and
and to construct new plants (5 f); to
promotion, fertilizer improvement and
maintain Nitrate Plant No. 2, or its
demonstration,5 and soil-erosion and wa-
equivalent, in stand-by condition for the
ter control. Through Congressional au-
production of explosives in case of war
thorization to the President, by him
or a national emergency (5 g); to estab-
transferred in Executive Order No.
lish and operate laboratories and experi-
6161, on June 8, 1933, T.V.A. is em-
mental plants and to undertake ex-
powered to make studies, develop plans,
periments to enable furnishing nitrogen
and suggest action for the general eco-
products for military purposes (5 h);
nomic and social betterment of the area.
and, on request of the Secretary of War
Because of the multiple and diverse
or of the Navy, to manufacture for, and
scope of the interdependent objectives,
sell to, the United States, explosives or
they are set forth in detail below, the
their nitrogenous content (5 j), the
parenthetic numbers referring to the sec-
Government of the United States reserv-
tions of the T.V.A. Act as amended in
ing the right, in case of war or national
1935.
emergency, to take possession of all or
1. Navigation promotion: To improve
any part of the property described, for
(1) and promote (4 j, new 9 a, 18) navi-
the purpose of manufacturing explosives
gation in the Tennessee River and its
or for other war purposes ( 20 ) .
tributaries by providing a nine-foot
4. Electric power: To produce, dis-
channel in the river from Knoxville to
tribute, and sell electric power (5 1),
its mouth, and to maintain a water sup-
primarily for the benefit of the people
ply for the same (1, 4 j, new 9 a), and
of the section as a whole (11), from
to acquire or construct navigation proj-
dams erected for navigation and flood-
ects (4 j).
control purposes (new 9 a, 13, 18); to
2. Flood control: To control destruc-
sell surplus power so produced, above its
tive flood waters in the Tennessee and
own needs and those of other Federal
Mississippi rivers drainage basins (1,
agencies (new 9 a, 10, 12 a), preferen-
4 j, 18) and, in the operation of any
tially to states, counties, municipalities,
dam or reservoir in its possession and
and co-operative organizations of citizens
control, to regulate the stream flow pri-
or farmers, with specified resale rate
marily for the purposes of promoting
schedules (10, 11, 12 a), but also to cor-
navigation and controlling floods (new
porations and partnerships (10),...