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Show Labor studies, National Park Service recreation studies, Corps of Engineers and Interstate Com- merce Commission transportation studies. Still other agencies collect and compile data which can be useful in directing an integrated program of regional resource development. However, it is not the responsibility of any one of these agencies to analyze the data in terms of integrated development in the region. Present programs: the TV A.-The Tennessee Valley Authority Act requires the agency to engage in activities related to "the proper use, conserva- tion, and development of the natural resources of the Tennessee River drainage basin," in order to "provide for the general welfare of the citizens" of the area.27 The function of technical assistance and knowledge of the facts are considered an essen- tial part of assisting the people of the area to find a way to a healthier and happier existence. TVA programs for collecting and analyzing eco- nomic and social data are directed toward two re- lated purposes: (1) delineation of broad economic and social structures and trends in the valley region as a basis For intelligent program planning; and (2) measurement of the impact of TVA activities upon the regior*. The broad types of economic and social analyses are derived mainly from data gathered by other Federal agencies, by the States, and by private in- stitutions. Where such data are not otherwise available, they may be obtained by TVA through cooperative agreements with research institutions of the region. These agreements, in addition to providing needed social and economic data, have tended to increase the competence of cooperative institutions as well as their alertness to research needs. General social and economic data now be- ing obtained by TVA under cooperative arrange- ments witli research and other agencies include trends in employment and income in the valley; trends in specific segments of economic activity such as agriculture, forestry, manufacturing, trade, and services; m easurement of income on a county basis; population growth and migration; social organiza- tion and participation in community areas; studies in the field of resource administration; trends in the structure aznd economic activity in subareas of the valley. Collection of data from primary sources within TVA itself is commonly undertaken by the TVA 27 Act of ACay 18,1933, § 22,48 Stat. 58,69,16 U. S. C. 831u. offices responsible for the related operating pro- grams such as in flood control, navigation, power utilization, agriculture, forestry, recreation, fish and wildlife, chemical engineering, and public health. Among the data being collected by TVA to assist in measuring the effects of TVA activities on the region are data concerning the amount and char- acter of transportation movements on the Tennessee waterway; flood damage estimates; fertilizer distri- bution; test-demonstration farm results; soil sur- veys; data concerning production and use of elec- tric power; recreational and other facilities on reser- voir margins; and a survey of timber resources. Both TVA primary data and the social and eco- nomic data obtained from other sources are ana- lyzed by TVA for clearer understanding of the rela- tions among the agencies and the people of the valley, to measure over-all progress, identify bar- riers to progress, and achieve broad regional goals. Present programs: State agencies.-The States now cooperate in data interpretation with TVA and other Federal agencies. Their efforts center in the work of State planning boards or planning commissions. The Tennessee State Planning Com- mission is an example; it has evolved a program for collecting basic data and giving technical assistance to local planning commissions. Its theory is that the development of the State depends on the total accomplishment of its regions, counties, cities, and communities. The State is interested in helping governments at the local level plan their programs to insure sound and beneficial growth. The land-grant colleges in the States also have been important sources of information^ interpreta- tion of data, and planning advice. Social and economic data essential in river basin planning.-The activities of all agencies in the val- ley, and particularly of TVA, have gradually brought into focus the data needs for efficient basin development. Social and economic research are integrated in the sense that data obtained in fields of power, forestry, agriculture, and industry are treated as parts of a comprehensive whole, while the various social science disciplines-economics, po- litical science, sociology-are employed together in organizing and interpreting the findings. Data are collected and used on a continuing basis, recognizing the essentially experimental qualities of river basin planning, the need for constantly re- examining and redefining objectives, and the dy- namic character of the social and economic forces which influence such planning and objectives. Social and economic research can help to de- 778 |
