The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-01-21

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and evidently printed with the purpose Of del1e mis-
leading the members Of the legislature as to the1ut The
Muscular would take no notice Of the matter.
Here the facts, upon which the Independent must
plead guilty to either gross ignorance pure venay
The Shields water power bill only attempts to provide for
the disposal of powers navgabe streams such
the great keokuk dam across the Mississippi the Musse
shell Shoals on the Tennessee and other navgabe streams
which under the federal constitution come under the ex
elusive jurisdiction of congress- matter who the fee
simple title to the AUDITING lands
The Myers power bill deals only with the disposal
Of powers lands owned by the government of the
United States except those situated within national parks
and military reservations. 51aE
The Shields bill is fathered by Of the Tennessee
and originated in the cooperative Of the big
James river dam bill by President Roosevelt and the Coosa
river dam bill by President Taft both of whom on
record in opposition to the government giving away these
invaluable water powers to private corporations without
any control or recompense to the people,
The socaled 5Oyear limit in both the Shields bill and
the Myers bill is in fact deusion and snare the so
year limit set not upon the grant but upon the right Of the
United States other public agency to condemn the
property.
As matter of fact the peculiar "5Oyear limit provision
both the Shields and the Myers bill is worded to
make mpraccabe for the people to take their own
water powers back into their own hands, In effect the
grants are in perpetuy.
If the big power interests would yield that all important
point both the Shields bill and the Myers bill could pass
congress tomorrow by unanimous vote nH2s
.Hes.
The Independent says THE Shields bill is not before
congress all Let The Shields bill passed the
senate on March and went to the house On March =!
the house committee reported substitute water power bill
for the Shields BILL eliminating the perpetual grant involved
in the 5O-year limit joker
The substitute house bill then back the senate
where it conference and where it rests the
conference committees having been unable oreach any
agreement
The Myers bill the senate substitute for the house
Ferris power BILL which passed the house in the early
part of the last session. Senator Myers reported his bill
from the public lands committee of the March II
last substitute for the Ferris BILL which did not contain
the obnoxious 5O-year limit joker
The senate finally passed the Myers bill substitute and
the house, where also conference and
where reposes the conference comtteeshavng yet
been unable to reach agreement account of the 80
year limit joker
Both of these bills the one relating to navgable streams
the other to public lands in the west in the same den
tcal legislative position The "5Oyearlimit joker the
thing both bills that prevents the immediate passage
of both. rs....
OF course the Montana Power company dontcare
nenta about the Shields BILL is interested in water
deal about the Myers BILL which deals with water powers
here in Montana. Sir
This probably explains the why the Independent
got it into its head that THE Shields bill not before con-
Now having gotten the record straight for the special
benefit of esteemed contemporary, The Muscular
willing to wager dollar against doughnu that the indie
pendent got its information from and that the article in
question inspired by representative Of the Mon
tana Power company temporarily soourning in the
Capital city of Montana. as
And while we are now the subject wasn't it queer that
somebody was anxious to have the legislative memorial
regarding power legislation reach Washington that
the entire memorial teegraphed the expense of the
taxpayers of the state the speaker and the president
so Governor Stewart had signed the joint resol-
ton? They couldn't wait for the mails get It there.
Maybe the Independent also in position to explain
the haste. >t'i*
MONTANA IS FACING AN IMMINENT