The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1921-03-30
DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION HAS
DONE MUCH FOR THE STATE
=. OF MONTANA
BOWS KNEE TO NO INTEREST
Efforts of Its Representatives at Re-
cent Session of Legislature Did
Much to Strengthen Friendship
Between Town and Country
(Great Falls CALL


The Great Falls Gall will be found an
article telling Of the formation of the
Montana Development association. In
an early issue of the publication will
be found statement regarding them
which says: IF the Montana Develop
ment association is right. The Great
Falls Call is for them, but when they
are wrong, they will find this paper
ready to criticize. and that is the res
son why we are not members. We
want to be independent of all organi-
zatiens."
That is just the position we have
pursued and are pursuing. Today, the
Montana Development association has
| shown its hand and it's strength. 1t |
has accomplished much for Montana |
by constructive, honest, non-politicaI |
/ policy. It has shown that it did not |
bow the knee to any interest. either |
labor, farmer, business man or big in |
dustry but has hewn a straightfor-
ward path
Mr.. Selvidge, its president, and Mr..
Fowler, its secretary, are merely serv-
ants Of the business man who belongs
to the organization, the farmer who is
a member, or the laborer who cares to
belong. 1t is true, they have been at
Helena throughout the legislature, not
necessarily to boss the legislature. but
to explain in a fair, honest manner.
the various measures which they wish
to see fairly construed and untangled
from political webs that sometimes.
in fact often, become woven about leg
islatiOn.
The Montana Development associa-
ton has been attacked by The Helena
Independent, and in fact nearly every
big paper in the state, for the reason
that these papers have for years
\ Swayed the legislature by their editor
8 !al policy, and, realizing their days of
2rowess over, they attack an Organiza-
ton which they wish to blame.
Then, too, the association has asked
nothing of these newspapers. It, as a
representative of the retailers and
business people Of the smaller COM
munities Of the state, forced these pa
pers to either keep silent or support
a Dixon, which some of them did against
s. their wishes.
The papers little realize that when
& they attack the Development associa-
& ton they are attacking the member
ship which goes out into every little
corner Of the state.
b The statements on the witness stand
s. Of Selvidge and Fowler seem to have
s been fairly well cOrroborated. and
Is when the senate is through with the
E investigation, it is then time to take
s the evidence, weigh it and decide as t.
d just who is the one that is causing
IS Montana to go from year to year will
II One-sided legislation, caring littl,
Is about heaping taxes on everyone OIL
anybody or keeping the state out O
debt
M What the state of Montana want
and the people in the state, is tn
truth regarding politics They ar
=. now telling tales that mean enlight
) eminent, and no matter who wins. Gov
ernor Dixon is to be credited with hay
J ing been fearless enough to deman
{ that rumors such as these be eithe
, proven or suppressed for the good G
legislation in the future in Montana.
AS far as the officials of the Deve
Opment association are concerned, the
Z seem to be able to stay by their wor,
{ They have so far stuck to their stor
Z and instead Of blaming them as the bl
: dailies are doing, it is probable ths
z the folks at home will give them cred
: for driving few of the politicians
2 Montana into the open where they ca
be counted as politicians at any raE
In reviewing the activities of ii
association during the legislative Sc
sion, we have seen their determine
effort to help outside the orb of pur
Tlly mercantile interest The busine
, men of Montana-fOr such is the Mo
tana Development association-lo,
, further than the end of their moss
They realize that their success Deepen
, wholly upon the success OF every 4
terprise within the state.
Z They did not stop with aiding bi
looking solely to the protection Of I
merchants, but they strongly oppOs
: measures which would make it pos
BILE to further handicap agricultT
: with arbitrarily increased freil
rates, and aided the passage Of certs
s laws which will prove of great a
z lasting benefit to the farmers.
, Today, through these efforts, til
have formed fast friendship that v
grow and strengthen between the far
err and the merchant. for both, 10
ing out of the same window into
distant future, can see that only
team work can they reach that pl,
where blessings will flow to both fir
the same source.
4 In one terse sentence 1t can all
I said: 1.-THE Montana Development
ISOLATION has brought home the
that the goal can only be reacl