The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-12-15

!
shoulder of the julior senator while
salf-satisfiad smile lays about the
curves Of his mouth. Progressives in
| Washington who believed Wheeler was
radical Sad that he was acting from
disinterested motives in his war on
certain independent oil operators and
their friends in government circles,
view this sight with amazement, and
as the scales drop from their eyes,
visualize the potent fact that the ira
dition of ownership of Montana's Sen
ators by the Anaconda Copper Com
pany remains unbroken to the present
hour.
Again there is a rich prize to be
looted from the public storehouse and
RE Representatives OF the people
must serve their mast IS even though
they are forced to show thei, hands.
Conservation?
Pseudo progressive Senators talk
loudly about conserving the natural
resources of the nation; about pro-
tecting "these priceless heritages of
the people" from the greed of corpor-
ate interests. But the people of Mon
tana have learned to understand the
meaning of the word Conservation"
as expressed by Senators Walsh and
Wheeler as follows: "To conserve, to
save the power sites, forests, mineral
resources until the Anaconda and the
Montana Power Companies got ready
to use them"
The Flathead Power Site.
What has come to be known as the
Poison Power site, located on the Flat
head Indian Reservation was with
drawn from public entry by President
Taft following the Pinchot conserva-
ton crusade. For many years it was
locked up safely in government con-
troll. Then the General Leasing Bill,
sponsored by Senator Walsh, and Wig
orously opposed by Senator LaFol-
lette, became law in 1920 Besides
throwing open the oil reserves of the
nation to such looters of the public
domain as the Rockefellers and the
Sinclairs, a clever joker clause was
inserted in the bill which transferred
control of withdrawn power sites to
the Federal Power Commission and in
vested that body with the right to
lease these valuable national resources
to interests having suitable equipment
available. For some reason the Mon
tana Power Company slept on the ad-
vantage thus gained. At the urgent
solicitation of the white settlers and
the Indians the Government built the
Newell tunnel, for the purpose of gen.
Grating power and irrigating lands.
The 100000 spent on this project be-
ing inadequate, the Interior Depart
ment had an $395,00O appropriation in
1926 by Congress to continue the con-
struction Of power plant. For some
unexplained reason only $4,000 of this
sum was spent on the project during
the fiscal year. In 1927 Congress APP
propriated the unexpended balance Of
the $395,000 to continue the work.
Then Enters Montana Power.
The Montana Power Company was
now ready to grab the power site.
The same Mr.. Kerr journeyed to
Washington and secretly negotiated
for permit to use the power Site On
February II, 1927, he submitted
bid to the Department of the Interior,
on behalf of his company, stating that
| it would undertake to develop the
Power sites on the Flathead reserva-
ton if granted permits to do so. The
Power Company proposes to deliver to
the irrigation systems electric energy
to the extent of 10000 horsepower for
project and farm purposes at price
of l mill per kilowatt hour and 5000
horsepower for farm and project pur-
poses at rate of 21a miles per kilo-
watt hour. (How much cheaper this
is than the price charged the people
of Montana by the same company?)
The company also proposes to pay the
United States $1.00 per average an
nual horsepower generated on all
plants erected below Flathead Lake
on, the Reservation.
Kerr Hits Snag.
But Judson King, director of the
National Popular Government League
anu oIhers got WIND OF the gigantic
steal. On investigation it was found
that when Congress appropriated a
certain sum for certain specified
purpose no permit could be granted.
The door was closed in the face of the
affable and astute representatives of
the Montana Power. Undismayed he
pursued his avowed purpose to ravish
the riches of Montana AS a result
OF his exertions a rider was added to
the appropriation bill permitting this
permit to be granted. The Montana
Senators knew of but did not oppose
this attempted burglary under the
color of legal sanction. But again.
luck was against the Montana Com
pany. The rider to the bill failed to
pass.
| Walsh and WhaaJar DIox, kl.u: