The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1928-02-03

n hundred M1lllOn DOi5lr POWer Site
for a $4,000 Job
The enormous value of the power
sites mentioned and the fact that
Senator Wheeler posed as an advocate
of government ownership and OppOs-
ing the leasing of Muscle Shoals to
private interests causes most Of the
politicians to speculate that Wheeler
struck bargain with the power COM
pany. There are many accounts of
the probable bargain but the best
seems to be that in return for Wheel
er's swallowing his public ownership
ideas ami not rising in his place to
oppose this colossal steal the Ana
cOnda Press would support his reelec-
ton and that his campaign funds
would not be meagre. To substanti-
ate this speculation one politician
stated that when Wallace's appear
ance at Washington and the articles
IN the Producers News blew the lid
off the conspiracy and exposed the
dark alley methods of the Power Com
pany to the naked light of day, he
remarked to an Anaconda lawyer in
the lobby of the Placer. 'sWallace's
exposure may force Wheeler to vote
against YOU. The Anaconda lawyer
Is stated to have replied: eff that
crooked son - goes back on us
VIC will cook his goose"
News Exposure Excites Flathead
County
The Producers News exposure caus-
ed furore of excitement in Flathead
county. A competent engineer was
hired and his report resulted in the
inhabitants of that part of the state
becoming violently agitated and send
ing a delegation to Washington. The
power trust at once sent a clever lob
byist to Secretary of the Interior
Work who dispatched an engineer to
Kalispell. This engineer "took evil
dence" on the rising of the lake lev
els. Company men here say that they
expect this report to be favorable to
their side of the case on til e theory
that Frank Kerr and T. A. NARROW
made very favorable impression on
Secretary of the Inerior Work.
Big Politics Figures In Steal
Secretary Work is very anxious to
get the Montana Republican delega-
ton lined up for his friend Herbert
Hoover. 1t is now known that the
Montana Republicans favor Ex-GOv-
ernOr LOwden. Tho power of the
company" in Montana politics is
known in Washington, ID. C.. This
taken in connection with the fact that
Secretary Work would do anything
IN the world for his friend Herbert
Hoover causes many people here to
believe that the astute Mr.. Frank
herr can get anything he wants
from the Department of tho Interior
Break In Solid West
The Hoover strategists look upon
the Northwest as enemy ground. If
there was break in this solid Low
den-Dawes stronghold it is felt that
the Secretary of Commerce would
have easier sailing. For that reason
a tremendous effort is being put for
ward by the Hoover supporters to get
state delegations. A $1OO. OOO. 900 OC
power site is nothing when the presi
dency is the big prize. That is on,
reason why T. A. NARROW who enter
tanned Secretary Work at his cabil
near Helena last summer and Franl
Kerr, who is regarded as the ace O
the company lobbyists and executives
is so confident that they will get
favorable report from the Department
engineer and ultimately get the powe
site.
Aiter visiting New York
When the NEWS" exposure 90
into every county in Montana, Wheel
er and Walsh began to hear from tn,
people at home. The voters wer
against giving these power sites to
company which had grabbed every
thing not nailed down, to the powe
company. The Montana Senators ha
had a bad scare. Wheeler made
nasty trip to New York where he wa
reported to be seen entering the ele
waited that led to the headuuarter
OF the Anaconda Company. So ia
nothing definite has leaked out abou
the conference between the iunio
Montana Senator and Mr.. Con Kell,
but 1t is believed that Mr.. Wheele
wanted some assurance that if til
people turned him down for not OF
posing the Flathead steal that h
would get some job Anyway Whee
er came back to Washington muc
down in the mouth and a few day
later introduced an amendment to til
department of the Interior Bill, ain
ing TO give the settlers whose Ian
along the lake would be damage,
some compensation.
Steve Murphy Laughs
DNSNC nul pily, represents
tive of the Montana Power Compan
was shown the amendment. he laughe
and said: "Well you know Burt mu,
square himself with the people bac
nome. The amendment docs not il
terfere with the main thing the DOW
er company wants to put over. vi,
Give the Federal Power cOmmissio
authority to lease the sites. III
agents of the big company know
this is done that they will get Il
lease.
Montana Power Stock Leans
After the Montana Power Comma.
ny met in New York, word Leaked
out that Frank Kerr reported The
progressive senator's were deferred
by Wheeler and Walsh from Oppos
ing the gigantic steal and the thina
was "all fixed" to go thru, the stOcl
took an upward bound. II is known
In electric circles that if the Mon
tana Power Company gets these
sites that it will be able to main
tam its rates at the present higl
level, that competition from pub
llc ownership and consequent cut
ting of the rates will be eliminated
and that it will be able to sci
surplus power to the railroads Cd
Grating to the coast. This caused
the stock of the Power Company t.
Al.