The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1928-02-17

been put into a deep political hole
by his lack of political principle on
the one hand and his tiTeless ambition
on the other.
Lacking principle, he had no suffi-
cient reason to enter the Ohio prl-
mary against Willis, the equally pill
ant servant of organized wealth,
equally self-righteous, equally hungry
for presidential nomination. Willis,
confident that he is the Harding Of
the 1928 campaign, demands the sup
port of his home state as its favorlte
son. But Hoover, consumed by ambl-
ton, has been told by his advisers
that he must not let cheap skate
ike Willis brighten him away from
the 81 votes of the Ohio delegation.
Theodore Burton has hObbled forward
with Hoover flag in his hand, while
the Scripps editors beg Herbert to do
something aggressive. Hoover is
damned as a pirate if he does, and
as coward if he don't.
=
Tom Walsh of Montana, who has
led the fight against the naval oil
fraud conspirators, is embarrassed by
the benevolence of the Montana Power
Co., step-child of the Anaconda Cop
Power Co. wants to get a 50-year
lease on the power site at the outlet
of Flathead Lake, in the Flathead In
dian reservation in western Montana.
at a rental of 81 a year per develop
ed horsepower. A clause in its bid
provides that $4,000 horsepower of
the proposed 100000 to be developed
shall be sold to the government for
distribution at 1 p mills per kilowatt-
hour to settlers on the adjoining re.
clamation project.
Sen. Smoot of Utah, for his own
reasons, had this item struck from the
Indian section of the Interior Dept.
appropriation bill, though he said he
would take it up in conference with
the House. Walsh made hard fight,
assisted by Wheeler of his state, to
retain the clause which would allow
the leasing of the site. LaFollette
and Frazier opposed the Montana SEN
} ators, on the ground that the Indian;
were not getting all the revenue pos
sible from their property.
John Collier, secretary of the Amer
lean Indian Defense Assn, who ha;
analysed the Montana Power Co.'s bic
, and the rival bid, declares that the
Montana Power Co. bid was abou
$228,000 per year too low. And thi!
! extra profit from the transaction wa.
to be taken for so years.
Walsh and Wheeler took the posi-
ton that the Indians, having beel
robbed of most of their lands by Con
, gress, wanted the lease made now il
. order that they might get the 81 pc
horsepower promised by the bidders
Frazier held that it would be bette
. to wait and have public development
of that power site, with no privat
: rakeoff.
And now Andy Mellon is feelin
sick again, at the prospect that Ser
= Couzens of Michigan, his unsleepin
foe, will be chairman of the subcon
mittee on investigation of the bitun
= nous coal strike and terrorism i
= Pennsylvania. Chairman Jim Watso
= of the Senate interstate cOmmerC
: committee, driven by rising publ
. sentiment against the horrors of tn
q. strike, has promised a quick hearin
. on the Johnson resolution He is sal
: to favor selection of Couzens on tn
coal inquiry, to keep Couzens off tt
: power trust investigating committee
: If there is anyone who dislike
: Couzens more than does Vice Pres
: dent Dawes, it is Andy Mellon. Whe
> COuzens forced an investigation in
: the income tax collection methods
: Mellon the old despOt of Pittsbure
: made a desperate effort to cover l
the favOritism that had been show
to lot of big corporations and the
chief stockholders. When Couzens
manded investigation into the alumni
-, um monopoly, as had many other sc
NJ atOrs more progressive than he, Nj,
IN Ion blamed the movement chiefly
Couzens. The inquiry was killed, b
a feud remained. Mellon is deep
@S the power combine, controlling g
M and electric companies in Philadelpf
IL IL as well as in Pittsburgh. He count
~ ,le safely on Dawes to keep Couzens {
'e the committee that would look in
III gas and electric combines. But M
LIZ III Couzens threatens to show up the b
ny faith, corruption, police brutality,
junction abuses and other chief poil
!" of Melons war against the Unit
re Mine Workers.
all LaFOLLETTE SEAMAN ACT
Sc UNDER ATTACK
all Admiray Hilary P Jones, who r,
to resented President Coolidge at
the Geneva naval limitation parley
summer made an attack upon the
asst Toilette seamen's act before the ho-
fiji naval affairs committee Feb. 3.
ing When asked, in the course of
yon plea for big navy, about its relat
nal. to the merchant marine, he said
or government ought to build up
ials merchant marine as quickly as pc
will BILE as naval auxiliary.
When congressman inquired