The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1934-09-13

ests," the fact is that the investors In
this country have never been very vo-
cal In our politics. Certain large specific
organizations, yes. Certain groups ~,
for example, the National Association
of Manufacturers, cooperating for
higher tariff protection, surely.
Butt the average holder of dozen
shares or Z few hundred shares OF
stock. or, for that matter, many hold
ers Of thousands OF shares. never have
organized to see that their interests
were protected.
Some years ago the richest district
In the United States-then as now the
Seventeenth district of New York
sent Democrat to the house Of repre-
sentatives. It SO happened that during
his two-year term the Esch-Cummins
railroad bill WAS passed. Seldom has
4 bill been considered by congress OF
more direct interest to every holder
OF railroad stocks and bonds than thA
Nor was there a single congressional
district In the United States where %
many railroad stocks and bonds were
held as In the Seventeenth New York.
Yet during the consideration of this
measure. Representative Pell did not
receive one solitary letter from any OF
his thousands Of big and tens OF thou
sands of small investors In railroad
securities But when some plcayune
measure affecting florists came up he
was deluged with letters. The florists
had an organization, and a vital In
terest. The security holders figured
the railroad executives would attend
to the problem for them. Or perhaps
they did not give 1t thought. At any
rate they didn't write.
That ia where the new organization
may come In. II every stakeholder In
public utilities. for example, let his
congressman know what he thought
about any measure which came up
affecting the utilities the results might
be very surprising indeed.
Slow Irrigation Work
At time when, because Of the
drouth. irrigation seemed the most de-
slrable thing In the world In the arid
West, work has been held up on sev-
eral OF the most important irrigation
projects. The reason has nothing to
do with the apparent conflict between
blowing crops under by direction OF
one brunch Of the government while
anothek branch Is attempting to re
claim akid land. It concerns labor prob
lens. It has really been due to lack
Of definite policy on wage rates.
Public Works administration require
ments apply. with an exception per-
hitting 40 instead OF 30 hours week,
but PWA rates are only minimum for
two broad classIfications, common and
skilled. and ignore intermediate grades.
Rates demanded by union labor on
projects of the reclamation bureau
probably would increase the labor cost
third. This means a greater out
lay by PWA, as original estimates
were based on rates customarily paid
by the reclamation service. and con.
sequently the risk In collecting on
farmers notes to pay for the Job was
increased.
Because jurisdiction In any conflict
regarding wage rates rests with the
PWA labor board of review, proposal
that specific wage rates be written
into all advertisements for bids has
not been favorably regarded BY Ad-
ministrator Ickes, with the result that
the letting Of contracts or advertise
ment for bids has been held up on
the Grand Coulee power dam on the
Columbia river, the huge Casper-Al-
cova irrigation project on the Platte,
and additional construction on the
Owyhee project In Oregon and Idaho,
| Milk river In Montana, Ogden river
| In Utah. and Uncompahgre In Colo
RADIO, and many others.