The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1936-03-06

politics-economic contest ever wag-
ed in this part Of the nation; the
fight Of the power interests
against the CVA-Columbia Val
lev Authority. There was a glaring
misprint in the Montana Standard
of February 23rd. A front page
flash headline read Columbia
River Plan Urged Upon Congress
q Menace to Montana" The head
line should have read columbia
River Plan a Menace to Montana
Power Company"
Many have not taken the trouble
to learn what an authority" In
recent state Of Federal Law
means. am not quite certain yet
Of its full meaning. In q general
way, several states with joint in
terests may join under q national
corporation to set up and control
jointly with themselves and the
Federal Government an enterprise
too big for private capital or even
one state to handle.
For instance, New York, New
Jersey and Connecticut are con-
templating an Authority to keep
sewage out of river habour and
coastal waters. It is manifestly too
big for either state. If one state
acted alone sewage from the 9TH
ers would still flow on cleaned
areas Of water.
think Boulder Dam is under
an Authority Of six states, but
life is too short to be informed Of
everything going on now. Arizon-
a, some years ago, fought the
Boulder Dam project. The Wash
ington Water Power Company and
the Montana Power Company both
probably owned by the same hold
ing company are trying to get
Montana and Idaho to fight the
Columbia Valley Project. OF
course, there Is little hope Of any
success in getting Washington to
oppose the most magnificent pub
lie works contemplated in the
world today. The people of Wash
ington know about the benefits Of
publicly owned hydraulic power
for 40 years in Seattle and Taco
ma. The Electric Bond and Share
crowd think that we here in Mon
tana and Idaho are Country Cou-
sins and can be propagandized in
to playing their game for them.
Keep our Waters in the State"
Is the silliest arguments ever adj
dressed to a Pollyanna Chamber
Of Commerce Company Controlled
Club. !
The Government is going to
keep Montana water in the state
at Fort Peck. How much water
would the work Of Montanans, in
corporated, have kept there? The
back-up at Fort Peck will prob
ally, according to some scientists,
increase the rainfall for so miles
around the lake at Fort Peck.
The Kootenai River carries far
more water over the state line
than does the Missouri. Just as
the IVA is moving up the Ten
nessee River with catch basin
dams the eva will move up with
dams on the Kootenai. There are
four fine sites in Montana for
dams on the Kootenai. The "Inter-
ests" want to keep commodities
scarce and high priced. Humanity
demands that useful things be low
priced. Instance: MANY a dry bench
could be watered with power from
the dam at Bonner, six miles east
OF Misssoula. 1t used to light Mis-
soula, Missoula is now served from
thompson Falls; the Bonner dam
has been idle for years; owned
mercy to restrict output 40 that
Now York acn drain money from
/ Missoula.
Keep Montana water in Mon
tana" will be in a few months a
fentence Of derision. Even the Ro-
,:r ans will see the humor of It.
Ire Montana Power Company
some years ago were going "a
keep the Flathead waters in Mon
tena at Poison. This was going to
irrgate the Indian lands. A report
IN the files at Washington announ-
COS that the Power Company owes
ire Indians 5 million dollars FOR
rreach OF contract and that after
spending a few million dollars as
? o,uff to competing capital, it has
",,ry,eited it's rights at Poison.
Inc Columbia Project "a closer
% Butte than Fort Peck is. Ia
e. lutte is 8 miles inside the
umbla Watershed. The Ana
C,ond , Company could always have
eVeloped it's own power and nat