Montana labor news., 1937-03-25

haustion; 3. tremendously slim
ulate diversified farming by
providing cheap power; A. arrest
the tendency toward corporation
political control of Montana, and
check corporation grab" of
Montana's natural resources.
Mounting resentment of or
poration power policies in Mon
tana was climaxed in January
when exhaustion of power sup
ply lin the face of the corpora
TONS insistent claim that Mon
tana power facilities were more
than Adequately caused the shut
down of the Great Falls zinc
plant and of Anaconda opera
tons of Anaconda Copper Min
ing Co. This cost wage earners
an estimated 5000, 900 and is still
costing, in Great Falls alone,
$500 a day-money which is alb
solutely unrecoverable. It cost
the industry which normally
employs these men many thou
sands more in zinc orders, placed
it far behind on its schedule,
threatened its market position.
Senator Wheeler was called upon
by the unions of Great Falls to as
sist and so also was Senator Muir
ray and Congressman O'Connell and
O'Connor. The United States Army
Engineers were in charge of all the
hearings. The subject was precipi-
tated by the closing down of the
zinc plant at Great Falls and part
of the Shelter at Anaconda due to
a shortage of power. The Montana
Power Company could not supply
enough energy to run the plants. 1t
is proposed by the unions of Great
Falls to take advantage of the power
that may be developed at Fort Peck
and use it for consumption in vari-
Gus places in Montana.
Mr.. B. 1. Steinmetz, president OF
the Cascade County Trades and La
Dor Assembly is one of the active
supporters of the proposition. He
wrote a fine article for the Advocate
which is reprinted in another part
of this issue.
That Montana Congressman anc
Senators are thoroughly aroused is
indicated in the following article.
NEW ERA FOR STATE, VISION
IN CONGRESS
A vision Of a prosperous COM
monwealth on Montana's vast
prairies and in its hills has
stirred the states four repre-
sentatives in the congress of the
United States to vigorous sup
port of the movement for pub
licly-owned power facilities.
Assurances that they will
press this issue to their utmost
have been received from these
men by the Cascade County
Trades & Labor Assembly and
its affiliated unions. Senior
Senator Burton K. Wheeler
writes: "I shall introduce the
necessary legislation; Senator
James E. Murray: Il am vitality
interested in this matter; any
further suggestions you care to
make will be explicitly fol-
lowed; Representative James
F. O'Connor: 81 am in favor of
it and shall work for it,; Repre-
sentative Jerry j. O'Connell:
"You know the deep interest 1
have in the creation of these
projects and the effort I will put
forth to accomplish them"
At the request of the Senate
Committee, headed by Senator
Wheeler, the present study of
the advisability of Fort Peck
power facilities was undertaken
by the army engineers. And CO.
incidental with this move by the
Senator, Representative O'Con-
nell introduced in the House his
bill, House Resolution 1908, to
establish the Fort Peck Author
ity on the lines Of the present
Tennessee Valley Authority
which has completely revolu-
tionized life in a great area of
the south, bringing new hope to
thousands who despaired of ever
attaining a decent standard of
living, squirting agriculture and
industry, and materially reduc-
ing flood terrors.
Representative O'ConnelPs
Fort Peck Authority is designed
ITO authorize completion, main
tenance, and operation of cer-
tain facilities at Fort Peck, Mon
foAo for ,ox,ioa+,on ~, 4bo Mic