The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1943-07-02
MISTAKES WE CAN'T AFFORD
er Lodge containing government

| Deer Lodge containing government
meat.
During the debate on the motion,
delegates speaking for the same,
stated 1T is our patriotic duty to see
that the beef in transit to our boys
across the seas, does not spoil for
lack of ice" Some of the delegates
stated that before they would see the
beef spoil, they would donate their
labor to ice the cars.
While the writer does not have the
exact time the convicts iced the cars,
yet it will be approximately three
weeks, perhaps longer.
Word from HarIowton, is to the eff
feet that the railroad yards were
jammed with refrigerator cars con-
tanning beef and the merchants of
that city with the aid of high school
boys iced the cars, MAIN STREET"
saved the beef.
On June 18th, the regional director
of the War Manpower Commission
was in Helena from the Denver office
and he and the writer discussed the
subject of government beef laying in
cars on railroad tracks in Montana,
waiting for boats to arrive on the
west coast ports. The danger of the
beef spelling on account of shortage
of manpower and the necessity of
using prison labor to save the beef.
The conference lasted one and one
half hours.
The regional director requested me
to send him a statement of facts and
he would take the matter up with the
War Manpower Commission in Wash
ington, d. c., in person.
A statement of facts was drafted
by the writer and a copy sent to the
War Manpower Commission in Wash
ington and another copy to the re-
gional office in Denver. Within "a
hours after the statement of facts
reached Washington, the refrigerator
cars loaded with government beef was
rolling along the tracks for the west
coast ports. Whether this was a CO.
incidence or not, the writer does not
know.
The governor, Tho state officials of
the prison warden, the in
mates of the state prison, the mer-
chants and schoOi boys of IGarlowton,
the officials of the Transportation and
of Way departments of
the Milwaukee railway and organized
labor regardless of the Connally-Smith
co-operated to the end that
the beef in refrigerator cars laying
on side-tracks, would not spoil
The writer was informed that there
were one thousand cars of beef laying
on the railroad tracks between Miles
City and Spokane. In an effor- to
this information, the writ
er learned from reliable sources that
)ne hundred and fifty cars were lay
ng on the tracks at Miles City, one
hundred and eighty-seven were in the
'ailway yards at Harlowton, two hun
ired and ten cars in Deer Lodge,
'orty cars at Alberton and thirty-eight
,ars in Avery, Idaho-besides there
we're cars laying on side tracks be-
.ween these places. 1t is estimated
hat the capacity of refrigerator car
IS twenty tons of dressed beef.
1t is obvious that the cause for the
sailing of refrigerator cars loaded
With beef was some one connected
With the ODT, blundered when beef
vas ordered to be transported from
he packing houses to west coast
,orts before vessels were available to
transport the beef overseas.
Last Thursday and Friday, speakers
we're on the radio informing the pub
ic that there were not one thousand
ars of beef in Montana. This was
hree or four days after the beef had
tarted to leave Montana. They did
lot mention the number of cars
Oaded with beef that had stood on
ide-tracks in Montana. 1t is obvious
ONE one was trying to cover up a
lunder and inefficiency.
It has been later learned that the
eef is going to Russia through the
plan. II seems that many
f the cars carried statements that
he beef was consigned to the U. S.
l. r.
While mistakes can be made by the
est of persons, yet it is hoped that
here will be no repetition of what
as already taken place.
A break down on the home front
ill be bad for the boys on the fight
lg front.