The people's voice., 1943-12-03
What's S All the Shouting
About?
Contributed

Within the past couple of weeks company press has
carried almost daily stories concerning the development the
water of the Missouri Yellowstone within the
state of Montana long editorial written by Lepheimer
Standard was reprinted widely throughout the
state In this editorial the written
and carried the much todo made of the
fact that the federal government making an Investigation of
the two rivers question with the view of building storage
which would flood control the
lower Missouri and the Mississippi rivers.
In the apparently inspired by the Montana
Power Company the essential conflict made appear be
between irrigation and flood control The Montana State
Reclamation Association has suddenly been revived Within
the past few days the president of that association Representa-
tive DEwart of Park county, has been holding meetings
throughout the state From the accounts of these
meetings. that those in attendance told that the
development the irrigation possibilities of the state being
ernmen In view OF the action OF the company controlled
legislature in ashng the funds of the State Water Conserva
press Mould be SO tercay interested IN the development OF
the irrigation possibilities within the state 1t significant
that great share of the propaganda deals with the conflict
between the state and the federal Governor Ford
has been brought leading spokesman for those interests
opposing action the part of the federal
looking to the development of the water the state
either for reclamation power flood control While
the attempts of the and others to it that Mon
primarily the needs of peo-
commendable it significant fact that those leading
this campaign not satisfied with the of the eng
neers of the various federal agencies plan is being
contemplated that will in any njure the future develop
ment of irrigation within the state of Montana AS matter
of fact is well known that during the past four wears the
Reclamation has been making widecae study of
the possibilities of irrigation development the Missouri
watershed and has concluded that only about third of the
land that could be economically irrigated is under water
Detailed plans worked out treble
irrigation 1t would from little
the force back of the stories appearing the company
press and with little knowledge of the history of the of
water Montana that the real of this campaign
for the people of the state of Montana the waters
of the Missouri and the Yellowstone it conflict be-
tween reclamation and flood control 1t would that the
real fight that being waged by the Montana Power
eres is to prevent the development of the waters of these
two streams for purpose and that the real essential
fc between private power exploiters and the public
generally This is certainly indicated by the Broadwater
Toston irrigation in which the Montana Power
pany has successfully far kept title for all practical
all of the waters of the Missouri Although good
been by the Montana Conservation Board the
legislatures action in sasng its funds indicates the
with which the power prevent effective develop
streams for irrigation, and flood control
if only the state to in this development and if
company successful in its campaign prevent
development of streams then will be relatively
simple matter for the to maintain it's control
Governor Ford after his years of
dence his experience with the company
be of what's going
Two)