The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1944-06-09

cHCIIlldH VI Iilc NeSJ6Q lUD6T6SIs
>dismissed the action brought
by Earl S. Robbins of Manhat-
tan against the town of Man
haitian Water Works in a ma
jority opinion handed down by
the Montana Railroad and
Public Service Commission a
few days ago. Commissioner
Paul Smith voted against the
dismissal but did not prepare a
dissenting or minority opinion.
Matson Again.
The wording was typical of the
opinions written by the most reaction
airy judges who sit on our state SUI
preme court in its avoidance of the
actual issues involved in the pro-
ceeding, legal hair-splitting, and ten
der protection of the wealthy special
privilege seekers in their violation OF
the laws. The usual procedure in the
commission is to have Enor X. Mat
son, counsel for the board, and re-
dictionary candidate for the state SUI
preme court, prepare the decisions
This opinion bears evidence of his
handiwork, and follows closely his at
titude during the hearing of the case
in which practically all his rulings
were on the side of those fighting the
people. This action was similar to
biG conduct I'm a
ings in Butte on the Montana Power
in which he ruled out the
admission of more than so exhibits
offered by the Federal Power Commits
sion exposing the inflated writeups of
the utility, while at the same time adj
hitting similar documents for the
Montana Power The people will
have an opportunity 70 get revenge
against both Middleton and Matson in
the coming primaries. by defeating
them for nomination
Free Water for Bossesl
Robbins, the complainant in the
case, who for many years has been
courageously fighting the corrupt po-
litical forces that rule the town and
run its waterworks charged "a that
the officers of the town had supplied
their political bosses, George Sinton
of the Manhattan company and Wal
ter White, wealthy merchant and
rancher, with free water. Sinton is
4 well-known republican political hack
N the state, and the corporation
which he heads. has been getting free
water for 30 years on its million dollar
'anch, the water being served to 22
APPS on the place, totalling a mini
mum use of 10000 gallons of water a
lay and as high as 10000 gallons each
lay. A very conservative estimate
places the amount of money Sinton's
corporation would have to pay for the
rec water it has received at $105,000
White testified from the stand that
lie had received water free for 10
,ears. He would have to reimburse
he town in the amount of several
thousand dollars too, had the commits
iion made the proper decision. There
vas testimony that several other fav-
,rites were getting free water, and
others were getting preferential rates,
the mayor of the town,
Floyd E. Stoner. In order to save
ace for Sinton and White, the two
3ozeman attorneys who were hired to
lefend this skullduggery and whose
ees the people themselves will have
o pay, attempted to introduce two
contracts i'm evidence made between
he town and the Manhattan COM
,any, and the town and Walter White.
The contracts were never filed with
II approved by the public service COM
mission, as required by state law, but
ven if they were are illegal and of
10 effect or force under the provisions
f the state utility law. Middleton,
'oung, and Matson completely evaded
determination of this important is
ue, but held that there is real cues
ion of the authority of the town to
erve water at all to Sinton and
White. Their opinion, of course wants
D put the burden of any error that
as been made on the people of the
own, who have already paid for Sin
)n's and Whites water now for many
ears, instead of on these political
osses who have received the bene-
i of this skullduggery. Their decis-
IN is an invitation to every utility
/ the state, privately or publicly
wned to make private secret con-
acts with the privileged few, refrain
ON filing them with the commits
on as required by law, and take
lances on them not being discovered
n 20 or 80 years as in this case.
The original contract involving the
-anhattan company was made with
II. McKinnon of the Union Bank
nd Trust company of Helena, and it
safe to say that the bank of Helena
sed all of it's influence to see that
lie decision went the right way in
lis case.
commission Excuses Graft
The commission in effect condoned
Continued on Page Three)