The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1944-06-16
Statement of Fundamental Principles
And Legislative Program

bility in this great crusade to VIII
our political and economic freedom
in Montana. We recommend the fol
lowing state legislative program:
/. We demand the retention of the
direct primary law, by which the PEG
pie nominate their own choices, and
we intellectually condemn the cur
rent effort of the selfish interests OF
the state to repeal the peoples rights,
and return to the old discredited con-
vention system, so easily and com
pletely controlled by the corporate
bosses and their hirelings. The rem
edy for the problems of democracy is
more, not less, democracy
2. We advocate a progressive pro-
gram on taxation based on a scientific
study that will place the burden on
wealth where wealth actually is, and
where the real revenue producing re-
sourcesc of the state actually exist, so
that their just share of taxation will
be paid by the utility, mining, oil, gas
timber banking, railroad, and insur-
ance interests, who are exploiting the
resources and the people of Montana;
so that the onerous burden now levied
on small business in the guise of Ii
censes will be removed; and the or
binary home and farm which for
many years have produced little or no
revenue, but have proportionately
paid ten times more taxes than the
vested interests, may be relieved of
this unjust, unfair and oppressive
load. We shall require all legislative
candidates seeking our support to
pledge themselves to such a program
and study.
8. We insist that the waters of our
rivers and streams belong to the peo-
pie, and shall be used for the peoples
benefit. We denounce the recent ra-
pacious attempt of the Montana Pow
er Company to steal the waters of
the Missouri river, and eventually
every other body of water in the state.
We urge that our waters be conserved |
by actually putting them on the land,
and by a planned system of public |
water power development by the state
and federal governments so that our |
tremendous resources may be used to |
produce cheap power, so that new in |
dustry may be attracted to Montana,
so that every farm in Montana shall |
have the benefit of electricity, and the
rates charged our urban and rural con-
sumers may be substantially reduced
BY this yardstick method as employed
n the IVA.
4. We commend the Federal Power
Commission for its recent efforts to
compel the Montana Power Company
% remove $53,000,000 of fake inflated
from its cost of plant ac-
counting procedure, and we demand
hat the state Public Service Commits
'ion render decision in conformity
With those findings and charges, and
appropriately reduce the rates of the
electric consumers of that utility in
Montana. We serve notice that no
candidate for the state commission in
he approaching elections, shall re-
GIVE the support of this body until
lie pledges publicly and without res
rvation his support of this program.
5. We urge that the state govern
nent in cooperation with the federal
government assume its share of the
responsibility for a real postwar pro-
ram in Montana to serve all our peo-
lie and particularly the men and wom-
n who will be coming home from the
attlefields of the world, and the de-