The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1944-09-22
Judge Erickson

tiiiS CiCNtiOll OH lut loSutf
presented. | have too much conf
dence in the good sense of the people
of Montana to believe that any OF
you are being taken in by this sort
of campaign although it is under
standable that decent, honest people
have difficulty understanding why
great business interests like the Ana
conda Copper Mining Company and
the Montana Power Company and
their newspapers would stoop to this
sort of political chicanery l know
that you will read these stories and
hope you read all of them critically,
with the knowledge of where they
come from and for what reason they
are invented.
"Now just why is the company so
bitterly opposed to my candidacy? A
slogan | have adopted is that the gov
errors door will be open to every
Montana citizen. By that slogan
mean that everyone, no matter who
he is, that every group or business
| for that matter, no matter what it is,
will have equal fair consideration by
me as governor. The company can
come to me with its problems, and
will give equal consideration to them
with any one else; no more, no less
My record on the supreme court in
my decisions which make up approx
mately one-fourth of the total re-
ported in the last six years, has dem
onstrated to the people of Montana
that | will carry out that pledge, and
so these two corporations if they are
satisfied with the same fair treatment
accorded to everyone else, should
have nothing to fear if | am elected
governor. That, however, is not the
history of these two corporations.
They have always received special
consideration and they want to main
tain that condition. Not only that,
but they are bitterly opposed to me
because of my insistence upon pro-
gram for the full development of Mon
tana For example, believe with the
Bureau of Reclamation and with men
interested in irrigation generally that
we can feasibly put water on three
million acres more of arid land in this
state. The Montana Power Company,
Delaware corporation, has just lost
suit on appeal in federal court, in
which it claimed all of the water of
the Missouri as against a group of
farmers in Broadwater county who
had constructed a diversion dam to
irrigate a mere $4,000 acres of land.
A. short time before that they lost a
suit in which they attempted to put
over in the Montana supreme court a
rule on the construction of irrigation
from the main river that
would destroy hundreds of early irri- |
cation water-rights.
"Not only that, but in their own |
paper here in Helena in the issue of |
February 3, 1914, there appeared an
editorial opposing the extension of ir-
rigation in this state, saying: (and !
auote) Hearings are under way in
Washington to irrigate more Montana
land We have had quite a bit
Of experience with irrigation projects
IN Montana We can use some water
IN limited areas of high grade land
but we have already tried to
flood too much prairie lend of quote.) |.
I don't agree with that, and it is be-
cause l do not and because. l have
cutting the appropriation
If the Water Conservation Board in
half by the present governor, and it
S because I will work night and day
o really put some water on the land
hat they are so determined to elect
heir candidate. The company is OPP
posed to me also because l believe
hat before we can have the indus
realization we need to develop Mon
ana, we must have abundant, cheap
,ower whether privately or publicly
Produced. In the same editorial to
which | have referred, the company
avs, in opposing the development of
lore power in this state land l quote)
We have more than we need even in
yartime. lend of quote). The present
overnor agrees with them on this too
s in a speech at Livingston, as re-
orted by their press, opposing the
obstruction of a dam which would /
rrigate a large acreage in the Lake
,asin country he said that we already
ad more power than we need.
at is because l am not in accord
nth that view that the Montana Pow
r Company doesn't want to see me I:
l the governors chair
1.-THE Anaconda Copper Mining Com !
any is also opposed to my election 4
ecause l believe firmly that Montana :.
as vast possibilities for industrial de- Z:
elopment That company has for 8
ears had virtual monopoly on our 8
Iineral and forest resources, and has 3
reverted competition in their exploit 3:
ltion by keeping out competing in Z:
lstry, not only that but by keeping &
1t other industries it has had vir- e
al monopoly on Montana labor For &:
full statement of their position in Y
position to the characterization 4:
Montana I refer you to this same n
markable editorial in the Indepen- II
mt Record of February 8, 1914. 1t g
because, like thousands upon thous- J.
DIS of other Montanans, l believe q:
mly in the industrial future of this !:
ate, that the Company press goes g
the extreme it does in the early g
ages of this campaign. g
'In spite of our Corrupt Practices 3
t and federal laws which prohibit ::
litical activity by corporations, one g
their responsible officers just re- g
1tly told an old-timer in Montana g
litics that they are prepared to g
end 100000 and more if necessary