The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1944-09-01
NATIONAL POLITICAL ACTION coAMrTEE-cio

! ment, whether the staff members al
: alive to their opportunities or are a
rogant and self-seeking.
These principles have been inco
porated in the Missouri Valley Al
thority bill because they have bee
tried and tested and found good o
the basis of practical results. Unde
this bill, the MVA will have the fret
dom of management, with all that thi
implies, necessary to do a good an
thorough job. With that essentia
freedom of management the NV
likewise will be subject-to full az
countability for the manner in whicl
it carries out its purposes-both fol-
mally to congress and less formall
to the people directly involved.
In general, the Missouri Valley AL
thority Act incorporates the essentia
provisions of the IVA Act. But
believe we have profited by the ex
perience of the iva and in some re
spects have made improvements
which should be helpful
One of the major detectives of the
MVA Act, providing for decentraliza
ton of administration, is to strength
en- the role of state and local agencies
in the broad development program
For many years now, we have heard
the protests of those who feared toe
great a concentration of federal pow
ers and the administration of them BY
remote control from Washington.
The IVA experience has shown
that this does not have to be the
case. In plain fact, the role of state
educational, and local institutions has
been greatly enhanced in the Tennes
see Valley through the IVA, which
has developed cooperative relation
ships with other agencies and with
the people of the region themselves
to a high degree. It has actively
sought their participation in carrying
on the various phases of the program,
because it was recognized that active
interest and participation by the peo-
pie concerned was the very touch
stone of the democratic method of
getting things done.
Thus the agricultural program of
the IVA is not solely federal affair.
The IVA had the responsibility of
using the Muscle Shoals plants, built
during World War I, for the develop
ment of fertilizers. But the actual
job of developing and testing the fer
tilizers, getting them to work on the
land in soil-building and water-holding
types of agriculture, has been coop
erative job which has not only carried
out the mandate of IVA but has
strengthened the programs of other
agencies.
For example, the decision to devote
the plants to research and expert
mental production in phosphate fer
tilizers was made comparatively at
conferences among representatives of
IVA, the Department of Agriculture
and the Immigrant colleges. 1t was
decided that phosphates rather than
nitrates, were the more basic soil
need, since most soils are deficient in
phosphorus. At the same time, using
in leguminous cover crops,
such as clover and lespedeza, auto
matically fixes another great fertil-
izing agent, nitrogen, in the soil.
AS the fertilizers were developed
and improved, the task of = testing
them was not undertaken as fed
eral project by the IVA. The test
demonstration program of the iva.
now extended to more than 10000
farms in % states-is a highly demo
cratic process.
The test-demonstrators actual
dirt farmers-are selected by groups
of their neighbors Joined in soil con-
servation associations. In return for
receiving IVA concentrated phos-
phatic fertilizers, on which they pay
only the freight charges, the cooper
ating farmers agree to use the mate
-ials in accordance with plans of farm
which they work out
with the assistance of their county |
agents and to keep records by which |
he efficacy of the fertilizers may be |
Judged in terms of increased produc- |
.iveness of the soil and increased in |
come to the farmer. The extension |
services of the Immigrant colleges ad- |
the program in their respec-
i've states.
Thus the detectives of the iva in
his field are achieved not by en-
,roaching upon the fields of other
lgencies, but instead by strengthen
ng their programs.
The same principle is applied in
,ther fields, where IVA stands ready |
o provide the technical services
leeded but where initiative and pur-
,ose is vested in the people and the
gencies concerned Thus states,
and counties have been |
ssisted by the IVA in developing
,arks and recreation areas on the
hores of the IVA reservoirs. State
nd local planning commissions have
een strengthened by the co-opera-
ion, assistance, and technical serv
ces of the IVA in the task of plan
ing readjustments necessary or de-
irable to adjust communities affected