The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1944-12-15
The Reclamation Convention

PROPOSALS
This out in the the speeches made on the las
day convention the speech of Judge Clifford Stone
Denver being devoted entirely to opposition to the MVA
provided for in the bill introduced by Senator Murray
Judge speech any informed person, clearly
prejudice could just well have been made by
private power official 1t nothing not speech
of advocate of the status and for exploitation of the
natural of the country by private enterprise specf
ay electric power potentiates Moreover this quota
ons context from Lenthas book and excerpts from
material obviously opposed development of naura
good of the public rather than fo
profits private enterprise made clear his prejudice
in favor of privately owned utilities
He made much TODD about claims of the
the political subdivisions of the Tennessee valley
through the and operations of the IVA and made
heavy remarks about the taxes that being paid
by the He did not mention however, the saving IN
services the people of the region did he bring
all the obvious fact that taxes paid by private u
paid by the of its services giving
moments thought to it will know The savings made by
people of the Tennessee valley by the low rates for electric
energy and the benefits of increased standard of living for
them not mentioned by Judge Stone
While stated above the undercurren of opposition to
the proposed MVA evident there was also another tang
BILE undercrent OF sentiment apparently strong enough 70
prevent the Introduction of resolution specifically men
tioning the MVA in opposing terms.
Without wishing from the general value of the
meeting may said have been educational and of
discussing possibilities of development of the
states resources it must be packed meeting
the program developed the last day. Had
not intended be SUCH would that ousand
ING proponent of the MVA would have given
time on the program Moreover would have left beer
taste mouth of the very considerable number of
porters of the MVA present had this been done.
Perhaps orchid ridiculous statements made in adj
dressing the gathering the last day should to Colonel
Herdin If the ARMY Engineers participating in discussion
period he stated that he opposed to authority
that there too much government now So far as
known there engineer who doesn't draw and live
on a government check for his services
sure, all of the arguments against Missouri Valley
Authority brought in the final placing too
much the hands of the federal falls flat
evauated the basis of the final decision OF the con-
venon urging that the development of the Missouri valley
be placed the Reclamation Bureau and the
Army Engineers Since when have either of them become
something than of the federal government?
The people of the state should remember this That under
the recommendations of the Montana Irrigation Association
development of the Missouri valley placed in the
the Reclamation Bureau and the Army Engineers not
one ota ambition each of these for
dency power desire accomplish its specific
job the expense of the interests of the other has been
eliminated
It is freely admitted these agencies have in
their spheres interest done good job of engineer
ing and accumulation of valuable data The plans OF each OF
them probably beyond criticism Perhaps the combined
plans may be all that is needed to bring about complete de-
veopment of the river valley But with the divided interests
agencies in control of the proposed development can
anyone enough to hope that coordnated de
veopmen with the interests of the entire basin as the first
consideration, can be possible?
That the for centralized authority recog
less reluctantly evident In the express
of such preudced speakers Judge Stone He referred
possible advantage of sort of advisory board
but thought apparently that should be composed OF repre-
senatives existing agencies though later he
geed outsider might be added to the board
reasonable to surmise in view OF the remainder OF
Judge Stones expressions that he favored the Reclamation
the Army Engineers because in all of their plans
the development of power is incidental"
In of his closing remarks Chairman DEwart of the
Montana Reclamation Association referred to the MVA as
"debatabe which coming from him be considered
remarkable His record the Montana legislature shows that
he faithful consistent supporter of the interests OF the
exploiting corporations of the state To be sure he tempered
his statement issue being debatabe by infer
ing Judge Stone had completely settled the question by
his preudced statements of half truths and some statements
not even having that proportion of verify.
The lack of the divergent interests of
states valley and how they to
be in the development of the region was con-
spcuous It recognized by all individuals at all
Informed that interested primarily
1andth
in rrgaton that the of the Army Engineers lie in
lower the Missouri River valley and the interests
Bureau conferred development OF the
the states the valley
since of the agencies their speeches before the
gathering stressed their policy of comforting with and acting
the wishes of the people concerned it enough to
arrive at definite conclusion that development of the valley
oy these agencies full control will result in hit and
miss hodge podge.
the most optimistic supporter must admit this
and must also admit there will be continuous strife SPAR
ing for position complete lack of coordination in the de-
for the 2reateSt henefitS off ALL off thel