The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1944-07-28
Cheap Power


1t is obvious from editorial expressions in the
corporation daily that the Montana Power Company
has bad of tter and feels its monopoly control of
production of light and power excessive rates
dwindng away. 1t finding itself pretty much in the
situation the Stone and Webster privately owned
electric utility Seattle found itself years ago when
the people weared of being by unreasonable and
established their electricity producing plant which has
continued to grow and render service And Stone and
ster tight spot They sell out and the
people will buy-but not at the Stone and Webster price
Saturday conference, called by the Chamber of
Commerce of Kalspe and held in that city, discussed the
possibilities industrial development in the western section
of the state Dr. Paul Raver of the Bonneville power authority
had been invited to there and discuss their problems
with them
The corporation press rdicue Dr. and
quite frequently happens when they their mouths they
put their them They with the
discussion about Flathead lake last yeahat there
dearth of in 1913 and there in 1914
The question is this statement is true why there
shortage of for the great industries which have
located in the northwest? because of the farsighted
planning by the private nteress The question
of course itself There would have been
industries at the best only few small located in the
northwest had not been for the development of the much
magned Bonneville and Grand Couee develop
ment of public power by the government
remind you that when the federal license build
present Montana Power Company dam of the Fathead
Power Company and another applicant Mr. Wheeler OF the
Twin Cities this Mr. Wheeler laid before the senate committee
which holding hearings the subject contracts signed by
industries the east These called for the construc
ton of processing plants and factories of different kinds
Guiding large phosphate manufacturing plant providing Mr.
Wheeler secured the license and would produce and sell power
certain figure considerably less than the Montana Power
Company would agree to do. Mr. Wheeler competent
and proved himself amply able to finance
the project and sell the electrical produced at the
price quoted the contracts he had contingent
getting the license to build the dam.
The he made probably in getting a contract
and responsible organization start
the development of the phosphate of Montana
scale There he stepping directly the toes of
of the Montana Power Companthe Anaconda Copper
Mining Company which then had and still has, virtual
monopoly the production of fertilizer from phosphate but
utterly ignoring the possibilities of production of other mate
rails and chemicals from that Montana resource
Incidentally that
the Vaccinations of the Montana Power Company
securing the license black Presumably to protect it
self against charges of possible bribery separate corporation
had been formed and the record of it's expenditures constitutes
Indictment of the Venay of number of quite prominent
Montana citizens And the final support given to the Montana
Power Company by Senators Walsh and Wheeler does not
credit their The report the hearings
held by this committee the question of granting the license
for construction of this dam is interesting reading
The Montana Power Company did not promise Montana
industries granted the cense and have
been developed 1t has adhered strictly to the scarcity
of monopoly productions scarcity and high prices
The people of the western of the state we'll of
sections realize that cheap, non-monopoy power is
prerequisite for the development of industries The
rangehod of the private monopoly of the state must
broken there be development of tremendous
and consequent increase in population
And it is up the people to bring this about
first has been taken by the Kaspel Chamber of
securing the services of DR. Raver and his staff of
making of the possibilities of industrial
it's recognition of the need for cheap power
prerequisite The Kalspe Chamber of Commerce is to
congratulated for its realization that cannot hope for the
of and possibly competing industries from
power monopoly It's attitude indicates hardheaded
and realistic appraisal of existing conditions