The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1944-12-29
In the Offing

declaration is reported to have been made by
Der of the that he intends introduce
Joint congress opposing the establishment of
Missouri Valley Authority during the of the
legislature It is interesting to speculate possible
may give his opposition to it. 1t well enough
recognized by all who know the gentlemen who made the
statement that actually it will be prompted by the fear
Montana Power Company of loss of its monopoly the state
However this will of not be brought into the argu
ments he presents.
will probably ALL present the bugaboo of loss
of water rights to He will be unable to sub
stantate this but he will undoubtedly bring it out as an
anyhow Existing water rights will have the stand
ing protection under authority that they will have
der saw the Reclamation Bureaus program Moreover spe
cia clause giving further protection to existing water rights
is incorporated in the Rivers and Harbors BILL enacted by the
congress before adjournment.
Another argument he will probably advance will be
position to bureaucratic CONTROL This to the informed leg
saors will less weight than the argument about
rights An authority such the IVA is definitely
not bureau but corporation organized under corporate
law responsible to the and the President for its
the people is telgy set forth in story in connection with
the IVA 1t like this farmers killed acct
dentay by IVA construction Had been killed by
construction employed by bureau would have taken
act of the farmer for his os the
authority paid him Immediately. Moreover, argument
against bureaucratic control falls completely flat in view of
the fact that both the Reclamation Service and the Army Eng
fundamentally CONTROLLED and by remote control
from Washington whereas authority functions and con-
trolled in the region affected
Another argument which will undoubtedly be presented
by this opponent of authority will probably be patterned
after the speech made by Judge Sloan at the Reclamation
venon in Helena short time when he stated that there
mad been great loss OF tax revenue troug he operations OF
the iva the Tennessee Valley region This approaches the
IVA taxes lieu of taxes amounting to far
than the privately utilities paid the advent
of the IVA In addition to that the people of that section OF
the nation profit from the availability of abundant electric
low rates Questions which might disturb the gentle
in his would be- Do not the all
of the Montana Power Company taxes? Did the Montana
Power Company about six millions of dollars taxes for
1943 representing the the people of the state paid
charges based IVA for electric power? Didn't
the Montana Power Company collect this from the
in addition to the the company paid?
Moreover, this week morning, broadcast
the ZBar Net reported the of and moneys
lieu of which had been paid by the IVA to the
political subdivisions the Tennessee valley region No
ton of this carried in of the daily publications in the
sae which is, of course not remarkable
Should the gentleman advance another of the arguments
used the imported opponent of the VA at the Reclamation
meeting that much good land would be flooded by the author
ity building its would appear that he must then
make simultaneous effort to convince his fellow members in
legislature that all built for irrigation by the Rec
will be built barren nonproductve hill
tops He may into difficulties there They might want to
know how the will be raised to those points He'll
probably that the Montana Power Company will
form the miracle
It will be well for the representatives the people
throughout the state remember that there only
most corporations in the state that have egit
argument their viewpoint of selfish interest
against the proposals for Missouri Valley Authority These
the Montana Power Company and the Anaconda Copper
Mining Company of which their respective fields
monopoly the state the detment of the people of the
state and to the future development of the state.
Utilization of the waters of the Missouri for irrigation
may bring greater agricultural production but will do
nothing bring industrial development other
natural which have if hope
increased population to provide market for the agricultural
products This miracle looking for All that fl
the development of water for
people for private profit private
only in profits Development of timber and