The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1945-10-05

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with an MVA-administered program.
In my opinion the tremendous i'm
portance of the proposed development
in the Missouri Basin cannot be over
stated. The benefits to the region ant
nation as whole can hardly be est
mated by anyone. Therefore, it seems
to me that every means should b.
used to promote discussion and com
plete understanding of all proposals
so that every citizen may be correctly
informed as to what the plans are
and the results that may be attained
by the use of either plan.
The results of twelve years opera
ton of IVA in the Tennessee Valley
are available to the members of Con
gress in the form of official and un
official reports.
Unfortunately these reports are not
as readily available to the average
citizen. AS stated before the success
of this experiment exceeded the hopes
Of its staunchest supporters. This
successful operation of IVA is being
entirely misrepresented by the power
monopoly controlled press, especially
in my state.
The charge that an MVA would be
super state is completely erroneous
and is entirely disproved by public
statements made by the seven gov
ernors of the states included in the
iva.
People in the arid sections of the
Missouri Valley have water rights
The water is used for irrigation of
hay and grain and various other crops,
possession of such right represents
economic life to the farmer or ranch
er It's loss would be equivalent to his
economic death warrant.
These farmers and ranchers are
being told that an MVA would have
the authority to deprive them of their
water rights without compensation or
to destroy such water rights indis-
Section 10, page II of S555 protects
the possessors of all water rights inso-
far as possible under federal and
state laws. The last four lines in
Section 10 provide for purchase, lease,
condemnation or donation of real or
personal property or any interest
therein. A water right is a. property
right and, therefore, could be pur-
chased or condemned by an MVA in
the same manner as other property
The Army Engineers, Bureau of Rec
amation, as well as any public util-
ty, the state or federal government
has the same right of condemnation
as is granted to MVA and MVA has
40 additional authority. The federal
government acting through any agency
it may create is not permitted to
appropriate private property unless
such action is shown to be in the
public interest
The War department constructed a
lam at Fort Peck on the Missouri
liver in Montana few years ago, and
or the purpose of providing reser-
yoir for Fort Peck lake, purchased
'r condemned roughly 10000 acres |
If land, most of which was privately |
,wned. Many water rights were pur-
biased or condemned with this land |
md are now covered by the lake.
This 10000 acres of land used as
reservoir was taken from the tax
oils of the counties and state and as |
ar as | have been able to learn no
axes or money in lieu of taxes has
'een paid the state or its political sub
divisions by the War department.
federal property is not taxable by a
tate.
Should S555 become law, all install
atoms at Fort Peck would become
art of MVA and that state and its
olitical subdivisions will receive pay
1ents in lieu of taxes on the land and
roperty at Fort Peck, as provided in
he bill
The charge is made that IVA has L
ntered into private business of all
inds in the Tennessee Valley and
nat we in the Missouri Basin may