The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1945-05-04

right now at least 10000 good young
workers. These workers would be
better off on the ranches and farms
than following the mirage of tempo
rary employment in road work.
But how long would the IL million
dollars last? A Aroad contractor tells
me that half of it woul dgo to road
equipment and supplies bought out
of the state. One thousand five hun
dred a year is rather small wages
under the present high cost Of liv-
ing, but such wage, by giving 1000
men = no women, work for one year
would consume six million dollars.
And just what labor would get that
payroll? If all of the states were pro-
viding similar funds = say if New
York were putting up 800 million dol
lars, Ohio 200 million, etc., we might
believe that our six million would go
to returning Montana soldiers. Cali
fornia legislated to exclude labor from
other states. The United States SUI
.preme Court annulled the California
law. There would be a short thrush
OF itinerant labor from elsewhere. Our
six million dollars would be consumed
in the scramble, and at the end of
one year, we would be worse off by
II million dollars than we were be-
fore.
Every fall in the capitol grounds
at Helena, there are lots of beautiful
red berries on the ash trees. Clouds
OF wax wing birds come from some
where, eat all of our nice, pretty ber-
ries in an hour, and fly away. Just
that would happen to our six million
dollars left after the road machinery
and supplies were purchased.
1t looks now that while we will fin
ally get the M. V. A., yet our COVER
nor and the newspapers representing
the electric power cartel of the United
States will prevent us from getting in
among the first. Then, if this bond
issue carries, we will be paying our
share of the income taxes, internal
revenue, cigaret tax, and all other
forms of excise taxes into the general
Of the United States; our
money will go to build the Ohio Val
ey authority, the other six valley au-
-horities recommended by our late
president, and we, listening to our
0windlers shouting states rights, will
De sitting out in the cold, eating at
he second table, and being laughed
1t by sensible people over the rest
If the country. States rights" has
,een the shiboleth, the war whoop
If the reactionaries for more than 100
'ears. Until Appomatox, states rights
vas the cry of those who wished chat
ell slavery to exist, and nowadays
is the cry of those who wish cleo
ric power cartel slavery to exist.
The placing of IL million dollar
Mortgage on Montana is not going to
ntice back our young men and wom-
n to work on the farms.
The statement by our distinguished
overnor that the state has five mil
on dollars in the general fund is spe-
lous. The bonded indebtedness of the
tate is more than five million dol
IFS. If the state treasury had just
271,000 more, it would have nothing
all. We can not live forever on an
rtificial economy. We must, if the
ate must employ labor to avoid a
isis, put that labor to work doing
5eful things - not boon-doggling on
,ad work that is not as necessary as
,me other projects, more needed and
'sting less.
Roads are great benefits. They are
1t self-liquidating.
Joe Dixon, in message to the leg
lature, asked for $4,000 to start a
ate tannery. A bill was accordingly
troduced. Montana Dwindlers, Inc,
en- got Joe to fight the bill he
ked for.
With s250,0OO the state could start
tannery and 10 wool-carding and
gaming plants. With small charges
r service, these would pay it back.
Their would do more good than
dening trunk highways near Helena,
eat Falls and Butte, or paying in
rest to Helena and New York bank
$ on IL million dollars.
hope enough voters will remember
at:
"a Fool and his money are soon
rted."