The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1945-10-26
By MORRIS e. GARNsEY

brighter future
We Of the Mountain States not unlike tina
man Some of us seem, even as he, to have ful
confidence that the bright future is just ahead ant
that we need only to wait calmly for its arrival Bu
many of already have reached the stage OF doup
and anxiety. Seated astride the ridgepole OF The
continent we are looking anxiously at the signs o.
nascent prosperity all around us-a future promise
in which we do not seem to share. To the west
the Pacific Coast is fairly bursting with optimism
and talk of more population, more jobs, and higher
postwar incomes. To the SOUTH Texas is hardly less
exuberant than California and even the Deep South
seems to be stirring To the east the states in the
Mississippi Valley quietly confident of their abi
itv to continue their steady progress; while the At
lantic States long established and secure in their
postion, seem destined to maintain their preeml-
nence. Here at home, by contrast there are very
few signs of light; and are beginning to wonder
uneasiy whether economic progress will pass us by
as lightly and ndifferently the transcontinental
planes surmount rugged mountains.
"Why these doubts?' the transient visitor might
well ask "The Mountain States still new coun-
try Vast natural resources lie untapped and yet
to be developed. The people of the region are equal
in skill and ability and cultural heritage to those OF
other parts of the country, and the pioneer spirit
is by no means dead OF course, your capital equip
ment is relatively tmall and inadequately developed,
but this factor is actually favorable one for post
war growth since it provides obvious opportun-
ity for expansion"
With all of this, fortunately, we can thankfully
agree The extent of the natural wealth of the
Mountain States is almost beyond comprehension
Today much of the worlds production of "copper"
vanadium moybdenum, and other vital metals comes
from the Rockies Large deposits of uraniumbe
ing ores-the raw material for atomic bombs ana
potentially for atomic power-are found in Colorado
Quantities of petroleum are held in reserve, and
billions and billions of tons of coal and oil shae
eventually will provide the United States with much
of its fuel There is enough for decades-even for
centuries Moreover, the refrigeration OF coal and
the processing of shale to produce oil will create
opportunities for galaxy of satellite chemical in
dustries Pyridne, cresylic acid synthetic rubber,
and drugs are examples. The greatest known de-
posts of lfe-giving phosphate lie in now econom-
icay inaccessible parts of Idaho and Wyoming.
When developed, they will enrich the wide grass
lands and irrigated valleys of the Mountain States
and other regions we'll The huge national forests
offer perpetual "crop" of timber under modern
methods of numbering Natural resources are indeed
varied and abundant
The human resources, too, are of great value
Mountain men are additionally noted for their
sourcefulness and vgor. 1t is accident that the
big new war plants in the Rockies piled up astonsh-
ing records of labor productivity. Among smaller
enterprises there many examples Of the develop
ment of new products and new techn1ques, OFTEN
against heavy odds. The Mountain States need not
apologize when questioned abou the potential prom
Use of their people.
DUT there is another vital factor to be reckoned
IL with. The natural resources LABOR, ana cdplCdl
of a region do not automatically combine to produce
Jobs and income They are brought together in Gre
alive effort by The in turn do not operate
in vacuum They perform their managerial and
creative functions surrounded by complex environ
ment Of economic, political and social forces The
sum total of these forces is sometimes called the
economic climate" and the Importance of having
favorable climate in Which to nourish economic
activity is we'll recognized.
Unfortunately there are good for be-
lievng that today the economic climate in the Noun
tain States is none too healthy Westerners per-
petuaIly boast of their magnificent natural climate,
of long bright days and cool starry nights But in
1915 the economic climate does not seem equally
Storm clouds and thunderheads
looming on the horizon Among the several insti
tutional barriers which stand in the way of econom
ic progress two stand out like Pixies Peak on
sunny day: the absentee control of our natural re-
sources and the shortsightedness and unnelligence
Of our own business and political leadership.
Z BSENTEEISM is, of course, an old plant of the
n West. During the days of the gold and silver
strikes, large fortunes were made by men on the
ground and today their descendants sometimes
i've in the region and take an active part in bust
ness and social life. But gradually control slipped
away.
Today nearly all of the Vests largest enterprises
are directed in the final analysis by remote control
Climax Molybdenum Co. takes more than 70 per cent
If the worlds moybdenum production from rich
ill near the continental divide in Colorado It's
managers live in New York The Colorado Fuel and
ron Co., until the the leading steel mill west
If Chicago, a Rockefeller property for many
,ears; now it is owned by Eastern group even
more foreign to the West than Rockefeller Eastern
control of other minerals and metals is extensive.
Anaconda, Kennecott, and Phelps Dodge are import
INT examples in copper United States Potash is
mother Eastern firm exploiting Western resource.
electric power communications, and railroad facili-
les are tied in with national systems both phys
cally and financially. Meat packing is largely in
he hands of the big packing companies.
Such remote control clearly has the tendency to
Intensity the traditional business policy of emphasis
IN shortrun profits Get control of the raw ma
erial get it out cheaply possible and haul it
way as fast as possible We're here today and gone
omorrow Never mind what we leave behind" Such
the common policy of absenteeism. Absentee con-
rol also leads to. nfexibty of management and
enera indifference to the local implications of over
II policy. The interests of the local area are
econdary consideration The region becomes
olonial dependency of industrial empire.
A BSENTEE control local enterprises is bad
\ enough, but the economy of a region fares even
yorse when established industry elsewhere is sue
essfu in thwarting the creation or development of