The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1945-05-25
The eva and


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no fear from the former candidate for
the senate about his ranches being
flooded, because he knows that the
government will pay him for every
acre flooded, at least as much as it
is worth.
The Missouri Valley authority con-
templates also key dam at Canyon
Ferry. The difference is the power
used at Helena would be sold direct
to the city of Helena for distribution
by the valley authority. The people
would get the benefit of great dam
at Canyon Ferry, but with no valley
authority the people will pay the ben
eft of the dam to the Montana Pow
er company Under the army plan or
reclamation plan the government will
build the dam at the expense of all
of the taxpayers. The government
will technically own the dam, and the
Montana Power company will get all
of the profit from the dam.
Another thing that concerns you is
the cost to the government of in
stalling eva. My friends, more than
one-half of that cost has already been
made, and laid out by the government.
Eighty-five per cent of the work to
make the Columbia navigable from
Vancouver to the Snake river has
been done between Bonneville and
the Grand Coulee dam. Seventy per
cent of the work necessary has been
done from Cello to the inflow of the
Snake river and the plan is to turn
the greatest dam in the world, the
Grand Coulee, over to the authority
free of cost. The plan is to turn the
Bonneville dam over to the authority
free of cost. The plan is to turn the
Fort Peck dam over to the MVA free
of cost.
An old objection to the IVA by
some chambers of commerce was the
question of wages paid to labor Our
eastern friends thought that labor
would get too much out of the prof.
ect. The present IVA law, and all
of the bills for the other valley author
tiles, recommended by Mr.. Roosevelt,
provided that there shall be no po-
litical qualifications or test for Off
GERS or servants. All contracts for
the work shall contain a provision
that not less than the prevailing rate
of wages for work of similar nature
in the vicinity shall be paid to la
borers and mechanics.
1 take 1t that none of you here
would object seriously to becoming a
stakeholder in the Washington Light
& Power company, or to becoming a
stakeholder in the Montana Power
company. You are given an oppor-
tunity to become really stockholders
in power company greater than
either. Your dividends will be paid
each month in lesser charges for a
necessary service. Your dividends
will be paid each month in better
and cheaper fertilizer. Your dividends
will be paid each month in an in
dwelling feeling of patriotism that |
you are a part of the great benefit
cial institution to humanity. Do we
need such work in Montana?
| spent a month with my family in
Hamilton some 95 years ago. There
was a beautiful hotel. The pulse of
the community was high. never met
such hospitable, friendly people as l
met that month in Hamilton. Situat-
ed in the most beautiful valley in the
state, grain, cattle, fruits on all sides. |
thought that Hamilton would grow. |
Five and 80 years have passed; the |,
same good people, or their children. |
are here. The hotel is burned down,
and never rebuilt. What might have
been beautiful, large and happy city
is just about what it was 35 years
ago, and that is the case all over
Montana, and particularly in Butte.
Our Butte hotels, fortunately have
not been destroyed by fire, but the
Thornton, which cost $25O,OOO, has
been empty and pigeon roost, for
Is years. There are more vacant
business places in Butte than ever be-
fore.
Recently an eastern newspaper said
that counting of ration cards