The people's voice., 1945-12-14
SUGGESTIONS TO THE
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

mand reduction in premium rates for
life, fire, casualty insurance. If SO
postage is too much of an outlay for
that program the chamber might copy
the example of the chamber of COM
merce in Union, Mo-; 32 years ago
that body helped organize the Union
Town Mutual Fire Insurance Co. This
is now a large concern, has always
paid back to policy holders an average
of 40 per cent of premiums. and in
sures for less than old line companies
Success is usual in this kind of en-
deavor In 1912, 1877 farmers mutual
fire insurance companies reported 31a
million members; no bankruptcies
Third Another five million dollars
leaves the pockets of. Montana people
for which there is no return, in our
fantastic electric power setup.
John Rankin, congressman from Mis-
sissippi, where the Tennessee Valley
authority functions, procured the Fed
eral Power commission to assemble
the figures for all the states to de-
termine how the rates paid in each
compared with what the people there
in would have paid under IVA rates.
Montana people in this table paid in
1914 five million, one hundred thou
sand dollars more than they would
have paid under the rates prevailing
where the great federal corporation
fought for by Norris, established by
Roosevelt, operates in the Tennessee
valley The blessings to mankind of
the IVA have been studied by, and
similar setups are being advocated by,
statesmen from China to Egypt, going
to Brazil All the chambers of COM
merce in the big cities in seven states
served by the Tennessee Valley au-
thority opposed that plan when it was
being formed. They now all praise it
highly Foresight is rarer but more
valuable than hind sight Our cham
Der of commerce should cause its sec
retary to Immediately write to dozen
such associations in the Tennessee
valley, find out the causes if this
change of heart, and publish the ans
wers in the Butte Daily Post.
Our colonial economy described by
DR. Melby so far gone that he
could not help us (before he left for
a better position with Columbia Uni
is largely due to lack of
small business. A tannery is per-
haps the prime essential small busi-
ness needed in Montana. Our ranch
ers get 81 for a hide-it goes to Mil
waukee, SO work is done dressing.
Half of il comes back as side of sole
leather We then pay S47 for a half
Of what we sold for 81. Before the
war. the government was willing to
give a tannery in Butte to the 80 men
If families working in it if they would
organize into a corporation. They
lid SO organize on the next day. Then
he Butte chamber of commerce in
-oked the aid of Senator Wheeler.
Ie is said to have blocked the deal
t the request of our Butte chamber
f commerce.
If the men had been given this
liant. (they were already highly
rained at public expense) with war
emands for leather soon afterwards.
his concern would have easily
volved to dressing munitions leather,
0 making shoes, harnesses. Doubt
ess there would now be 5000 men
Employed in it, and probably 5000.
70 other kind of plant could be so
eadily re-converted to peacetime in
lustry.
Our chamber of commerce should
repent in sack cloth and ashes" "be
,orn again." crawl on its hands and
.neees, and beg that tannery be
tarted in Butte.
From its being for 20 years glassed
!, company warmed, hot bed of fu-
lity "to fortune and to fame un-
nown," the Butte chamber of COM
lerce could become, in six weeks, the
lost famous body of it's kind in Amer.
"a.
But knowledge, to their eyes, her
ample page
ich with the spoils of time, did
ne'er enroll
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