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


demonstrated beyond any question c
| a doubt that this type of operation
, is the most satisfactory method O
obtaining the results desired S555 ha
followed very closely the pattern es
tablished by the IVA Act.
Statements are made to the effec
that our problems of irrigation ant
reclamation in the Missouri Basin arr
so totally different from the prob
lens found in the Tennessee Vale,
that the same legislative device would
not be workable. 1t is also argued tha
the extreme difference in area would
Irender the MVA unavoidable.
| believe the problem of total de
velopment of the Missouri Basin Is
primarily one of coordination and ad
ministration and I submit that IVA
from which MVA is patterned, has
demonstrated the desirability of the
corporate authority device as being
the most successful and efficient oil
any plan to carry out the development
program desired for the Missouri
Basin.
The contention is made that the
supporters of S555 would discard the
tried and proven government agen-
cies, the Army Engineers and the Blu
reau of Reclamation, and substitute in
| their stead an untried experiment.
This obviously is not the case. In re-
gard to the suggestion that present
agencies would be discarded, let me
say the Army Engineers co-operated
with the iva in planning and construc-
ton work. am informed they have
operated from the first installation
and are still operating the boat locks
on all of the main river dams in the
IVA. There is no reason to believe
they would not do the same with a
Missouri Valley Authority when Con-
gress passes S555.
There is no reason to believe that
the Bureau of Reclamation will not
cooperate ais readily and as COM
pletely with the MVA would like to
quote from letter written by Re-
gional Director H. D. Comstock of the
Bureau of Reclamation Quote:
cd The Bureau of Reclamation,
formerly known as the Reclamation
Service, has been engaged in the de-
velopment of irrigation in Montana
since the passage of the Reclamation
Act on June II, 1902 Construction
work was started in 1905 and the first
water was delivered to farms in 1908
"(2) Three projects were construct
ed on Indian Reservations and about
twenty years ago were turned over
to the Office of Indian Affairs for op-
GRAFTON. We have no data available
as to these projects. Eight other prof.
ects have been substantially COM
pleted by the bureau as listed in the
following paragraph Of these, five
have been turned over to irrigation
districts for operation. One is being
operated by the Farm Security admin
istration and another will be very
shortly. Only one, the Milk River prof.
ect, is being continued under direct
operation of the buerau." End quote.
1t seems evident to me that from
the above the Bureau of Reclamation,
insofar as 1t is authorized to do SO,
is willing to cooperate with other
agencies. 1 believe that MVA could
and would coordinate the work of all |
agencies and would promote a unifica-
ton of development programs not |
known except in IVA.
In discussing Missouri River devel-
opment with another gentleman who
las been employed by the Reclama-
ion Bureau for a number of years,
asked him this question: Don't you
believe that the MVA is the proper
method of Missouri Basin develop
nent?" His answer was: "It's the only
way we'll ever get the development
program we should have" l have. dis
:ussed this question with many diff
erent people employed in various bu-
eaus and agencies of the federal gov
rnment and l am firmly convinced
hat majority Of such employees