Montana labor news., 1946-01-31
SUGGESTIONS TO THE
OF COMMERCE


predicts new activities 10 be carried ON
by TRANSMISSION Of y,lnec r blood III
the Butte Chamber ii Commerce. Inc
ioreword is hay about what these
will be.
The thoughts OF tn, civilized world
are turning toward collective effort
Russia hopes in d tunlfei years t.
educate her studious 'l.s>c> mp to Com
muni,m. tOur fine highway system
and c"gcnt graduate tucomc tax slug
sest that we are perhaps further along
the road to Commun I'm than the Soviet
Cnion) England ha. followed the cx-
ample of Australia an New Zealand.
The present parliamyu. is taking over
the Bank Of Englarl. railways, utili-
ties. The Rochedalc Operative does
the largest retail me-, Andisc business
III the British Isle. France j, now
committed to coniiscH linn OF the Bank !
OF France and public DESCRIPTION ot the
utilities. Rural clcUriiication Is an
established policy oi our nation.
Montana'S spopulai III has declined
sadly since January /. l9ll, the day
Governor Ford took %oiiicc. We lack
small industry to attract our youth.
The Chamber OF Commerce must
study and realize the causes OF our
dcclinc-make a diaenosis-beforc Try
ing to cure.
There are three man causes:
Firsst. Railroad irciehts are dis
c~rimlnatory against the mountain states.
Colorado, Idaho, Utah, Wyoming. Mon
tana. This costs Montana people about
five million dollars a year more than 1t
should. The governor oi Georgia IS
fighting to reduce rates Tor Georgia
and with some success in the Supreme
Court at Washington. Our Chamber
should next week order is secretary to
correspond with a similar body i'll Den
yer, Salt Lake, Boise. Cheyenne. try
ing to secure united action in the u. S.
Supreme Court, before the Interstate
Commerce commission. in Congress. for
REIMBURSEMENT OF all freight rates to
points in the mountain states; 90 years
- lViiS Nilp0St u US ~ ttlQNl W
binary freight rates.
Second. The foreign-owncd life. fire,
accident. automobile collision insurance
companies annually collect in premiums
in Montana l0H million dollars more
than they pay back to our citizens for
losses. Insurance last spring was de-
cided by the L. S. Supreme Court to be
Interstate Commerce. i. e, Tor congress
sional regulation. The insurance racket
saps the likelihood Of all the other states,
as i%luently as ours. Publicity. notoriety
fame rejoice the heart OF every true
Rotarian or Chamber OF Commerce man
The Butte Chamber OF Commerce could
in 80 days be the mos, famous body
Of that kind in America, ii it would as.
semble the figures about insurance pub
lished by our state auditor. Publicizt
these by letter to the Chambers OF Com
merce i'll the 100 largest cities; demand
a congressional investigation; and de
mand reduction in premium rates 10
life, fire, casualty insurance. Ii S
postage is too much OF an outlay for tina
program. the Chamber might copy tn
example OF the Chamber Of Commerc
in Union, Mo. 3 years ago that bod
helped organize the Union Town Mu
tual Fire Insurance Co. This is now
large concern, has always paid BAG
to po~licyholders an average Of 40 pc
cent OF premiums, and insures for les
than old line companies. Success
usual in this kind OF endcavor.
1912. l,S77 farmers mutual fire insul
alcc companies reported three and dn'
: hall million members; no bankrup
| cics.
Third. Another five million dollar
: leaves the pockets OF Montana poop
iur which there is no return, in 0,
=, fantastic electric power setup.
John Rankin, congressman from Mi.
%sissippi. where the Tennessee Vale
: Authority functions. procured the tee
cral power commission to assemble II
figures for all the states to dctermir
r how the rates paid in each compare
, with what the people therein would hay
paid under IVA rates. Montana pee
pie III this table paid in 1914 five Milo
| one hundred thousand dollars MOI
!, than they would have paid under Il
=, rates prevailing where the great fec
: cral corporation fought for by Norri
: established by Roosevelt, operate
the Tennessee valley. The blessing
mankind OF the IVA have been studio
) by, and similar sctups are being advt
: Gated by statesmen from him
Egypt. going to Brazil. All the Chan
bcrs Of Commerce in the big cities
: seven states served by the Tcnness'
5 Valley authority opposed that pla
when /, Was being formed. They no
: all praise il highly. Foresight is rar'
bu, more valuable than hind sigh
\ Our Chamber OF Commerce shou
cause lis secretary to immediate
= write TO a dozen such associations
e the Tennessee VALLEY ind out the caus
ii this change OF heart. and publish Il
anwcrs III the Butte Daily Post.
x Our colonial economy described
t Dir. Melhy a. 50 lar gone that he cou
not help rs Ociore h. left for a bett
position with Columbia university,
n largely due to lack * small businc'
A ,anncry is perhaps the prime esse
tial small business needed in Montar
Our ranchcrs sc, 81 Tor a hide-it &c
n TO Milwaukee, $ work is one dres
r. ing. Hall OF it comes back as a 81
/. Of sole leather. We then pay S47 I
a hall Of what We old for 81. Bcfo
d the war the government was will
70 give a tanncry in Butte to the
mon OF iamilles MnrLing in it il Ii