The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1946-03-22
CONTINUED from Page one)

United States and Canada must join
forces to lay the foundation of long
range program to stabilize farm prices
or be prepared to be saddled with
large portion of the war debt through
cheap farm prices" He also stated that
farmers in the two countries will be
the first to suffer a sharp drop in
prices when the first signs of sur
pluses appears on the market places"
+. unless they are ready to use their
Co-operatives to help adapt produc-
ton methods into modern Twentieth
Century methods of marketing and
distribution"
Mr.. Thatcher emphasized the i'm
portance of food as the most valuable
weapon for peace in the world today
and that military alliances pale into
insignificance when it comes to feed
ing whole continents of people who
are on the verge of mass starvation.
So-called surpluses, he urged, in years
when they occur, should be used as
q. Americas cheapest insurance
against another war simply by making
this food available to other countries
swept into war by hunger"
From $4,000 to $40 Million
Mr.. Thatcher briefly reported on the
progress of the G.T.A. since it was or
ganized eight years ago on 100000 cap
ital borrowed from the Central Ex-
change. At the end of 1945 the G.T.A.
was worth more than $40 million net,
and during the year of 1915 did more
than $3.50 million volume of business,
with additional price benefits of sew
eral millions to the farmers of the
Northwest.
Other Saturday speakers included
Harry Wagner, st. Paul, Central Elk
change chemist, Public Relations Di-
rector Gordon Roth, St Paul; C.E.
Hardware Department Manager Joe
Kelly, st. Paul, George Grosskopf,
Farmers Union Livestock board mem
Der, and Victor Van Lucien, Farmers
Union Livestock salesman, Billings.
Montana Farmers Union President
Don Chapman was the speaker of the
Saturday evening banquet in the Great
Falls Civic Center. A. E. Bert" Kath-
an, G.TA. secretary, and Leo Doheny,
Central Exchange president, were the
presiding officers at the conference.
More than 900 Cooperative manag.
ers, directors and guests attended the
two-day conference.
The following resolutions were APP
proved by delegates to the conference
Saturday afternoon:
Resolution No. One
Whereas, the Office of Price admin
istration has succeeded in maintaining
a stable price structure for goods and
materials for the consuming public,
and has held firmly to it's purposes
to prevent disastrous inflationary ten
denotes, despite pressure from power
full groups, and
Whereas, the purposes of the Office |
of Price administration is presently |
being attacked by these same power
full and short-sighted interests not con-
cerned in the least with the economic
welfare of the nation as a whole, but /
solely with immediate profits for them
selves and
Whereas, this convention of manag-
ers and directors of local and regional |
Co-operatives held in Great Falls, Mon
tana March 1916 is convinced that in
flation can only be avoided by the ex-
tension of the authority of the Office |
of Price administration with suffici-
ent funds available for its use to carry
out its purposes, now therefore be it
Resolved that copies of this resolu-
ton be given to the press and sent to
the Montana congressional delegation,
and also to Paul Porter National Ad-
ministrator of the Office of Price adj
ministratiOn and to L. M. A Wass,
State Administrator of the Office of
Price administration.
Resolution No. Two
Whereas, this conference of manag.
ers and directors of local and regional
Co-operatives, held in Great Falls,
Montana March 1916 is convinced that
co-ordinated development of the re-
sources of the Missouri River Region
cannot be accomplished under the dual
control of the army engineers and the
bureau of reclamation, with the inevi-
table clashes of interests of these two s
federal agencies, and
Whereas, the pattern of an overall
to coordinate and integrate
the problems of development of river
region has been demonstrated in the
Tennessee River Valley region by the
Tennessee Valley Authority to the de-
gree that it has set a world pattern
of achievement, and
Whereas, there is now before con-
gress the issue of creating a Missouri
Valley Authority and a Columbia Val
ley Authority patterned after the Ten
nessee Valley Authority for the inte-
grated development of these two river
regions in both of which Montana is
directly interested, now therefore be it
Resolved that this convention of
and directors of local and
regional Co-operatives endorse the
measure now before the congress of
he United States for the establish
nent of these authorities and urge the
support of our congressional delega-
ion for their establishment, and be it 4
urther I
Resolved that copies of this resolu-
ion be given to the press and to the |
members of the Montana congression- 4
j delegation.
Resolution No. Three
We, your committee on resolutions
ubm1t that the local Co-operatives in \