davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1946-05-10
Anti Trust Suits Against
Oil Companies Renewed
Government viii Press Five Major Charges;
Petroleum Lobbyists Talking About
Securing Consent Decree

WASHINGTON, d. C.-(CNS)-An-
other attack on the oil trust was
launched by the government on May
l, when the American Petroleum In
stitute and scores of its member cor
porations and their representatives
were brought before the federal court
in Washington to answer to the com
plant of the Department of Justice
that they had violated the antitrust
laws. The complaint which was filed
September 30, 1910, and then post
poned during the war period, has been
renewed. The complaint constitutes a
blanket indictment by the government
of the major oil companies and their
affiliates.
Already some of the representatives
of the oil lobby have begun to talk of
getting a kindly consent Decree" the
old and much-abused process for the
settlement of big antitrust cases. If an
agreement for dismissal of the suit
is made by the government and the
oil companies, the important concern
to consumers is that the government
will insist ON provisions in the con-
sent decree which will be effective in
attacking monopoly practices.
The government is asking the court
to order the defendant oil com
panies to:
/. Dissolve the American Petroleum
Institute.
q That provisions of contracts for sale
of petroleum products, and for agen-
cies and leases with jobbers and
distributors which provide for ex-
elusive dealings with the defendants
shall be adjudged to be monopolis-
tic and permanently enjoined.
The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1946-05-10
Funds For Hungry
Horse Project
Approved
Corette of Montana Power
Protests Approval of
Appropriations

This week an appropriation of
s1,817, 210 for construction work on
Hungry Horse dam was recommended
tee. OF this amount $950,000 was APP
proved for construction of 10000
volt power line from Kerr dam at
the south end of Flathead lake to the
Hungry Horse damsite. The commit
tees recommendation fell approx
request of the bureau of reclamation
for the next fiscal year, however,
$1,700,000 was approved some months
ago for this construction. Total cost
of the Hungry Horse project is esti-
mated at $4S,0O0,000.
The Bonneville Power authority
asked for the Kerr dam-Hungry Horse
power line. The committee said it was
advised that lis, 000-volt line, suffici-
ent to meet all requirements could be
constructed at saving of $4,000 I'M
der original estimated cost.
Power Line Approval Vital
Rep. Mike Mansfield (D.-Mont. J.,
testified before the committee that the
power line-which the Bonneville au-
thority proposes to make unit in its
Columbia basin SYSTEMS vitality
needed at this time to bring power
for construction at Hungry Horse.
If the line is not built, neither will
Hungry Horse dam be constructed, he
told the committee.
DR.. Paul J. Raver, Bonneville au-
thority administrator, testified that
eventually it is intended to use the
line to carry power from the complet-
ed dam. 1t would tie up to 100000
volt line extending from Spokane,
Wash, to Missoula, Mont, when oper-
ating and marketing requirements for
power demand it," he said.
corette Makes Wild Assertions
Appropriations for both the prof.
ect and the power line were protested
at the committees hearing by ]. E.
Corette Jr., vice president of the Mon
tana Power company.
Corette contended the Hungry Horse
project could only be operated at can
enormous loss to the taxpayers of the
nation" Hungry Horse will be "strict-
ly power project and not reclama-
ton project" and its construction
would jeopardize the success of other
irrigation-power projects in the Mis-
souri, and Yellowstone river valleys,
These assertions were denied by
Mansfield and other members of the
Montana delegation.
The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1946-05-10

action on antitrust charges.
This bill which is being
pushed by the all-powerful AS
ISOLATION of American Railroads lob
by. was pressured through the house
by vote of 277-45 last December 10.
Purpose of the proposed legislation is
two-fold: First, if congressional APP
prevail can be secured soon enough
it will prevent further prosecution of
the rails for discriminatory rate-fixing
in the courts by the state of Georgia
and the Department of Justice. Geor-
States supreme court in an effort to
secure more favorable rates for that
state and other Southern states, while
the Department of Justice has filed
indictments against similar discrim-
inatory practices against the Associ-
alton of Western Railroads. Secondly,
if the Bulwinkle bill can be enacted
into law, it will free the rails of any
similar court actions in the future.
In announcing opposition to the bill,
hlllSI HduS II pam tHdl TIC DIN,
unlike some of the other major rail
unions, is not being misled by the
of the AAR that the pub
lie has sufficient redress vested in
the Interstate Commerce commission,
against the rate-fixing policies Of the
rail monopoly as laid down by the
Wall Street banking firms of Morgan,
etc.
The trainmen, biggest of the politi-
cally influential railroad brotherhoods,
warned congress as senate hearings
closed on the Bulwinkle dolby bill,
that the antitrust laws have prevent
ed the smothering of free competitive
and "the people of the Unit
ed States just can not afford to legally
permit any semblance of let-down in
the restrictions" contained in these
laws.
Speaking for the trainmen. Miller
The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1946-05-10
iva GRANTS FOR farm EXPERIMENTS
have PAID HUGE DIVIDENDS TO
TENNESSEE FARMERS
Some Farms Produce IS Bushels of Oats To Acre AS Result
OF Practicing Crop Rotation and Intensive Use
OF fertilizer Provided by Authority
use phosphate to grow such nitrogen
producing crops as clover.
Experiments Encouraged

use phosphate to grow such nitrogen
producing crops as clover.
Experiments Encouraged
To encourage the use of phosphate
fertilizers, IVA decided to ''play San
ia Claus as congress had authorized
Farmers in every region in the val
ley were asked to select some of their
number to conduct experiments with
the free" fertilizer. The farmers who
were selected had to agree to pay the
freight. on the fertilizer. They had to
agree to use it only for pastures and
small grains. If they wanted to ferti-
lie their cotton and corn as well, they
would have to buy the extra fertilizer
from regular commercial producer
or through a farm Cooperative which
might buy some fertilizer from IVA.
The experimental farmer also had
to agree to follow for definite num-
Der of seasons a program of improved
farm management worked out with the
aid of the assistant county agent,
whose salary was paid indirectly by
IVA
To take part in the experiment,
some of the farmers selected by their
neighbors had to forego the planting
of any quick cash crops for at least
year. They were gambling" on the
success of the IVA program.
These experimental farmers are the
ones who have received the II million
dollars worth of fertilizer IVA has
given away, George S. Mcintosh, SEN
ior fertilizer specialist for the IVA
headquarters here in Knoxville, told
me.
Other Areas Aided
In some instances there have been
CONTINUED Page Two)
The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1946-05-10

3. That the defendants shall be per-
manently enjoined from dominating
or attempting to dominate the buy
ing, selling, pricing and operating
policies of the operators of facili-
ties in the marketing of petroleum
products.
|. That discriminatory price proyi-
sions of contracts shall be decreed
monopolistic and the practice en-
Joined.
}. That the defendants and each and
all of their representatives shall be
permanently enjoined from actions
to stabilize or peg prices, or to
maintain prices or margins; or from
operating pipe lines to monopolize
transportation of oil; or from con-
spring to eliminate actual or po-
tential competition; or from con-
spring to supervise illegal policies
and programs; or from carrying out
illegal contracts of combinations or
conspiracies; or from entering into
agreements to restrain competition
or to restrain crude oil production.
The complaint describes the various
of the American Petroleum
Institute and its members upon which
he specific demands for injunctions
are made. 1t relates the methods of
production and of controll-
ing prices; and the use of transporta-
lion agreements and facilities to in
-imidate and destroy recalcitrant in
dependent producers and distributors.
The famous Iowa" plan for leasing
gasoline distributing stations and for
controlling and dominating the lessers
IS specifically cited as a method
through which the monopoly operates.
The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1946-05-10
By MILES McM1LLIN
Capital Press, Salem, Ore J

There are signs that real struggle
power trust and the forces of public
power. For months it has been obvious
that the utility crowd has been load
ing it's guns for an about offensive
against public power. Recent events
indicate that the offensive has now
been launched.
Supporters of program of public
power should take very seriously the
signs of comeback operations on the
part of the old Plunderbund The util-
tiles have been fighting defensive or
rear-guard action for years. Their
strength has been concentrated on
stopping such developments as the
Missouri Valley Authority, the Column
bia Valley Authority, the st. Lawrence
Seaway, and other positive public
power projects.
But in late weeks they have changed
to the offensive. The counter-attack
has followed many months of inten-
sive preparation. A powerful new lob
by has been formed and is well loaded
Will CASH. II OpSl dtCo Ill w
under the National Association of Ell
ectric companies. Another association
of utilities has been formed for the
purpose of saturating the press and
the radio of the country with blatant
private ownership propaganda.
Sneak Punch Almost Succeeded
Against REA
These outfits mean business. Re
Gently they counter-attacked against
the Rural Electrification administra-
ton with one of those sneak, razzle-
dazzle punches for which they have
become celebrated. They sought to
stick an amendment on an REA ap-
preparation bill which would have cut
the CUTS out of REA's ability to bar
gain with private utilities for lower
rates.
Under the REA act as it is now
written it is possible for REA Co-ops
to borrow money and construct their
own generating plants. This gives
them an advantage when negotiating
with a private utility for power to
supply their Coop patrons and has
The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1946-05-10
Franco May Soon Have
Bomb Secret


Last October I was in London. I
met a French scientist who had
worked here on the atomic bomb prof.
ect and who had just returned to Lon
don. l asked him if he thought the
secret of the bomb could be kept by
us and he laughed of course not
he said. I'm sure Spain will have it
very SOON
THAT was rather startling. Then he
asked me question. Where are the
German scientists who we're only a
step behind us in developing the
bomb?'
81 told him l assumed that they had
all been caught, he said A great many
Of them got to Spain and they're in
Spain now working for Franco Then
he added. If you don 1--we this, go
to the British army intelligence.
They'll bear me out
81 went to the British intelligence
and they did bear the French scien-
fist out. They also told me other
things | hadn't known. They told me
that during the war German scien-
lists had developed the vi and the
w bombs in Spain Germany was
being bombed then, so Hitler sent
these experts into Spain and Franco
Continued ON Page Three)
The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1946-05-10
Power Trust {: Offensive On
To Kill Publ,n,,S., u.s. :n;.ership
Seek to Emasculate REA, IVA; Ill Throttle
Proposed Valley Authorities and
the ST. Lawrence Seaway

resulted in considerable benefits for
the farmers.
A senate subcommittee, made up of
some of the friends of the power trust,
sought to put over an amendment
which would deprive the Coop. of its
authority. No one was given notice
that the amendment was being at
tached to the appropriation bill. The
maneuver had all the earmarks of an
old sleeper play"
But it didn't catch Sen. Bob La Fol
lette and Sen. George Aiken, Vermont
Republican, asleep. Although they had
only few hours to prepare fight
against the vicious amendment, they
went to the Senate floor and blasted
it to bits with facts and figures show
ing the vast sums of money this au-
thority had saved the farmers of the
nation on their power bills. Sen. La
Toilette presented figures to show that
one Coop. in Wisconsin alone was
saving it's rural patrons more than
100000 year in comparison to the
rates it would have to pay to the pri-
vate utility.
Proponents Unable to Prove
Assertions
Sen. La Toilette dashed the amend
ment as an attempt to "amputate the
right arm" of the Co-ops. Meanwhile,
the proponents of the amendment
could offer only general, vague reasons
for its passage. They stubbornly main
tanned that the Co-ops were building
generating plants when they could buy
power from private utilities more
cheaply. When pressed for illustra'
lions of this, however, they offered
none. La Toilette and Aiken's argu-
ments were so impressive that the
senate overwhelmingly rejected the
This is the kind of alert fighting
that will keep the power trust on the
defensive. l was glad to note that
Speaker of the House Sam Rayburn,
who ordinarily does not become ruff
fled very easily, left his speakers
chair the other day and took the floor
for blistering attack on the utility
lobby
Rayburn, who learned about utility
CONTINUED on Page Three)
The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1946-05-10

prOXlmately 3O,OOO mounted
flat pictures.
A partial listing of the sub,
jects covered in the film library will
suffice to give broad picture of what
the library has to offer Included are
many reels of pictures on the life,
geography and history of many for
eign lands; technical subjects on
everything from dairying, copper min
ing, banking, sciences; several dozen
reels on athletics and sports; geo
graphical and historical studies of our
country; flowers, animals, insects, etc
Meager Beginning
The history of state-sponsored Visu-
al Education in Montana dates back
to the 1941 session of the legislature
when proponents of this aid to school
The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1946-05-10

testified that if the antitrust laws are
preached for one industry 'it will
serve as an open invitation for others
to ask for the same privileges" and
thus jeopardize "our whole democratic
way of life"
Independent Rail Opposes Bill
Further opposition to the bill, that
came to national attention last week,
was that of Robert r. Young, chair
man of the board of Allegheny Rail-
road corporation. Young, who for years
has been an unrelenting foe of the
banker-control of most of the nations
major rails, dashed out savagedly at
hearings before the senate committee
in Interstate Commerce, stating: For
three generations, Morgan and Kuhn
Loeb have dictated the policies of the
American railroads without dollar
of permanent ownership therein"
Young also outlined to the senate com
mittee how the rail ruling houses
through their domination of the field
also extended their control and profit
taking into the fields of life insurance,
investment banking and brokerage
houses and of the bulk of the nations
voting securities, all on the strength
of manipulation of other peoples
Farmers Union Head Urges Killing
of Bill
Third broadside of recent date de-
livered against the approval of the
Bulwinkle bill came in the form of
letter from NFU President James G.
Patton to Senator Wheeler, chairman
of the Commerce committee, who
since the senate hearings started has
not shown strong disposition to OPP
pose the lobby-sponsored legislation.
Patton not only urged that the com
mittee kill the bill, but also strongly
that the senate commit
tee Immediately draft legislation
which would establish real regula-
ton of railroads. Such reguiationI
should include regulation of the finan-
ciers who meet and decide railroad
policy at 40 Wall Street, Patton wrote
Senator Wheeler.
The letter was submitted because
President Patton is going to England
and will be unable to appear personal
Iy at the hearings 1t specifically asks
and his committee to draft
Legislation that will provide for real
and comprehensive regulation of rail
roads from top to demonstrating
40 Wall Street"
Important to Farmers
Freight rates are not an after
thought to American farmers" Patton
wrote. "They still govern much of the
economy of the nation. They are still |
)art of the means whereby the West
,rn and Southern states are made to
JUNCTION as colonial provinces from
which the Northeast-and 40 Wall |
Street in particular - drains profits
md returns little.
But farmers have fought such con.
:entrated financial power beforehand
Won. They will do it again. Every
CONTINUED on Page Four
The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1946-05-10
BUSINESSMEN
How Do You Feel About Montana Power Overcharges?

forced half again than public
light and establishment
public ownership instead of the
paying
be 1 added item of
readily understand which shouldn't
eliminated reduced business
elected Incl
reelection author
with the
the here Montana Insist
in reduced electricity
million Republication by Montana
final election time Com
Insist
they
plan to do ratesi
The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1946-05-10
NFU President Writes Strong Condemnation
of Proposal to Wheeler; Allegheny Head
Raps Banker Manipulation of Roads

Announcement by Brotherhood of Railway Trainmen
Spokesman Martin H. Miller last Friday of his unions oppos
ton to senate approval of the Buwnke bill added another
powerful that of the National Farmers Union West
shipping interests and the Aegany Railroad SYSTEM in the
fight keep the railroads from being exempted from court
The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1946-05-10
By L. A. CHAPLIN,
Denver Post Staff Writer.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn, April 27. =
Since it first came into existence in
1888, the Tennessee Valley Authority
has given away to farmers II million
dollars worth of fertilizer and mil
lions upon millions of Seeding trees.
In addition, in every county in the
Tennessee Valley, whether in Tennes-
see or any other state, the IVA pays
the expense of hiring an assistant
county farm agent to look after the
agricultural development projects in
which IVA is particularly interested.
These assistant agents are hired
through the land grant colleges, for
IVA believes in working through ex-
listing agencies, but IVA pays the bill.
IVA helps the farmers of this re-
gion in numerous other ways-in fl
nancing farm studies made by the col
leges. in teaching the proper harvest
ing of trees, for timber crops are i'm
portant in a region in which forest
lands comprise 40 per cent of the to-
tai acreage.
Answers Charge
Small wonder that IVA is some
times accused of playing Santa
Claus" to the valley farmers. TWAS
answer to that is that if it is playing
Santa, it is doing so at the direct man
date of congress, which has charged
IVA with the responsibility of improy-
ing agriculture in the valley and has
authorized such programs as the Civ
ing away of fertilizer.
What this valley looked like before
iva was created, l do not know.
This much seems certain, however;
The income of the valley farmers was
considerably below that of the income
of farmers in general over the coun-
trv. II still is, but has shown notable
gains
Sections Eroded
Large sections of the hill country
in the region were badly eroded and
many farms were losing the soil with
out which they would be useless. The
region depended largely upon cotton
and corn. There was no rotation of
crops. Year after year, yields were
smaller and smaller.
The IVA agricultural policy has
had these detectives: To get farmers
to plant cover crops and trees on erod-
ing slopes, to get cotton and corn off
the slopes into the bottom lands, to
encourage the planting of small grains
and to show farmers how they could
augment their incomes by supporting
livestock on the cover crop acreages.
AS IVA experts viewed the situation
in the valley, the land was being worn
out rapidly. The answer, they believed,
was fertilizer-but nitrogen fertilizers
were expensive. That's why iva de-
cided to concentrate on phosphate fer
tilizers. They believed the way to get
nitrogen into the soil cheaply was to
The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1946-05-10
State Now Has 1000 Films
In Visual Training Library
Department Authorized By l94l Legislature;
Now Averages LIS Requests Daily for
Films From Educational Groups

From puny and most uncertain beginning in 1911 when
the legislature appropriated the magnificent of $4,000
for operation of the department. the Montana State
Library Aids in Education under the
firing efforts of Sup Harry A. Norton today has than
600 reels of film almost many subjects well
The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1946-05-10

this all along. Our state department
knew If
The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1946-09-05
IFS 4
Greo+ System!
BY JOHN PAINE. Federated Press

The French had the good sense to
chop off the head of Marie Antoinette
for her 'let 'em eat cake" PROPOSE
ton.
We're wide open for suggestions
on C. P. Poland of st. Louis, who
came out with this one the other day:
"The cattle feeder of the Middle
West has recently become the forgot
ten man. He is brazenly and openly
told that his business is not impor-
tant, that the feed which goes into
his cattle will go further if used for
human consumption. If this can hap
pen to him, can you imagine what
can happen to millions of other peo-
pie? ?"
Costly survey of worker opinion
conducted for Republic Steel Corp.
disclosed, the company says, some
pertinent" and Startling" facts,
such as that zone of every four per-
sons polled believed Republic Steel
was unfriendly to labor"
We're startled, too, that it wasn't
four out of four.
The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1946-09-05
Conference Called
For October 1922
On Productivity

Washington, ID. c. 0LNS). - A
technical conference on productivity
concepts and statistics will be held at
the Departmental Auditorium, Wash
ington, Oct. 28 and 20. The meeting
will be sponsored jointly by the Bu-
reau of Labor Statistics, u. S. De-
partment of Labor and the Division
of Statistical Standards, u. S. Bu-
reau of the Budget. Participants are
now being invited from labor, indus
try, government, universities, and
private research agencies.
The Conference on Productivity is
not intended to act as an official ad-
visory body, but as a forum for the
discussion of productivity concepts
and measurements, the Labor Depart
ment says. The conference will also
provide vehicle for discussing the
current state of knowledge regarding
productivity and labor cost, the ade-
quacy Of present programs, and re-
lated questions.
There is lack of agreement on the
concepts and measures which are ap-
propriate to the evaluation of pro-
ductivity and the implications of cur
rent measures. 1t is hoped that the
conference will help to clarity and re-
solve genuine differences in viewpoint
which now exist in the field
To assist in preparations for the
conference and to insure broad par
ticipation in its planning, an execu-
tive committee for the productivity
conference has been formed with
members from labor, industry and
government. The membership of the
executive includes Miss Margaret
Scattergood of the research depart
ment, American Federation of Labor.