The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1946-03-15

} Judge Left Erickson
, every user of these fertilizers any
where in the Middle West and on tn
Eastern seaboard
Would Reduce Freight Rates
SIS to So Per Ton
The farmers and ranchers of Mon
tana are for anything that will make
possible the exploitation of our min
eral wealth but they are, of course
primarily interested in the effect O.
the completion of this project on the
transportation of their products. Fig
ures have been presented to you show
ing that completion of the Seaway
would result in reducing from S. tt
So a ton the cost of transporting wheat
from the states of North Dakota anC
| Montana to Europe Such saving in
transportation cost would be of ire
producers, and Montana, let me say
is one of the leading wheat producers
in the United States. It's production
of winter wheat this year will be 40
million bushels, and its production of
spring wheat, it is estimated, will be
in excess of so million bushels which
makes it second only to North Dakota
in the nation, in its production of
spring wheat The farmers of Mon
tana are concerned with the future
of the grain producer. Montana's
Farmers Union is convinced that
there can be no prosperity for the
grain producer unless it is possible for
him to export and to sell in the world
market a certain percentage of the
wheat he grows. Even though it should
work out that a reduction in trans
portation costs would not result in
the increase in the price of bushel
of wheat one cent to the Montana
farmer, there can be no doubt but
that any reduction in the cost of trans
portation will make it that much more
possible for the Montana farmer to
sell his wheat in the world market in
competition with growers who have
the benefit of cheap water transporta-
ton, and that is reason enough alone
to justify the completion of the prof.
ect. What is true of wheat is true of
all of our other farm products.
Favor Feeding Starving People
The Montana Farmers Union is on
record as favoring most strongly the
supplying of food to the starving peo-
pies of the world. There is in storage
today, in Montana, vast quantities of
wheat needed in the European coun-
tries. The papers today are full of the
news that we are falling down on our
commitments to supply food to other
nations because we don't have the
facilities available to
move grain to our seaports. If the |
Seaway were completed, so that ocean
going vessels could be loaded with |
Montana wheat at Duluth, this situa-
ton would not have occurred. What
IS true of the present situation was
rue also in time of war. The prac-
,ical saving in handling and transship-
nent of the food to the Middle West
would have meant much to us and to
,ur allies all during this war period,
ind most probably would have result
ID in shortening by weeks or months
he course of the war.
The National Farmers Union as
veil as the Montana division has TAX
N the position that the future welfare
# the farmer depends to very great
Legree upon higher level of industri- |
j production and employment Even
hough there were no direct benefits !
o the Montana farmers, such as i
ave set,above, the Montana Farmers
Union would favor this development. |
opening this Seaway into the indus
rial heart of America cannot but re- i
ult in appreciably increased indus
rial activity There will inevitably be {
increased industrial production means '
etter paid workers. The more jobs &
nd the more pay for workers the f
lore of our food will be consumed at {
etter prices.
Ours Is an Expanding Economy !
I cannot see that an increase in .
reduction in the Middle West will >
esult in a decreased production in any
Their section of the country. | can
nd no one who does not believe that
urs is an expanding economy. In s
reased industrial activity in one Sec +
on instead of injuring tends to ac- p
elerate business activity in all sec r
" project, Bonneville, for Boulder a
nd for all other projects of similar v
ature have always been attended by t
lis cry that some other area will be b
iversely affected. History has prov g
I how groundless are these fears. V
any of the same groups, which are t
oposing this development, opposed b
lie development of the Mississippi II
avigation Works-that development o
rs taken nothing away from any Sec Il
on but has operated to the benefit Il
the whole nation. W
1t has been suggested that this
'oject is bad because it is of primary II
,nefit only to a limited section of &c
e United States First, let me re- "
,at that what is good for one sec III
On is good for all, but second and u
ost important, let me suggest to the d.
mmittee that | question that any of
ose arguing that the project should IL
, abandoned on this ground would u
aintain that position, If they had "
ought the matter out. If that is a W
lid argument, then there would be OF