The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1947-06-13
The Interagency Committee

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progress of the development of irrigation flood control
power development in the Missouri region.
Since the chief engineer the Army Engineers scheduled
to make of the leading addresses before this august
gathering would be timely for this engineer
Army Engineers for flood control in the lower Missouri river
valley and the reaches of the river since al
dence here in Montana.
Some day. an investigation will be in order-and that day
should soonof the which the Army Engineers
have depended dyke building to control floods the lower
part the Missouri valley For decades they build
ing dykes and every toll of property damage
has occurred result of the antquaed and inefficient
trying the the spring
each year the failure OF the army engineers plan of controlling
floods has eXacted toll of human lives addition to the
staggering property loss The question that should
this wonderful nteragency committee at this particular time
is How long, oh, Lord how long?'
possibility Missouri Valley Authority should be
mentioned all in this meeting of minds influenced by the
private monopoly and the selfish interests of the
Reclamation Bureau Army Engineers it will probably
communistic setting bureaucratic dictatorship
The PicSloan plan resulting from what has been called
shotgun wedding of the separate plans the
Service and the Army Engineers for the development of the
Missouri been found to be loaded with
ntegraed development of the of the region
concerned This is the opinion of completely competent eng
And is only reasonable evauate the joining of
these plans developed by agencies with completely
different in view ascertain to bring confusion into
the entire of development carried out under the
joint plan.
clearly evident that the proposed
in the engineers plan had and only thing prmar
lily mind and that control of floods putting
simpler words STILL controlling the waters and getting rid Of
them possible The reclamation the
they needed for irrigation In other words the army
engineers water by getting the fast
possible without damage to the land adjacent the
flow while the reclamation service wants to keep the water
in storage until needed.
should the
dams on the main stream and contend that only in this
the be conserved and controlled and the
derived from them. And this makes to the lay
the tremendous Increase the water
potential for providing electric power which series of
with the used again develop,
state and to the comfort and of it's population
1t that the majority of intelligent people state
have had clearly enough demonstrated by the private
ton service to build dams for water for irrigation
control if will have free practically free to the
dams But the private boys strenuous objections
be sold by public body to the public at low cost
have had with the Montana Power the
praon for Hungry Horse have opened his unwilling
realization that this monopoly not interested in serving
the public that is interested only in the exorbtantly profit
able continuance of it's monopoly in the sale of electric power
in the state.
The nteragency Committee may be charged with undue
at the of the public by it's refusal consider
region their competitive carried Carrying
ment of this great region for the full benefit only of the