The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1947-05-23

at the crest of the anti-Russan propaganda Mil
lions of Americans were becoming jittery over the
chances of two communists being parked in every
garage the daily press the radio and the hate sheets
whooping up that World War III just around
the What could be politically expedient
than for President Truman to come to the front as
knight in shining mall the protector and savior of the
american way" backed with the thunderous approval
of the Grand Old Party?
True, thing that Truman and associates prob
ably did not anticipate the active role of opposition
to both international and domestic proposals since
played by Henry Wallace role which today has
awakened Americans to the extent that the Gallup
ing large quantities power for resale their
toners. That is true of other great utilities. They
profit greatly by getting cheap at the busbar-
cheaper generally than they produce it themselves
If these companies could completely absorb all of the
governments transmission lines, they would
suredly be delighted to take them
"The Montana Power Company, as everyone knows,
part an aggregation of business interests quite
characteristic of the American economic system. 1t
works in close cooperation with the Copper
Mining Company, a corporation in which IL per cent
OF the shareholders hold sos per of the
the Temporary National Economic Committee revealed
and together they control Montana 1t is outstand
ing example of absentee management directing the
entire economy of sovereign state. Tied in tightly
Wall Street investment banking interests and local
commercial banking interests. Through these
ons, many Montana industries, large and small have
come under the domination of this group, including
newspapers. The with which the Anaconda
Montana Power economic empire is held throughout
my state sometimes makes shudder. If these in
terests represented the welfare of the people
and primarily concerned with the expansion
and growth of the state they would long since
barked upon courageous plan of expansion invest
in developing the of the state for the
benefit of the people
Instead, what has happened? Montanans have
been compelled the escape the effects
of this a-envelopng monopoly. Had the Montana
Power Company pursued an honest financial policy by
writing its original in realistic figures lowered
rate structure to decent level encouraged the invest
ment of capital which might compete with the monop-
olistc interests which it represents then the story
would have been far different Just putting matter
this way shows how absurd it would be to expect it
to act with sympathetic regard for the public interest
In its very nature, the Montana Power Company cannot
do this 1t is part of nationwide combination of
interests who adamantly opposed to all public power
programs. They themselves will take the neces-
sary action help the development of the state nor
are they willing to have the government do it.
There is just one other phase of this Montana
Power monopoly which l wish to call to your atten-
ton. Low-cost power in the northwest would permit
the large-scale manufacture of phosphate fertilizer
which would be of inestimabe value more than two
and half million farmers of this region Such manu-
facture by eectricalfurnace methods would produce a
fertilizer superior to that obainable 1t could be
delivered the farmers land considerably lower
price than such fertilizer costs In Montana there
are $4,000 farmers who would benefit. number of
phosphate fertilizer companies anxious to avail
themselves of the immense phosphate deposits in the
northwest, if they obtain power cheaply enough
Development of power by the government
would give them power rates which could be eco
1omically employed.
81 think you will agree that it is hardly coincidence
hat the Montana Power Company, creature of Ana
fonda Copper, opposes immediate construction of the
Hungry Horse project when point out that Anaconda
PRODUCES phosphate fertilizer and good share
# the western market in this commodity. The result
# retarding the Hungry Horse project would to hold
Jack development for number of years of some of
he most extensive deposits of phosphate rock in the
ountry. These to be found in southwestern Mon
anat northwestern Wyoming southeastern Idaho and
Jtah."