The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1947-11-07
FALSE ECONOMY
BY JUDSON KING
Director, National League For
Popular Government

FALSE ECONOMY
Budget slashing to lower taxes is 6
perennial campaign promise of the
"outs." They know that most people
want the benefits from government
along with salvation as free as posi-
BILE. The danger comes when, when
legitimate reductions, vital public serv
ices or needed public projects are
scuttled at the demands of special
interests. That is what happened
when the house appropriations com
mittee made it's reports for fiscal 1948.
The cuts involving reclamation, power,
soil conservation, were so savage as
to Justify the charge of the startled
and revolving west that eastern CAPT
talists were determined to block in
dustrial and agricultural expansion of
the west, one tactic being to eliminate
cheap public power just as in former
years and even yet, normal growth of
the west and south has been stunted
by discriminatory freight rates.
Party lines were broken again, but
despite the fight made by progressive
Republicans in both houses, sup
ported by liberal Democrats, and al
though the senate raised the ante on
some items, the final performance
proved definitely the direction in
which the Republican party is trend
ing is "back to Normally.
Floods Scared He'll Out of Congress
Even appropriations for flood con-
troll dams on the Missouri were
slashed until those frightful July
floods scared the hell out of the pol
iticians and they were partially re-
stored. 1t is impossible to fill this
brief bulletin with reams of statistics
from official documents and the Con-
gressional Record to clinch this charge
but they are there in abundance.
Some samples will suffice:
The Slogan: "Oust the Bureaucrats"
The Purpose: "Slash Public Power
The cuts have been made under the
slogan "Oust the bureaucrats and cut
down the federal payroll"
Well, if it be the purpose to elm
mate bureaucrats who are allegedly
depriving the people of their liberties
why in the face of an acute power
shortage throw out the window the
carefully matured plans of the Bonnie
vile Administration staff to supply
power demands both now and in the
future? Yet that is what was done
For example, contracts for two big
generators to be installed at the
Coulee Dam in 1949- and so must be |
This power will be needed |
for industry, municipals and farms, |
and to irrigate million and a quarter
Of arid land primarily devoted to
homes for veterans.
Or why put in jeopardy "uninter-
rupted service" (prime boast of the
private companies) to the thousands
Of customers now served over the
i,OOO-mile northwest power grid by
no money for day to day
clear invitation to
One of Real Reasons For Attempt
To Throttle iva
Note: This supplies a perfect illus
ration of why the enemies of IVA
n congress and out want to destroy
is revolving fund and bring it more
closely under the control of congress"
You see, IVA could have ordered
hose Coulee generations and paid for
hem out of its surplus power earn :,
ngs. 1t has the same freedom in !
UGH matters as private corporation.
That is, the iva board can base its ..
calculations on a business footing and I.
lot go on the uncertainties of politics. :
The same would be true of the MVA :
nd eva boards. |.
Again, take the Central Valley prof. {
ct in California now under construc-
ion with millions spent Why ham /
er and delay the construction of h
eeded transmission lines and ham, +
tring the great reclamation features h
f the enterprise? q
Why give the Colorado Big Thomp- e