The people's voice., 1948-04-30
The NeiIs "Co-operative Agreement"

The proposed cooperatve agreement between the For
est Service and the j. Ne Lumber which would
this company practical monopoly so years umbe
production in the Kooena National Forest has been discussed
before in The Voice Now the flI ex of the nronosed
has released study stated release
accompanying it. Just how widely the proposed plan has
anl view of the Importance to the northwest section
the state and to the state whole should have the most
widespread distribution possible and merits the careful
scrutiny consideration of all citizens of Montana interested
in its welfare And than that interested IN freedom OF
all to engage in business of their choice.
1t to that there certain considerations that
basic proposal that the
protect the of the general public should
take In the statement by the regional forester
accompanying the text of the proposed agreement which
commend for its franknes the monopoly aspects of the
posal freely admitted and presented purport-
ed sustaining the monopoly proposals being in the pubc
interest
monopoly of conrovers the basic conception
democracy and freedom of enterprise 1t may be lkened
without exaggeraon to government by dictator This form
of government might be considered efficient than de-
mocracy all considerations of human values and dignity
are brushed aside as inconsequential.
To be sections Is and II of the proposed pan pro-
vdes for employment and housing facilities for local people
but careful reading of the plan dscoses proposed
standard for the protection of the
And with monopoly control of the region the workers
must inevitably have the choice of working for the Ne
at which the is willing to going
elsewhere work Does that make for STABLE community
we'll known that many the workers now en-
poyed in the various mills in that section of the state
small which they developing
agricultural production fast they While doing
they dependent extent employment in the
mills for much of their time Presently with small mills
the operation possible
live at home and drive the few miles to work But with all
production concentrated at Troy nd Libby these
because of distances from homes to these locations
will have the choice of leaving their homes and stopping
velopment of the land which they have starving this
building stable community the benefit of anyone except
the Neis Lumber company?
More than four decades of experience with the
leases of public relations departments has made tolerant
of them but experience has also made cautious of accepting
them face value In the release the
statements of the regional forester and the text the proposed
found statements call checking
In the second paragraph of this release is stated that
The sustained yield unit law and the proposed plan
outgowth hearings conducted by joint congress
sona committee throughout the forest regions of the United
States from 1888 to 194 Reading this the reader
would undoubtedly the impression that the hearings held
this particular of legislation which established
the basis for Cooperate agreements AS matter of fact
the only any Hearings held this particular piece
half hours Duration from 10 o'clock AM to II o'clock AM
December 8, 1943, and not by "jont" committee.
On page the release speaks of he nearly
10000 of highly productive forest land owned by the
Nes Lumber company in the forest Forest Service
who know the thoroughly state that at least $4,000
of this land has already been without
thought of Sustained yied".
The release also states that the plan provides for sale
about half the timber the National
the j. Nes Lumber company WITHOUT COMPETITION ;"
(emphass ours) Conservative estimates by competent author
tiles that abou half should have been stated being
about 88 per cent
Available prohibits further discussion Of this plan
may that there intent to charge the Forest
cooperative PLAN which entails monopoly is basicay