The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1949-06-17
The Old Timer
Continued from Page Onep

eral Power Commission VS.. Montana
Power Company, you were very
strong in your contention that water
right were very valuable and that as
time went on these water rights in
creased in value. Surely at this time
neither you nor the company you
head could have the nerve to go into
court and contend that the valua-
ton of the Butte Water Company's
water rights, just floated down the
river and were lost.
To many of us in Butte the affairs
of the Butte Water Company, have
always had a very distinctive odor. |
remember not many years back when
Jim Hobbins, testifying in one of our
district courts, stated that he was
president of the Butte Water Com
pany and that for performing the
duties of the president he was paid
the sum of $4,000 per year by the
Butte Water Company, but when ask
ed where the main offices of the
company were located, he did not
know imagine receiving $4,000
per year from a company which he
could not locate-who said there was
no Santa Claus?
Mr.. Kelly, neither you nor your
tax experts can justify the wilfull
robbing of the school children of
Silver Bow county and the citizens
of Butte, and this refusal of the COM
pany you head, to pay the just tax
imposed on them by law, is nothing
but wilfull robbery. If this same
crime were committed by any other
individual his properties would be
confiscated and he would be sent to
Jail for FRAUD.
Forty Years of Shining"
You and I Mr.. Kelly are reaching
the age where we should realize that
the remainder of our allotted time on
earth is limited, therefore we have
but little time left to atone for our
sins, and be they sins of omission or
commission, they must be atoned for
somehow and the only way your
company can atone for the sins it
has committed against the citizens
of Butte and the school children of
District No. 1, is to pay these back
taxes that have been accruing since
the year 1908.
AS head of the Anaconda Cop
per Company you are directly re-
sponsible to the people for it's ac-
tions, therefore any crimes COM
mitted by the company, against
the people are chargable to you.
During the war years, when thous-
ands of women were being made
widows, when thousands of mothers
were losing their sons and when !
thousands and thousands of children !
were being made fatherless, your
company Jared very we'll and made i
enormous profits and at the pres
ent time you have a cash reserve
that has never been equalled- ALL
WAR PROFITS-made at the ex-
pense of those who gave their lives
that we might live. The patriotism
shown by your company and pract- |
ically all other large corporations
had the dollar sign attached to it SO
that it seemed to say-NO
PATRIOTISM.
Think of Your Cherished School
Days, Mr.. Kelly
Mr.. Kelly, you personally owe con-
siderable to the Butte schools, as it i
was in them that you received your
early education, and had there been
no public schools in your time sup
ported by taxes furnished by the
people, it is doubtful if you would
have received an education. These
same schools that you once attended
are now calling on you to right
wrong that they have been suffering
under for close to forty years.
Do you think the children of today
are as much entitled to an education
as you were? If you do you should