Hungry Horse news., 1949-05-27
TreIour Presents
Views on Power

IFS "aImost never" that tn,
Hungry Horse News prints some
thino we don't write ourselves
However among those men WHIT
have taken the lead in making
Hungry Horse dam possible Il
Don TreIoar. All of us shoule
know what he has to say, so the
FIathead Citizens committee re-
lease for today is printed in full.
Propaganda used by the private
utilities of Montana to confuse the
public and prejudice them against
the government transmission pro-
gram for Western Montana as
projected by the Bonneville Pow
er administration, was discussed
by Don Treloar, president of the
Flathead Valley Citizens commit
tee. at an executive group meet
ing Tuesday afternoon in kal1s-
pell.
He pointed out how minority
groups with plenty of money to
spend had, in his opinion, used the
Atomic plant location fight in
March as a red herring to lead the
people of Montana to believe that
Hungry Horse power was going
to be exported from the state to
Idaho.
! He also pointed out that Con-
gresham Mike Mansfield, in the
appropriation fight on the floor
of the House late in April, had
brought out the fact that while
the Montana Power company was
circulating this atomic story in
Montana about Hungry Horse
power going to Idaho, j. E. Cor
cite, Jr., vice president of the
Montana Power company, was in
Washington asking Congress to
take the power over to the state
of Washington on the grounds that
no power shortage existed in Mon
tana.
POOR POWER RATES
Contrary to statements made by
these propaganda experts, Treloar
stated that never had an industry
been located in Montana because
of a favorable power rate.
"The time has come" he said,
''for Montana to become Compel
tive with other northwest states
on this question of power rates.
We must broaden our tax base in
Montana if we are to continue to
improve our highways, our schools
and other American democratic in
situations. This can only be done
through taxes"
In this connection, Treloar
pointed out that as a result of an
investment of $17O,0OO,0 900 in pow
err generating facilities and trans
mission lines in the northwest,
over 1888 100000 had been added
to the tax rolls of those same
northwest states. T,
PROPAGANDA FORCES
He mentioned certain letters
which had been written to labor,
business organizations and farm
groups throughout the state ask
ing them to oppose the government
transmission program in Montana,
because cheap power would inter-
fere with reclamation and irriga-
ton development
Nothing can be further from
the truth" he said, and cited as
an example the fact that the Bon
neville Power administration has
assumed the repayment of $685.
OOO,0OO of the cost of irrigating
the Columbia basin in their pay
out schedule on Grand Coulee
dam. The Bonneville Power ad-
is ahead of their sche-
du1e on their pay-out program,
despite this huge benefit to irri-
cation which they assumed, and
the payment of additional interest
charges.
Unfortunately, he said, many
worthwhile organizations and in
dlviduals have been duped by Gle
yer letters and resolutions offered
hem for action by this minority
group.
FALL FOR THE BAIT
Many Chambers Of Commerce. !
groups of businessmen, few lab
" unions, the Montana State
chamber Of Commerce and the
Montana Reclamation association, I
re among those who have fallen