The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1949-06-17
WHOLE COUNTRY Needs eva STATES
COMMERCE DEPART AaENT OFFICIAL

nation needs a eva. Although
some problems are different from
those of the Tennessee Valley there
are urdeveloped opportunities that
will be fulfilled sooner and at less
cost than if there is on eva. Floods
have to be controlled like that of
1913, but there should be one agency
at work, not a mixture of state and
federal agencies. There are nearly
L 100000 kilowatts of water power
yet to be converted into electric
power, now wasting annually to the
sea. This is the equivalent of al
most 4O0,000,000 barrels of oil an
nually, or one-fifth of what the coun-
try now produces. A eva can de-
velop and sell this power sooner and
at less cost than can the three fed
eral agencies that now separately
handle parts of the power problem.
The security of the nation will i'm
prove the sooner this power is de-
veloped, because very important in
dustries are holding back their eX-
pansion until they can get the power.
These industries, which have been
turned Town for expansion in the
past two years in the northwest, in
clude aluminium, phosphates, ferro-
alloys, and abrasives. All of these
products are important in war. The
population of the northwest has in
creased 35 percent in the past eight
hn
increase in the rest of the country.
Unemployment, although small, has
been three times the rate in the rest
of the country. A eva will mean
more job opportunities and relative
ly less unemployment than if there is
no eva. For the whole country
this means more income for people
in the northwest with which to buy
goods from other regions.
eva, Like IVA, VIII Pay Off
To Entire Nation
A eva will pay off to the nation
the way IVA has. Today, the val
ley supports the IVA and would vote
for it if a referendum were held.
But back in 1888, the people of the
valley would have been confused by
the kind of talk now made against
eva. The people of the IVA area
would have been told they were go
ing socialistic, that they would be
giving up their local rights to govern
themselves. They probably would
have voted against IVA. But for
tunately for them and the country,
the decision for a IVA was made
by the congress and the President
on grounds of national interest.
A eva should be decided on the
same ground of national need. The
against eva from some
selfish people in the northwest are
the old arguments of business groups |
who mask their opposition to social
progress with catcalls of socialism.
Eric Johnston, former president of
the United States Chamber of Com
merce, wisely advises his fellow bust
nessmen in a recent article in For
tune to become more social-minded. |
He points out that they opposed |
NOIhHleH D compensation, ilIliliii Ciii-
wage legislation, insurance of bank
deposits, social security, parity
prices, and legalized collective bar
gaining. They said these measures
would lead to socialism. But Mr..
Johnston calls on businessmen for
more social thinking in order to pre-
rent socialism. A eva represents
ust that kind of thinking. The
IVA helped private competitive en-
erprise throughout the country. A
EVA will do likewise.
There are no valid arguments
lgainst a eva. For the good of the
entire country, a eva must be
DOIIT HOC CVTDD0DTC