The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1950-02-10


whan can be accomplished in
prosperous area when a Col
umbia Valley Administration
becomes reality. His talk
follows:
Tonight want to take few min
utes to discuss some of the pertinent
points about the proposed Columbia
Valley Administration. This, as you
well know, has become very contro-
versial subject, and undoubtedly there
is room for argument pro and con.
But basically, the program is sound
and is we'll worth developing. How
ever, everyone should be better ac-
quainted with what it will do be-
fore you can understand the wonder
full potential of the program.
For the information on the Co.
lumbia Valley Authority | have used
some of the statements of former
Secretary of the Interior ]. A. Krug,
as presented to the House Public
Works Committee, June %, 1949.
Mr. Krug's support of the Columbia
Valley Administration is based up
on three major premises which are
believed to be indisputable.
No. 1 That there is big job to
be done in developing the rich resour-
ces of the Pacific Northwest.
No. 2. That Federal agencies must
play an important part in this job.
No. 8. That to do their part of the
job, the Federal agencies should be
organized as efficiently and demo-
cratically as possible.
People Want Development
The people of the Pacific Northwest
are unanimous in their desire for
the speedy realization of the rich
potentialities of the Columbia River
Basin. The Columbia River System
contains 40 per cent of the nations
potential hydroelectric generating
capacity and is less than 10 per cent
developed for power.
When the Columbia River went on
a rampage last summer, 81 lives were
lost and one hundred million dol
lars in property damage resulted.
There are a million barren acres of
desert wasteland which could grow
crops if irrigated. Three-fourths of
the nonirrigated croplands of the re-
gion are in critical or serious state
of erosion. They are badly in need
of fertilizer to be obtained from
the large phosphate deposits in the
region which now produces only
per cent of the nations phosphate
fertilizer, although they contain 50
per cent of the nations phosphate re-
serve. Continued prosperity in many
sections of the region depends upon
and sound management |
of the forests containing 40 per cent |
of the nations saw timber, in which |
the annual drain is greater than the
annual growth.
Power Lack Stops Industry From
Coming Into Area
Population has increased faster
than jobs to employ the newcomers,
three times faster than the nation as
q whole. Yet at the same time, new
industries, anxious to To-
cate in the region are refused en-
trance because of lack of electric
power.
Is it any wonder then that the
people in this area are SO anxious to
have this project? The Pacific North
west, although rich in resources,
has not yet begun to reap the full
benefit of their resources and has
not kept pace with needs of it's peo-
pie. In contrast, the Tennessee Val
ley Authority under the administra-
ton of single Federal agency car
rying on a unified development pro-
gram, has already realized almost
LOO per cent of the power potential
IF its rivers, has removed the menace
IF disastrous floods, and has great
y expanded income and taxable
wealth.
In the three states which comprise
most of the area affected by the eva
proposal, Federal land amounts to
,3 per cent of the total area of Ore
II L |