Montana labor news., 1950-04-20
BY MILES ROMNEY

In the course al a panel discussion
concerning various phases ui the dc
,clopmcnt OF electric power IN
the Northwest. held At the student
mion building at Montana Cnwersi-
IA III Mi,,oula. SUNDAY afternoon,
April ;. little that VA, new To stu
dents al the question vas developed
but the argument waxcd warm a.
carried on between Associate JUS
/ ice Lee Mctcali OF the Montana
supreme court. former Judge Len
Erickson. proponents OF tN.A and
public power and iiarr, Met ann.
! Montana Power Go division sup
crlntcndcni. and berald Skibblns.
,ccretar. oi the Montana Chamber
lui Commerce. representing the pri-
vatc power monopoly
Similar presentations ni .mattcfs
ni public concern should he cncnu
aged and the University /, TO be com
mcnded Tor making it> facilities
aNailahlc To the end that information
on all subjects oi public interest
can be discussed openly with all
~ilavufs OF viewpoint given equal
freedom OF cNprcssion-a situation
which too often fails OF realization
due to the controlled type OF press
with which the republic is currently
cursed. Personally | believe that the
old fashioned debate system would
afford pcr,onalitic, morc and Keep
better on the subject under dis
cu>sion. Nevertheless, the panel dis
cu>sion method is very desirable IL
a world where free discussion oi pub
lie matters is too often restricted
onl, To- the side OF the areumcn,
which happcits 10 possess ample purse
81 control, the means OF dis>cmina
ton ot information. or both
The discussion Sunday developed
that Skibbin,. secretary OF the Mon
iana Chamber OF Commerce, posses
SEES some viewpoints which iint
{. difficult to square with what | ha,
/. always considered to he the prlmar,
purpose OF any chamber Of con
mcrcc, VIZ, the development OF thu
area served by such a business or
!, ganlzation.
| Mr.. Skihblns endorsed the ,hcor
! tina, Montana needs no irrigation
Il In TACT. he Is against II. That IN
secretary OF All organization know
dtas the Montana Chamber OF Con-
5 mcrcc should adopt n viewpoir
that further development OF irr
CATION in Montana i, not dcsirabI
seems strange.
0i late wc have heard much tai
+, md. read much print about Somt
body without Montana cndcayorin
to fitch from us our precious waite
resources. In the next breath IN
all, oi those Minute Men OF tn
,IMontana Power Co tells u, We don
need the water wc won't let anyon
else have, II is a p%erpleNing 81,
%uation but | ,uSpcc, that what SIKH
/, hens and his irk really want is tn
Mater resources OF Montana to b
/, turned over to the Montana Powe
7 co. whether that corporation use
! it or not.
This suspicion seem, we'll lonnde
: N view oi the effort OF the Mon
lana Power Go. a lew years ag
; to take uvcr the Missouri river. |
:, the case of the Toston- Broadwate
farmers. whose water rights III
Montana Power Co. attempted 10 tax
10 itself exclusively, history re
ords the outstanding case III Nor
.ana history where anybody eve
tried to steal somebody elSc's waite
5 rights. The Montana Power G.
los, it, attempt IN both the u
District Court OF Appeals-but II
d effort by the Montana Power G
to absorb all OF the water i'll II
d Missouri river vas attempted
Yet Montana Power Co apol,
gist,. in the face OF the Stronge
worded safeguards possible in II
pending C\A bill. have the temerl'
II 10 claim the federal government
5, trying 10 steal water rights Of Moi
l. tana farmers In view Of the lac
| nothing could be mote preposteriou
LOWING knowledge OF the propos,
CNA provision IN this regard on
stool pigeon, OF the Montana Pow
Co will ever advance such a claim
In view of the alliance hetwe'
Montana Power Go. and the Sccrcta
III the so-called Montana Chamb
oi Commerce II Is pertinent TO Pc
der oyer the right OF the latter 0
ganikatlon 10 operate under su'
a name. Certainly it IS iunctio
ing only as one OF the sorry sue
or> on the tentacle OF the priva
power octopus That il should
permitted 10 continue to masquera
|