The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1950-01-27
Montana Stands on Threshold of New Era

amount of this power will be use
for the development of the great ma
ural resources of this state, such {
phosphate, chrome and manganes.
The largest natural deposits of pho
phate in the United States are foun
in the states of Montana and Idaho
the largest low-grade chrome depos
its are in southern Montana; and on
of the largest domestic deposits o
low grade manganese is in the Phi
ipsburg area. These have never bee
developed as they should, because tn
economic processing of these depos
its needs low cost power in larg'
enough blocks to attract investmen
capital.
There is a shortage of phosphate
fertilizer in the United States.
The present supply from the south
eastern part of the United States
is rapidly becoming depleted, and
it is essential to the well-being of
whole country that new sources of
phosphate fertilizer be developed.
We are going to do that. There
are approximately three million
farmers in twenty-five western and
mid-western states who will be
natural customers for this product
and who are within economic trans
portation cost distance of these
deposits.
The same general picture is true
of the other minerals. There are
in both chrome and man
ganese in this country. If low grade
chrome and manganese ores can be
developed, it will be of the utmost
to the whole United
States and to the national defense.
Low cost power will make the devel-
opment of these ores feasible.
This low cost power will also be
available to the people of the state
as ultimate customers, and to the CO.
operatives so that our rural people
IAN be assured of the low cost power
hey want. Availability of low cost
Federal power will mean a consider
able reduction in the price that ev-
eryone now pays for their power. 1t
will mean that co-operatives event
tally will be able to buy power at
rates that may approximate half
If what they are presently paying.
A great deal of stress has been laid
IN the benefits of industrial develop
nent, but not more than it deserved.
However, it should be further stres-
ed that increase of industrial devel-
pment and increased usage of cleo
ric power by virtue of cheaper cost,
esults in greater prosperity for all
mes of endeavor.
New industries bring new peo-
pie. New people bring more bust
ness. With more business comes
increased incomes, and with in
creased incomes comes greater pur-
chasing power by which we can
have radios, washing machines and
that we may not now
have.
Yes, cheap power can almost be
i'd to be the elixir of life. AS an
lample of it's results, take a look at
II neighboring states of Washington
Id Oregon. In those states, the
onneville Power Administrator was
st getting well under way in 1910.
the period from 1910 to 1913, the
,pulation of Oregon increased 50.4
n cent. The population of Wash
gton increased 41.9 per cent. The s
'pulation of the whole Pacific I
orthwest increased 38 per cent as /
.ainst national average of II per
mt. During that same period, |
e population of Montana decreased {
per cent. There is no question
It that the prosperity of Wash l
gton and Oregon can be directly I
tributed to the availability of +
" cost power which attracted v
w industries and made opportun- r
es for employment which resulted
this increase in population We v
n confidently expect that once the S
ter wheels of Hungry Horse begin
turn, our population curve will e
lrt upward and will parallel SINH IL
upswing in our prosperity curve.