The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1951-04-06
HAVE THE HOME FOLKS been SOLD DOWN THE
RIVER AGAIN?


By COL. JEROME G. LOCKE MvA Regional Engineer
After fourteen years effort the principle OF
public including dams, generating facilities and trans
mission lines firmly written into the Federal law by pas
of the IVA Act Then for another fourteen fifteen
there serious quarrel about this definitely esab
shed policy Attempted encroachment began only three
four years ago. Then various snay efforts to hamsrng
this national policy began the legislative hoppers
OF Congress.
About Congressional session friends had to
rally to support of public with all the strength they
muster battlers Coop Associations,
the National Farmers Union and it's state organizations IVA
MVA and eva development and their units region
al levels militant labor unions rod and gun
clubs educational groups other organizations
periodic batters the public interest have included liberal
newspapers forward Governors
weghty influence. These have made valiant
and winning fights The public idea has renamed IN
the Federal laws and been amplied and strengthened.
Now during the past sixty ninty days. without previous
publicity the Power Trust
has launched another line of attack and put it over this
had the national and regional level bureaucra
elusive of the Secea of Interior who has heretofore been
rated liberal in politics and friend of the common peo
pe Control the distribution has been largely turned
to private power companies
Before me are two contracts between Bureau of Recla
nation Department of Interior and Montana Power
pany These effective January last and Mon
ana and other east of the Continental Divide. SINH
contract available here pertains Bonneville
be brought from Washington state to Anaconda
Montana Information from the Interior Department to the
effect similar have been negotiated with other
Private Power Comanpes covering outside of Montana
is limited Peck and other Mis-
souri, River Basin projects east of the Continental Divide 1t
Dec 81 1870 but be cancelled by either
time after Dec 81 1860 by the giving of three years notice
tana Power Company for transmission where the Power Com
pany has transmission facilities The will pay
such transmission at the rate of mill for each SO miles
fraction thereof radius from the delivery point thus SO miles
MILL so 100 miles two mills 100 to $50 miles
three mills, more than $50 miles four mills.
losses the Government
liver power than it will at the delivery end by
four cent for each fifty miles fraction thereof of trans
mission distance For instance for $50 to 200 mile transmits
sion distance the will deliver 16 cent
than it gets back Public thus wheeled is limited to
irrigation and drainage district plants customers entitled to
preference under existing (A coops and customers
construction of hydraulic plants for the U.S. New
dams and powers houses) would appear that towns cities
and industrial plants pubcyowned power under
the above limitation
179r1838 eliminates the Bureau of Reclamation
transmission lines between East Helena and Great Falls for
which Congressional appropriations have already been made
The to be developed Canyon Ferry will be transmitted
Montana Power Company lines After this service starts
the government will pay $4,000 year for it. The Power
Company will be allowed cent of extra to
pensate for line losses The contract to Dec 81 1875
but be cancelled by giving three years notice by either
There many details in these contracts which
be reviewed There also provisions
nit it's privately owned owned
mission lines from Fort Peck to Great Falls the time
Secretary of Interior Oscar Chapman stated defense
of his ecreve action in approval Of these contracts that
order material for the defense effort
According last reports the Statue of Liberty still belongs
20 Uncle Sammy.