The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1953-05-22

might desire. Says MSI&I cOunSel,
eve are willing to give everyone
everything they ask for within rea-
son." Except, no doubt, Tel and Tel
profits).
The valiant efforts of Leaphart,
Gilfeather and Anderson to protect
the consumer amount to a finger In
the dixie when you consider they are
working with technical presentations
which they must analyze in short Pc
RODS of time. Senator Anderson re-
quested time from the Commission for
the opponents to study the testimony
of the Tel and Tel experts before
presenting the case of the opponents,
but the Commission could see no
merit in this extension of time.f Thus,
opponents are working with testimony
from day to day that is presented by
"experts" who have had months of
previous preparation. This makes the
cross examination by opponents cum
bersome, and times MST&T counsel
becomes impatient with those who do
not wear the mantle of expert"
In fact some of T&T's witnesses
are so highly specialized" that
in one instance Senator Anderson
had to phrase a question six times
in an effort to find the fright
term" that would bring an answer.
He finally had to accept the as
sistance of MST&T counsel. Ander-
son was then cautioned by Cor
30 han
on such a "specialized' plane un-
less the fright term" was used
they didn't understand. Horse
feathers! And if you have little
tar, pass that, too.
Montana bankers testifying in IA
vor of the increase explained the i'm
plications of ''lack of sufficient re-
serves" in MST&T on the money
market" They all agreed there could
not be ''too much reserves" in the
company. They told the Commission
that stock must have "sex appeal
to investment interests, and that
whenever a stock issue was not sub
scribed 1000 it affected the lego
of the company" therefore the COM
pany's financial condition must be
made attractive" The bank presi-
dents emphasized the Importance of
the communications system to the
country and the people of the state
and nation. According to their testi-
mony none of these bankers hold
personal interests in MST&T or
American Tel and Tel.
BANKERS TALK TWO KINDS OF
LANGUAGE
Initiation, deflation, prices, wages
and uncertainty of the future have
all been discussed by opponents and
proponents. One banker stated he did
not believe deflation was possible in
the foreseeable future. Farmers and
Labor spokesman expressed uncer-
tainty of the future, in view of the
rather different attitude expressed
by bankers in the privacy of their
own banks when approached for per-
sonal loans to the farmers and the
working man.
In his opening statements to the
Commission Corrette admitted the
telephone company has been before
the Commission three times in the
last five years, and has been granted
three increases. This fourth trip to
the Commission is necessary because
the three previous increases were
mot reasonable under all circum-
stances" Requests and the ''unrea-
sonable" increases in telephone rates
came in 1913, 1851 and 1852.
Few people deny the necessity
for the "bigness" of utility like
the telephone company. TIT coun-
sci developed the analogy that
TIT is a monopoly-monopoI is
big business-big business is free
enterprise-free enterprise is the
American Way.
American Tel and Tel, holds IA
vored position in the economy be-
cause it was granted exemption from
antitrust laws by the Republicans in
1921. The telephone monopoly as we'll