davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1953-10-23

ed by the farmers themselves, and
had gotten the job done anyway.
REA had provided technical engineer
ing data which helped the co-opera-
tives in bargaining with commercial
companies for decent wholesale pow
er rates. Now this is to be changed.
The new REA Administrator is a
former Lieutenant Governor of Min
nesota-a farmer, handsome, pleas
ant man with a good smile and hand
shake. He had worked with his own
rural electric cooperative for years,
he had said that he believed in the
rural identification program. But 1t
apparently didn't hurt his conscience
to take job which the law said he
couldn't have that is, job which
had been forced open by the Presi-
dent in disregard of the stated will
of the Congress.
Since he took over he has shaken
up REA until you can't find which
end to go into. He has criticized the
rural electrics' own national associ-
alton, has criticized the resolutions
passed at the annual meeting of the
co-operatives in San Francisco as be-
ing economically unsound.
He has criticized the voting rec
ord issued by NRECA because it
shows that the controlling inter-
ests in his party have consistent
ly opposed the rural electrified
ton program and the Federal pow
err programmed every Republican,
mind you, but the controlling ma
jority of them.
His job is apparently not only that
IF putting a new dress on REA and
making heaven knows what altera-
ions in its policies, but also of spread
ng disunity among the cooperative
eaders themselves. This is a vicious
and treacherous thing to do to one
If the finest programs in the his
DRY of democracy. Greed and ambi-
ion have no morals.
The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1953-10-23
Administration s Aim Is To Destroy Public--

in with the Southwestern Power Adj
ministration's hydro plants, the Con
oress not only cut funds back TO
eight months operation but ordered
the abrogation of contracts between
the REA co-ops and the Department
of Interior
This was as callous disregard OF
public faith and honor as ever oc-
CURED in our whole political history.
First, the Department of the Interior
had asked Congress for funds to
build steam plants to firm up SPA
power and transmission lines to carry
that power to the co-operatives IN
Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Okla
homa. Kansas, and Missouri.
The power lobby beat back that
proposal on the grounds that it was
Creeping socialism" Then the CO.
operatives, many of them trying to
build in "power Deserts" borrowed
money from REA to build their own
steam plants and transmission lines,
and got contracts with SPA to IN
tegrate their steam plants, exchange
power, and so on, for 40 years.
The utilities attacked the con-
tracts between the REA's and In
terror in the courts, but the courts
upheld the contracts late last spring.
Then the power lobby moved. 1t NOV
ed through the Congressional com
force the abrogation of
the contracts now held legal, and to
deny SPA the funds with which to
exchange power with the REA-s. One
Senator, Guy Gordon of Oregon, de-
Tended the action on the Senate floor
and insisted that the REA would lose
because the private compan-
les were willing ''to buy them out"
dollar for dollar.
The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1953-10-23
Early Days of the Big Deal

One of the first acts of the new
administration after appointing
eleven millionaires and a plumber
to the top jobs was to freeze all
rural identification funds. This
freeze was later RENTED, but by
that time the Budget had been
sent to Congress, cutting back the
Truman Budget request for $780,
100000 in new electrical loan
funds to sos, 100000
In the meantime, on direct orders
from President Eisenhower, the Ad-
ministrator of the REA had been
fired. Let me point out, the REA
Act states clearly and specifically
that the farmers electric program
shall be run on non-political basis,
so here we have a clear violation
of that act. From 1886, when the
act was passed, down to this spring,
the REA had been operated under
that policy Men were not appointed
or promoted or fired because they
were Democrats or Republicans.
REA had developed one of the
most competent, devoted admins
trative staffs in the history of any
government. But REA had also push
ed electricity out to almost four
million rural people. 1t had lent
money when the power trust didn't
want it lent. 1t had made liars out
of the top spokesman of the power
lobby who had said that rural peo-
pie didn't want electricity or could
MT afford it. When the power COM
panies had refused to borrow the
low-interest Government funds from
REA, REA had turned around and
lent that money to co-operatives form
The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1953-10-23
The Big Slow-Up

First, the administration struck
at new starts, under the guise of
economy" Not one single new start
in Federal hydro projects was voted
by the Congress this year. Work on
many of those under way was cut
back and slowed up. Funds for plan
nings new projects were slashed.
This is the big slow-up, the brown
out of public power development. 1t
included slashes in hydro projects,
planning funds, and new steam
plant for IVA = a plant without
which the farmers in the IVA area
will face a power shortage in 1856.
The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1953-10-23
CO-OPS WILL PAY PART OF
PRIVATE UTILITIES COSTS

This new policy announced that in
the future any preference customer
must appear at the time new power
becomes available land within 90
days in this case), prepared to con-
tract for AND PAY FOR any power
he wishes to buy under the preference
law. If he wants to protect his fu-
ture power supply, he must contract
for more than he Immediately needs.
and he must pay the demand charge
on what he contracts for. Then, until
his power needs build up to the con-
tract level, the actual energy he
does not use will be sold as dunn
energy to the commercial companies.
Thus, the co-operatives will be paying
part of the power bill of the com
mercial companies, and substituting
them to lower rates.
All power not contracted for by
preference customers will be sold to
the commercial private-profit COM
panies on long-term contracts-tied
up for 20 years in the hands of
the private power companies where
the preference customers cannot
reach it.
I have directed a letter to the
Secretary of the Interior in which |
told him that he should not sign
any long-term contract with any
customer for power
which currently or may be in the flu
ture available to the people of Mon
tana without first giving me plenty
of advance notice in which to warn
the farmers of my State that such a
contract is contemplated. I also ex-
pressed my bitter disagreement with
this sell-out, but am not hopeful
that it will have any effect. wrote
The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1953-10-23
Local Responsibility" So
Much DoubIetaIk

Mr.. Aandahl reiterated the intent
of the administration to turn over
hydro power sites to ''local resources"
wherever possible. In case you have
trouble understanding the yerbiage of
the present administration. whenever
they say local" you can translate
it as 'non-Federal They refer to
the Idaho Power Company 9as a To-
cal company-that is, local in the
State of Maine. Mr.. Aandahl repeat
ed the power trust attack on, the pub
lie power program. They say it is an
attempt to create a Federal power
monopoly" and he warned that the
transmission of power insofar as pos
sbile should be left as a local re-
sponsibility."
This apparently sounds the death
knell for most Federal transmits
sion lines and thereafter transmits
mission will be left to such so-called
local companies as the Idaho Power
Company, of Maine.
In surprisingly frank confession
Mr. Aandahl assured the commercial
power companies that cit will be the
Federal Governments purpose to dis
pose of Federal power in communities
in such a way that it will not disturb
the established retail systems"
'Insofar as Federal power is Offered
for sale at prices lower than power
can be produced locally and this
power is made available first to pref
erence customers, it of itself creates
a desire among local people to be-
come preference customers. AS
word of warning, | would like to
forecast that, except in high fuel cost
areas, five years hence the spread
IN price between federally produced
power and locally produced power,
either from steam plants or other
wise, will be much less than it is at
the present time"
In other words, whereas the Fed
eral power system was originally
looked upon as a means for setting
a yardstick to measure the reason
ableness of private power company
costs, we are now going to set Fed
Continued on Page Three)
The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1953-10-23
Low Cost Power Brought
Revolution On the Farm

There was a time when men and
work animals contributed most OF
the energy to production, but today
we'll over 90 per cent of the horse
power which operates our production
machinery comes from our great
electric power plants and coal and
gas resources. l can illustrate this
simply. Take an ordinary Montana
farm as it was operated under the
reactionary governments that pre-
vailed in the 1920's. 1t depended up
on men, women, children, and horses
or the production it might achieve.
Our programs of bringing low-cost
electric power to the farms have
revolutionized this. Our new agricul-
tural policies also made it possible
Tor farmers to have purchasing pow
er through which they are enabled to
put machinery on the farms-trac-
tors, combines, refrigerators, wash
ing machines, and dozens of other
tools operated by gas and electric
motors.
AS a result of this great economic
advancement which took place dur
ing the last 20 years, President Eli
senhower was completely justified
when he said in his Chicago accept
ance speech that the United States
had become the richest nation in the
whole world. We had purchasing
power in the hands of the farmers
and in the hands of the people, I'M
equalled anywhere in the world. We
had multiplied our productivity on
the farms by electric power and ma
chimes. We had parity income for our
farmers and a balanced national
economy.
Today the blessing of low-cost cleo
trio power is known to the farmers
throughout the Nation. 1t has replac-
ed the labor of many men and wo-
men in farm production, removed the
drudgery from farm life, and brought
to the farmers of the country happi-
ness and prosperity, and to the Ma
ton great wealth.
But, my friends, what really want
to talk with you about this evening
is this raid on our American COM
monwealth as it relates to our pow
er resources and to the supply of
power to rural people.
Times have changed in Washing
ton. Every day we now hear these
which rescued our coun-
try from bankruptcy denounced as
creeping socialism" So today they
have replaced the New Deal" with
what is known as the "Big Deal"
The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1953-10-23
The Beginning of the Sell-Out

In the Southeast, the Southeast
ern Power Administration, which mar
keted Federal power and built trans
mission lines to bring it to prefer
ence customers, was stopped dead in
its tracks. Congress simply cut off
all funds for expansion and con-
struction.
In the Southwest, where six REA
GIT co-operatives had borrowed mil
lions to build their own generating
stations and transmission lines to tie
The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1953-10-23
The Attack Upon the
Federal Power Program

But my friends l would like to say
here in passing that you have one of
the finest and most effective or
CARNATIONS in Washington. Your peo-
pie are zealously building great
program for the welfare of the great
masses of citizens of this nation.
Your able executive director in
Washington, Mr.. Clyde Ellis, is al
ways on hand to spot and refute any
propaganda intended to destroy your
great movement. His statements to
our committees and his thorough re-
search and analysis of rural electrifi-
cation problems are extremely help
full and often indispensable to those
of us in the House and Senate who
support REA.
The power companies pay thous-
ands of dollars year for their lob
by in Washington. 1t is the most ex-
pensive one down there, according
to the lobbying statements filed with
the Clerk of the House. Their head
man alone draws $4,000 year. But
your representatives are their super
Tors anytime, anywhere. They have
the confidence and zeal of a great
cause.
AS see the Washington pattern
at this time, | would say that it
calls for a series of staging opera
tions. The first thing was to get
rid of the REA Administrator so
that REA could be shaken up and
put under the control of political
appointees for the first time in its
history. (When Anchor Nelson
spoke to a Republican Party rail-
ly in Missouri last month, it was
the first time than an REA Ad-
ministrator had ever addressed a
strictly political party affair since
the Act was passed in 1886. His
he also defended the economy"
and "hard money" policies of the
present big business administra-
TOM
There was also an attempt made
% cut back electric loan funds to 95 |
million dollars IN new money-a cut |
which would have been severely Grip
Congress beat back this
tut and almost doubled the Eisen-
1ower budget request for electric
funds to $50 million dollars. A sue
:essful attempt was made to cut adj
funds-they were cut |
pack at the very time that the rural
telephone program was being expand
I'd. The result has been to rob the
'ural electric co-operatives of essen
5ial engineering, management, and
,ther technical aids, and the end is
lot in sight. Beyond that, on REA
here has been watching and wait
ng and skilfull maneuvering to spread
listrust among the rural electric lead !
The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1953-10-23
Continued from page oneJ

mineral resources, our farmers and
our highly skilled labor resources.
Our national security is as closely
related to these resources and pro
ductivity as milk is to a cow. Our
productivity and wealth, first and
last, are directly related to the
amount of energy we apply to our
natural resources.
The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1953-10-23
The Real Attack This Year

| nC NCoA HlloSh kAIS Co1
The real attack upon rural cleo
trification THIS YEAR, and in
1854, is not going to be through the
Rural Identification Administra-
ton and it's now political head, but
through the Federal power pro-
gram.
don't need to tell you people that
the Federal power projects played a
key role in bringing electricity to
farmers. Where would we be here in
our rural program if it were not for
some Bonneville power in the west,
and the Reclamation power from Fort
Peck? 1t doesn't matter whether your
coop lines tie into the Bureau lines,
or whether Bureau power is wheeled
to you over other lines, or whether
you are getting your power from a
private power company-mosto of you
would either not be getting power
on your farms or ranches, or you
would be having to pay such prices
that only the rich could afford the
power had it not been for the de-
velopment of the Federal power pro-
gram in this area.
What is true here is true in the
Tennessee Valley area, the South
west Power area, the Mountain area
where Reclamation serves, or in the
Northwest. The rural electric peo-
pie supported Federal power because
they believed in the public develop
ment of publicly owned resources, and
because they didn't believe in the
Big Deal give-away of public re-
sources; but they also supported the
program because they had to have
low-cost Federal power to bring low
cost power to scattered farms and
ranches.
The Federal power program not
only included the development of
our natural resources and the gen
Grafton of low-cost power. 1t meant
more than that. 1t meant that in
multiple-purpose projects there had
to be a fair ALLEGATION of cOsts-it
meant that power costs would not
loaded with the expense of flood con-
troll and other elements. The Federal
power program also meant the i'm
portant preference clause = the
equality clause" some people call it.
This is a fifty-year-old clause which
had been enacted into later legisla
ton again and again. The preference
clause effective and to increase the
non-profit agencies shall have first
call on Federal power. To make that
clause effective and to increase the
revenues to the Government, Federal
agencies tied their generators to-
gether with transmission lines and |
built other lines out to the load |
,enters of the preference and other
customers An effort was made |
through postage-stamp rate to |
bring the power to as many people |
as possible at a low rate which they |
could afford to pay.
Now all of this is at an end or
under attack.
Behind the greenback curtain
which surrounds the national mill
lionaire Cabinet, and in the COM
mittee rooms on the Hill this year,
yes, and blatantly in committee
reports and Congressional debate,
this whole program was attacked
attacked with the slogans and
false phrases and statistics manu-
featured over the years by the
hired moIders of public opinion.
The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1953-10-23

ers and undermine their confidence
in their own national association.
The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1953-10-23
New PoIicy-A Violation of
Intent of Congress
''Dear Mr.. Secretary:

Dear Mr.. Secretary:
Preference is made to the new mar
keting policies recently announced
for the handling of power generated
by the Bureau of Reclamation. This
policy set down for the Eastern Di-
vision affects my own State of Mon
tana, and the policies set down for
both divisions strike at the heart of
established Federal power policy. |
oppose these changes vigorously, Bit
terly, as disregarding long precedent
in these matters, as violation of the
intent of the Congress, and as a pos
sible violation of the law.
whether so intended or not, this
new policy is an attack upon the
rural electrification program in my
State, program which has meant as
much to the people | represent as
any single development in the his
tory of the State. If you are not
aware that this policy jeopardizes the
farmers electric supply, ! recommend
a study of the matter, Immediately.
moreover, | demand that no con
tracing or giving away of any Fed
eral power which is now or may in
the future be available to the peo-
pie of my State be carried out by
you or your subordinates until have
been duly notified, and the farmers
of Montana are notified, we'll in adj
vance of any final action.
"As Secretary of the Interior you
are custodian of the peoples re-
sources; you are not the owner. As
custodian, request that you report
to the real owners before any final
is made of property right
fully theirs"
The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1953-10-23

In case there was any doubt in
anyone's mind as to what the new
power policy of Interior adds up
to, those doubts were dispelled by
Assistant Secretary of the Depart
ment of the Interior, Fred G. Aan-
dahl, in a speech delivered at Far
go, North Dakota, September 20.
In this speech Mr.. Aandahl point
ed out that the new power policy
was not the work of some insubor-
dinate bureaucrat. He said, "The
power policy statement itself was
personally edited by the Secretary,
the Under Secretary, the Assistant
Secretaries, and the Solicitor work
ing in close consultation. 1t was re-
viewed by the Cabinet and the
President"
The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1953-10-23

to the Secretary of the Interior as
follows:
The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1953-10-10
British Guiana
Is Calm Despite


GEORGETOWN, British Guiana
B-With British troops and war.
ships maintaining order at stra.
tegic points, British Guiana re.
manned calm today despite Lon.
don's custer of six ministers on
Communist charges and suspen.
sion OF the colony's six-month-old
Constitution.
Washington backed up Britain
expressing grave concern over ths
threat to Western Hemisphere Sc
curity from q possible coup IL
this South American colony by the
international Communist conspir
acy." The U. S. State department
expressed qualification that he
British government Is taking
firm action to meet the situation. -
Steps were taken to officially in.
form Latin American govern.
ments Of the u. S. stand.
Ne Disturbances
Five hundred troops of the Royal
Welsh Fusiliers guarding govern
ment centers In Georgetown and
rich sugar plantations on the sur
rounding plains reported no dis
turbances.
Despite q state Of emergency
Continued On Page Five)
The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1953-10-10
Storm Hazel
Moves Out
Over Atlantic

MIAMI, Fla. "a - The eighth
tropical storm Of the season
whirled northeastward over the
Atlantic today after slashing
across the Florida peninsula with
mile-a-minute winds and heavy
rains which added to the flood dan.
ger In some areas.
The storm formed in the Gulf Of
Mexico and swept over the state on
q path about 10 miles wide and
$50 miles long from Punta Gorda
on the west coast to Vero Beach
on the Atlantic side.
Much Of the state already was
waterlogged and rain from the
tropical disturbance brought q
threat of critical floods in some
sections.
At Orlando. Sen. George Smath.
ers (D-Fla) wired President Ri.
senhower that Florida was "suf.
fering from what many say Is the
worst flood condition in 50 years. %
Sixteen major highways were
closed to traffic because they were
underwater or pocked with wash.
cuts.
An advisory at S =. m. (EST)
Continued On Page Five)
The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1953-10-10
Tito Threatens
UseOf Arms In
Trieste Fight
Yugoslavia Does
Not Recognize
British-American
Decision On Zone
BY ALEX SINGLETON

BELGRADE, Yugoslavia IN -
President Tito threatened today 70
use armed force 10 keep Italian
troops out or the AIlied.occupied
zone of disputed Trieste.
The hard-hitting Yugoslav lead.
er told cheering mass meeting
at Lescovac that his country does
not recognize the British-American
decision to cede the Allied zone
to Italy. He announced he was
sending troop reinforcements into
Yugoslav-occupied Zone B.
"The entry Of Italian troops into
Zone A of the free territory Of
Trieste would be considered by US
as an act of aggression against
our country" he warned.
Declaring that Yugoslavia had
decided 'sto protect our interests
in the spirit Of the United Nations
Charter" he said:
Defense OF Peace"
"Yugoslavia has the right to un-
dertake all measures which stand
at her disposal under the United
Nations Charter, including the use
of armed force for the defense Of
peace"
Tito told his listeners that no
one has a right to place Yugo-
slavia and Italy on the same
Continued On Page Five)
The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1953-10-10
US. Troops
Prevent Attack
By GEORGE MACARTHUR

| PANMANJOM "a - American
"alert troops" with tanks and
Iflamethrowers took up positions
pointing south today in an omi-
nous warning against South Ko-
rean threats to attack indian sol
diers guarding war prisoners in
the neutral zone.
The show of strength followed
AN Indian appeal for American aid
in curbing any South Korean drive
toward the compounds housing r.
800 anti Communist North Korean
land Chinese POWs.
The U. S. State Department only
Friday assured India it would take
precautions to head off possible
South Korean interference.
The State Department also dis
closed that ii had--prior to the
Continued On Page FiveJ
The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1953-10-10
Mar, Found Hurt
On Caroline St.

A man identified BY police
enly % Roy Fisher 10 in eriti-
cal condition in MonFes CensT.
oil Hespitsl today, apparently
a. fhe result 81 . beating.
Pelies officer Edward Rsmi-
rsx reported that hs was called
40 Caroline and william Streets
abeUf $50 .. N. fecsy. He said
- found Fisher lying On ths
sidewalk ''brssfhins very hard. !"
No was sppassnfly suffering
from . head injury.
The mans isw ives swollen.
indicating that no might have
received Q bssfing. Ramirsz
added. 3
He was rushed - Menres
General snd ~ neon to-day II
was reported that Fisher had
net rsssinsd eenseievsnsss and
and WAS On ilss critical list.
Physicians said that IN x-rsy
study 10 bsins eendvefsd.