The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1954-01-01

pOI Icllib SJdGC, lldClOlldl anu I'LL
VOICE files.
School oil legislation, rate increase:
granted various utilities by the Public
Service Commission, highway finan
cling, farm programs, the COP as
sault on public power, ETC., occupied
considerable of our attention the
past year, but, from going through
the files, we find these issues were
far from the only ones to be handled
in detail. There were two months OF
extensive reporting on the 1858 Leg
islature, the threats to the public
domain in the proposed D'Ewart-Aik-
en-Hope grazing bills, the continuing
battle to preserve American civil lib
critics.
OIL CONTROVERSIES
Two major oil controversies .occu-
pied considerable of the state and ma
tional spotlight in 1862. Nationally,
it was the gift of the so-called tide
lands" oil reserves to three coastal
states and their major oil assignees
by the Republican Congress and Pres
ident Eisenhower. Final say on wheth-
er these immense reserves ESTIMATED
at over 500 billion) shall go to the
three states or remain the properly
OF all the people of the nation rests
with the federal courts since sew
eral suits opposing the transfer have
been filed.
Closer to home, and of even great
er interest to Montanans has been the
continuing battle over oil resources
Of school oil lands Early in the 1853
Legislature, the oil lobby proposed
legislation, which if enacted, would
have made a complete and utter
shambles of school oil land leasing
laws. Widespread opposition by school
people, labor, Farmers Union, and
others, resulted in all except one ma
jor revision of existing law being de-
leted. This one provision-perpetual
leases on such land once oil is dis
covered-has been in the courts many
and will be argued before the
State Supreme Court January IA. At
torney General Arnold Olsen, and a
majority of the State Land Board
(Secretary of State Sam Mitchell, and
Supt. of Public Inst. Mary Condon)
the State Constitution in that
it would permit what amounts to the
sale of trust lands at a figure that
may be far below the constitutionally-
required "full market value" Of such
lands. Governor Aronson, minority
of the land board, along with
the oil interests, supports the per-
oetual leasing provision passed by the Il,
1853 Legislature.
UTILITY RATE INCREASES
1858 VOICES carry a running ac-
count of rate increases ranging from |
20 to At per cent granted major utili- |
les by the Public Service Commits
ion, slated to cost gas and telephone
lsers an estimated three million dol
ars more per year, unless the in
.reases are nullified by the courts.
Despite vigorous opposition by
Montana State Federation of Labor,
-arious industries and businessmen,
he commission granted Montana
'ower Company's request for 80 to
z per cent increases in natural gas
ates. In so doing, the commission
efused to consider whether the utili-
Y was making or losing money on the
8 per cent of it's gas plant used by
anaconda Copper Mining Company.
acts deduced from evidence pre-
ented at the May hearing showed !
5000 consumers using 81 per cent !
f the gas plant provided 76 per (
ent of the utility's net profit from
as sales. This rate increase is cur !
emily in the courts with Attorney
ieneral Arnold Olsen contending that |
ne commission was in error in not