The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1954-03-12
extend PUBLIC POWER
By JEROME G. LOCKE, Helena
part VI of Series)


h their announced take purposes Many other tricks
: now in view.
has been nearly 40 in building started and be-
private companies failed refused rural
the Rural Electric Administration but made legal provision
for preference These hitherto neglected
! have first call on the public power produced.
Obedent to these legislative mandates Depart
ment worked out Regulations for the sale and distribution
of public Under existing law and these rules of the
80 cent country homes have been able to
provide themselves with electric Hundreds of millions
of dollars has been borrowed and being repaid with interest
It has been vast and successful undertaking. Continuous
growth needed satisfy demand that increases by leaps
and bounds
Now, "power policy bascally different pre-
ceeded it, has been set by rewriting the Regulations This
directly concerned AS officially explained Federal pow
capacity IL cent the American total The eXpana
ton for Regulations desire to away from grow
ing Federal monopoly of power. This is pure
Power producing capacity to the of IL cent
owned by about 100 million people each with equal share
Most of the remaining SO cent owned by few thousand
stockholders of private companies each constituting
segment
private companies and their Trust by
handful of Money Masters
Mr. Assistant Secretary Aandahl, beg ask you and
YOUR official uperors who admittedly approved the new poll
cy one simple question Federal power monopoly
do you call the much larger and many times more powerful
PLANTATION for change appears akin to that of the saphead
who traded two crisp dollar bills for counterfeit
Rural Electric Co-operatives in the Missouri Basin are
guinea pigs selected for the loaded dice policy Ac
cordng carefully studied and lengthy legal opinion which
10 Co-ops in Eastern Montana have secured, it will:
Violate the preference laws.
determination needs
desirable thermal rming
withdrawal with
policy rural systems
with private power
g. Destroy preference rights "dump" power.
h. Destroys postage rate concept
GIT the arrangement
Penalties rural by changes in billing methods
This opinion prepared by leading law firm in Washing
c. concludes The marketing criteria to
be a national pattern which emerging reduce
petition electric industry and result in unreasonable
the electricity consumers. That
Do forget what has recently happend to all
telephone The final result be worse
Monopoys grand plan emized in article two of this sere
calls a TAKE OVER of all Public Power. Without de-
pendabe of only at the probable
fate of the magnificent REA Coop system.
Coops aided by considerable political from
scattered groups, fighting back. Their first obJec
modification of the regulations Mar
ketng If this fails their only will be to the
courts will be long out costly and
tain process.
PRESENT BENEFICIARIES OF THE REA COOP SYSTEM
HAVE THEIR BACKS TO THE WALL-ALL POSSIBLE HELP
IS URGENTLY NEEDED.
Since the above cast into type two short
indicate relaxing marketing crltera descr1b
above Evidently Public and Congressional
Secretary Aanah has announced that
half of basin contract will be let for
energy public preference customers In west
ern half with private
will changed but withdrawal clauses will be continued
will be made available to preference customers need
ad-JGL.