The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1954-01-22
Continued from page oneJ

perpetrated during the first year o
kepublicanism in Washington and i
Helena.
The Federal Power Commission, il
COP hands, last month granted tn
Natural Gas Pipeline Co. of Americi
a multi-million dollar increase in ga
rates. The FPC order, said the utili
tvs president, could not have beer
more favorable if | had written i
myself" At the same time, NGPA'
head announced that his company wa
planning to again go before the com
mission for yet another seven million
dollar rate increase.
Here in Montana, the Public Ser
vice Commission also felt great
compassion for various utility COM
panies, and during the year got in
the habit of dispensing 80 per cent
or higher rate increases. Montana
Power asked for, and received 80
to AZ per cent bumps in natural gas
rates; Mountain States Tel. and
Tel, came away with 20 to 30 per
cent boosts; Montana-Dakota Utili-
ties, 30 per cent, Billings City Wa
ter, 30 per cent, and railroads and
trucklines rate increases of % per
cent-to name the more important
beneficiaries of PSC largess.
And, there were other raids, pro-
posed or accomplished. The forces
behind the D'Ewart land grab had
to temporarily withdraw under pub
lie pressure in their move to give
major stockgrowing interests COM
plete control over public domain
lands. Now, under the guise of con-
servation, bills by Sen. Aiken and
Rep. Hope seek to accomplish ma
terially the same ends as the D'Ewart
bill HR 1923.
Likewise, a joint Congressional res
olution was passed by the first ses-
sion of the 83rd Congress clearing the
way for "emancipating" Indian wards
of the government. Now, legislation
is under discussion, which, if en-
acted, would open the door wide for
wholesale looting of Indian timber,
mineral, power, agricultural and graz
ing resources.
Public control of atomic energy,
synthetic fuel and rubber plants,
iva, ETC., is frowned upon by the
Eisenhower Administration, and eff
forts are already underway to make
a gift of these to big business.
FARM PRICES DOWN,
UNEMPLOYMENT UP
While big business did just fine
the past II months because of
friendly" Isle subservient) Admin
istration in Washington, the nations
farmers and workers are beginning
TO wonder about the bill of goods
they were sold in November 1852.
Farm prices declined 10 per cent
in Eisenhower's first year, and ac-
cording to Federal Reserve Board,
will likely decline another 10 per
cent in 1854. Meanwhile, the Presi-
dent apparently having forgotten
his Golden Promise" made at kas-
son, Mimi, during the 1852 cam
paign while seeking farm belt
votes, is now proposing that Con-
gress legislate farmers into a grad
ual bankruptcy-15 per cent re-
modities in 1855, and then, five per |
cent per year, each year thereafter
until the average family farmer is
out of business.
Labor, on the other hand has seen
the ranks of the unemployed grow to
over two million, and has been adj
vised by economists that there will be
at least five million jobless before the
end of the second year of the Eisen-
hover Administration. Labor, too, is
wondering what happened to Ike's
campaign promise to the 1852 ALL
convention to lead fight to make
the Taft-Hartley Act less loaded In
favor of employers.
CIVIL LIBERTIES !
FURTHER ENDANGERED
Along with weakening farm prices