The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1955-11-11

| haven't Deen DONG IL regularly. 1t
isn't that / don't like to do it, but
such is my fate that writing is catch
as catch can las if you couldn't
guess).
There is lot going on and 1 hope
to be able to get around more in the
| future.
Montana Power Company ads run
ming as the weekly subsidy to Mon
tana newspapers are causing furry.
! MPC is telling Montana people how
New York people feel about public
power.
The ads are apparently designed
to make Montana REA people feel
| like dawgs when they turn on their
lights or run their precious electrical
equipment.
| wouldn't presume that the people
MPC name in their ads speak for the
entire population of New York. Don't
they have any public power in New
York? Are there any REAs? The
private utilities could find Montana
people to quote in New York papers,
too, without doubt, but it wouldn't
necessarily show the concensus of
opinion in Montana.
The ads are divide and conquer
tactic. They not only aim to divide
people within this area who have to
pay the private utilities rates and
the people who have public power
through the efforts of REA, but they
divide the people of the east and the
west. 1t is a shameful and disgraceful
undertaking. The power companies
won't debate the issues at stake, they
just try and pit people against people.
| don't know how many New York
people are without power at all, but /
do know there are Montana people
who are just getting power, and many
of them through the efforts of public
power agencies, and many who are
companies can't take care of peoples
needs just so they have the comforts
of life-they have to be able to see
profit in (which has virtue ex-
cept where you are the one who has
to go through the discomforts when
it isn't necessary.
Probably most New York people
think an outside toilet is something
you see only in the cartoons, or on
post cards they send friends when
they are on vacation.
Then, of course, New York has
nothing to gain by having the North
west develop cheap power that will
bring industrial development here.
The feelings of the New York laborcr
as against the western laborer are
being pitted there.
1t is the eastern financial giants
that want to loan money to the pri-
vate utilities for partial development
of this vast and fabulous West that
really fight public power, when you
claw deep to the heart of the situa-
ton.
They have money to loan, at high
interest rates. 1t means higher cost
power in the end, naturally, and keeps
industry out of the west.
And who's money is being used
for any kind of power development?
Isn't it money, for instance, from
insurance companies to which you
pay your premiums that loan to pri-
vate utilities? When you pay private
utility rates you are paying interest
on your own money, anyhow, and
you never finish paying.
The biggest laff comes in the adj
vertising that says MPC is local
Chartered in New Jer-
sey, they fight like mad any legisla-
ton that would make it mandatory
that they re-incorporate under Mon
bana law to do business in the state.
They like their favored tax position
as New Jersey corporation so they
don't have to open their books for
scrutiny by Montana taxing authori-
ties.
Public power agencies do not adj
yertise the virtues of public power,
because they are using your tax
money and there would be a tremen-
ious hue and cry if the money was
spent that way, especially from the
people pitters," but the private utih-
les spend hundreds of thousands of
dollars of the money you pay in
Utility rates advertising and nobody
opens their zap.