The people's voice., 1956-05-25

the state that the Montana Powe
Company recently conducted a pol
that had to do with electrical equip
ment and the gubernatorial race. The
rumor persists that Olsen won, ovel
washing machines, refrigerators ant
other potential candidates.
More credence attends the rumol
in view of a letter written May FL
to employees and Stockholders" by
President and General Manager J. E
Corette of Montana Power.
1t seems the results of the poll die
tated the president and general mana
ger get line or two off about the
Attorney General, now and then be-
fore the June 5 primary and the devil
with refrigerators and washers.
The letter is written in the plaintive
tone of injured innocence character
istic of corporate representatives
when they find themselves behind
the ball. 1t reminds me of spokes-
men for the Anaconda whose hearts
are broken over the man with five
children who can't work after As be-
cause of silicosis, but Company prof
its make it impossible to do anything
about it.
This came to mind when | read
the part of the letter that said, "The
public has been told that we are
gouging the people with too high gas
rates" Quote and unquote the presi-
dent and general manager of the COM
pany whose profits were up approx
mately one million dollars over last
year.
For purposes of a good belly laugh,
the second paragraph. 1t says, "We
have no intention of becoming in
volved in political arguments, but
these attacks (of the Attorney Gen
eraD have caused such serious ad
verse criticism of our gas rates and
of our Company that we believe it
our duty to present the true facts
in few letters to you who have such
an important interest in the welfare
IF this Company"
But six paragraphs later Corette
says, 81 hope you will read each let
,er carefully and that you will tell
your friends and others the true facts
about these false charges which have
,een made against you and me,
against every one of us who is asso-
iated with The Montana Power Com
,any."
By the time l reached paragraph z
didn't know whether to laugh or
ry-or if l did either, who I'd do
for.
One thing that kept preying on my
mind was this poor misunderstood
monopoly with access to z daily
newspapers having to resort to let
ers to employees and Stockhold-
RS" to do their political linen wash
ng.
1t really throws a guy when you
hink about 1T newspapers and |
ot an editorial thought in one of |
hem on anything that affects Mon
ana people. The Zombies sitting be-
ind the editorial desks of the Com
any papers would probably turn
yer in their graves if they were
llowed to write anything with poll
ical thought on current topic be-
ween Canada and Mexico or tn
'acific and the Atlantic, so Corette
lay be more humanitarian than it
ooks at first glance when he writes
etters.
Another thing is you and I are
aging for the letters as an item in
1ontana Powers cost of doing busi
ess-and on top Of that the next
ate increase request will include
hem for US to pay percentage on.
When Corette says Olsen's figures
re completely false" it raises
lost fantastic question, because the
My figures Olsen has been able to
Sc are those presented to the RR&PS
commission by the Montana Power
company itself.
In paragraph 3 Corette takes the
sual line about leaving these mat
ers to public officials. Corporations