The Sidney herald., 1956-03-29

Helena - The board of direct
ors of the Helena Chamber OF
Commerce, on recommendation OF
its national affairs committee, has
informed Montana's senator and
representatives in congress that
il is opposed 10 federal aid foI
school construction and to low
ering tire social security retire
ment age for women.
AS 10 schools, the board said,
1--WE are convinced that Montana
can finance the construction Cd
necessary classroomS from its own
resources" And as to social Sc
curity, '9owering the benefit age
for women (from 65 TO 81 years,
as provided in pending legislation
would surely be followed by a de-
mand for a similar reduction for
men"
It is not my purpose here 10
argue either of the points raised
by the chamber directors. But ]
do want to say that, despite the
protested reasons, what is really
back of this is a desire 30 dis
courage x ICQC CA
penditures and taxes.
Such gestures in the name of
frugality with public funds are
commemorate in principle, but the
trouble is that in too many in
stances people who take this
position are inconsistent. For ex-
ample, a few years ago the Of
fetal spokeS1nen for the Helena
business community had a quite
different attitude when there
seemed to be a chance of getting
a veterans administration build
ing erected in the city.
In the matter of governmental
economy We are all pretty much
the same. We are for economy for
the other fellow, the other town,
the other state, but not where it
would affect us adversely. Every
United States senator, every state
legislator, knows this painfully
well. Not infrequently there are
campaigns of varying
magnitude, righteousness and
pressure demanding that public
expenditures be cut to the bone
to bare essentials - bare essen
tails being what we have been
getting in our community or
state, only we should have more
IF it.
When I was in Washington in
I949 ON the staff of Senator Ec-
ON, there was such a campaign,
/ vigorous one indeed, insisting
hat the recommendations of the
Hoover report be adopted with
,ut change. Obviously this would
mean drastic cuts in many ap-
,ropriationS, closing the field Of
ices of some of the federal agen-
les, curtailing funds for reclama-
ion and power dam, and so on
the line. The flood of letters
vas particularly strong from the
area, but at the same
ime demands were coming in,
ometimes from the same people,
or a large appropriation with
to begin construction of the
Iellowtail dam.
A year or so before that Miles
lily was exerting all the pressure
t could muster TO get a veterans
administration hospital. They
we're successful, and they have a
inc institution which is being util-
zed. But not SO long ago when
he closing of that hospital as an
economy measure threatened, {
lilies City and other communities |
hat would have been similarly {
ffected rose up in mighty protest
frustrated the plan. :
l do not blame Miles City for
to keep its veterans
ospital, nor Billings and Great
ais for resisting reduction of
bureau personnel in
hose cities. But services such as !
leSe, multiplied enormously n
lroughout the nation, are an i'm t
ortant part of the cost of gov a
rnment, and certainly no small i
art of the levy against the tax c
ayers. ?
Now let us take a look at Mon l
ma community interest in rela- I
on to state government. Six 0
1unties have units OF the uni E
system and nine others
ave state institutions. That
lakeS Is counties whose sena-
,rs and representatives had bet :
r bring home big appropria- |
ons - or else. In a community 4
,nse, the state school or institu- '
on is their transcending inter {
- ~ the 1aoicla+11ra and fnr 4b5r :