The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1957-12-06

the Montana Highway Commission.
In the 1857 Legislature Governor
Aronson left Burns high and dry on
highway financing legislation when
Burns wrote the House Highway Com
mittee that he favored the weight
distance type of legislation proposed
by the fact finding committee, and
that his letter was written with full
consent and knowledge of the Gov
ernor.
Quick as a flick the Governor sent
message to the House that said in
essence that Burns was a poor old
mixed up kid and that he (the Gov
ernor) hadn't said anything of the
sort and wasn't making his mind up
on anything till the Legislature had
acted.
In the resulting confusion the Leg
islature killed the weight distance
bill and cut the 1-cent gas tax. Only
then, and much too late, did the Gov
ernor speak up, but not to defend
the position of Harry Burns, or the
people.
In spite of the kicking around he
got in January, this week Burns came
to the defense of the Governor, and
talked about contrary to Governor
Aronson's advice and messages.
What advice?
Burns also said, Because certain
leaders in the 1857 session took an
attitude of all or nothing in truck
taxation. the trucking industry es-
capped additional taxes, and further,
the Highway Department was de-
prived of the additional one-cent gas
tax commencing Jan. Is, 1852.
The truth is, the "all or nothing"
attitude on highway financing in the
1857 Legislature can not be credited
to only one group. Any ugly little
heads popping up for Halo fitting
deserve to be clobbered quickly. 1t
was the immovable object and the ir-
resistible force.
The Governor alone held the bal
ance of power, and refused to as
sumo the responsibility.
And before we get hysterical over
this whole matter we should ask the
question-would Montana be able to
use the additional matching funds the
extra 1c tax would bring if we paid |
it in 1858?
Unless we are going to get roads
from the tax there's no object in |
simply handing the highway depart
ment additional" money. Especially |
now since we have anti-diversion and |
nobody has any control over the
money after the department gets it.
1t was tagged and weary group
If people who shook hands and said
goodbye at the conclusion of the tele-
phone company rate hearings-as if
hey had been on long voyage to-
yether and would not meet again.
For a number of us the trip through
high finance, dollar values and rate
making lasted IL days-starting No
yember II with the Montana Power
Company rate case-and guess you
Gould make round trip water cross
ng of the Atlantic in IL days.
1t was noticeable the interest util-
ty people have taken in DR.. KNAPP
,en's testimony. Not only did tele-
hone company administrative per-
onnel attend most of the hearings,
ut power company administrative
'ersonnel also dropped in" and
tayed to listen to DIR. Knappen.
One observer said utility people
we're getting an education they hadn't ,
ad chance to get before. ,
This was rather borne out when
attorney Shepherd of the telephone ,
had the consumers expert
n cross-examination, and he had to ,
urn three or four times to MST&T's .
ice president to get the question
hrased properly.
In contrast to other hearings of
his nature, the Montana counsel for
IST&T said very little, and the g