The people's voice., 1957-02-01
BY the EDITOR :


in connection with the HouseSenate hearings the
Paradise Dam memorial to Congress was one of the
finest pieces of organizationa work the Capital City
has witnessed in number of years In fact it caused
lead-off proponents for Hum 1, Rep Eugene Mahon-
ey (D7SanderS) to express Wonderment that so much
interest had been suddenly created in memorial
to Congress- In contrast Mahoney recalled that when
the bill to give Washington Water Power the 60
ahead to flood considerable part of western Sanders
county with its Cabinet Gorge dam (Senate Bill OF
1851 session., there was no public hearing, and it
was steered through both houses in record-breaking
time.
With all due respect to a number of sincere peo-
pie who came to Helena to oppose the memorial it
must be emphasized again and again that in spite
of all appearances, this was not hastily energized
peoples march. Rather it the result of assid-
uous minute planning Of detail and for very selfish
purpose.
That a high official of the Northern Pacific Rail
way should be engulfed in this march while a
visit to western Montana that the president of Mon
tana Power Co. should take time out from his busy
day and brave 80 degree below weather to join
the throng; that hired attorneys should all OF sud-
den find it profitable to appear in opposition
this and much more blows sky high any pretenses
that the large Lake-Sanders- Mssoula county dele
cations to Helena primarily to fight for the
rights of the great maj Ority of the people of Lake
and Sanders counties
To keep this Paradise dam matter in proper per-
spective it should be noted that Montana Power Com
pany in recent years. has begun to evidence little
bit of interest in the power developing possibilities
of two small damsites upstream from the proposed
Paradise Ste-SlteS which would be inundated once
Paradise is a reality.
With the above as a prelude let us take closer
look at this controversial multiple purpose flood
troll irrigation and power project and some OF the
arguments for and against it.
One Of the opponents to the memorial, Senator
Bertha Streeter of Lake, stated at the hearing Lake
county stands chance of losing over $500 600 if the
dam is built, in taxes alone .'* check OF the
latest Board of EQUALIZATION report shows that Lake
county's total county and school taxes in 1856 was
S912,646. Paradise reservoir would nundate a very
small portion of Lake county, including some fair to
good irrigated acreage, several thousand acres OF
fair to poor grazing and other lands very small
rural trading center and part of another Her state
ment was preposterous any way you look at it and
cannot be substantiated in fact.
Mrs Streeter also asserted that Lake county stood
to lose the taxes off $124880 value of Yellowstone
Pipene alocated to Lake county by the State Board
of EQUALIZATION. In view of the present location of
the pipeline the mountainous terrain along the south
side of the proposed reservoir and the easier route
afforded along the north sde it is probable that Lake
county would gain number of miles of pipeline
subject to paying taxes to that county.
In connection with the tax question: some figures
placed in the committee record by Willard Fraser,
Billings should be Indicative Fraser pointed out that
Flathead county in 1947 had total taxable valua-
ton of S38 900 900 In 1855 after Hungry Horse was
completed, the Anaconda Company ALUMINIUM planC
and other new industry had increased Flatheads tax
able value to more than S70 O00,0O0 (S84,OOO,OOO III
1850 Broadwater county also has a greatly IN
creased taxable valuation because of construction OF
Canyon Ferry dam. In 1947 BroadWater's taxable
valuation was $98000 900, and, in 1885, l4,6OO,OOO
In connection with the latter it should be noted that
Lewis & Clark county has about as close relation
ship to Canyon Ferry as Lake county would have to