The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1961-03-10

opposition. IL is the same Dill as lib
1S6 of the 1851 session which caused
a terrific controversy and which was
finally vetoed by the then Gov. John
w. Bonner. Purpose is tosfree MPCo.
in particular of federal supervision
of it's stock. The bill has been signed
by the Governor and the way is now
open for MPCo. to water" its stock
much as the old time milkman used
to water his product. This means the
utility can get away with much
higher fictitious rate base than be-
fore SB 1876 was enacted-a very
handy financial manipulation to JUS
tify higher electricity and gas rates.
How come you didn't hear about it
before? We confess to having failed
to catch up with it until the very day
the House voted approval of the Sen
ate bill.
SD 206-opens the door wide for
any phoney or off-breed label to
qualify on state printing jobs. Not
only does this pose the likelihood of
anarchy existing in the handling of
state printing contracts, but the way
is now paved for farming out" state
print jobs to low-wage "right-to-
work" states, with a resultant out
flow of considerable tax dollars from
Montana, and worsening of the eco
nomic status of one of the states
most stable industries = printing.
Even worse, however, is the way the
bill was introduced on the 59th day
and steam-rollered through both
houses with no opportunity for public
hearing or considered legislative
judgment on its merits-if any. For
more on this see Gretchen's column
this week, and last week. SB FOG is
now before the Governor for con-
sideration.
In addition to the six bills listed
above, one very bad memorial was
creased through both houses.
HUM 12-Montana Powers pet
letter to Washington, although weak
ened some in the Senate, still urges
the federal government to give the
private power monopoly the oppor-
tunity to build two low-head, high
cost electricity producing m S
across the Flathead River, thus can
ceiling out the much more useful
multiple purpose Paradise Knowles
project and the latter's tremendous
amount of low-cost, industry-attract-
ing electric energy potential.
HUM IL was contrary to the letter
and spirit of the Democratic nation
al and state platforms, and the water
resource development policy of Dem
ocratic President John Kennedy, yet
IL Democrats voted for it's passage.
(See PV, March 8, page u.
Interestingly enough, the same
Senate which approved Hum IL,
turned thumbs down via voice vote
on another memorial aimed at car
rying out an important plank in
the party's 1860 state platform.
That memorial was SIN 2 which
urged Congress to construct trans
mission lines to connect Bonneville
power in western Montana with
Bureau of Reclamation power in
eastern Montana.
SOME GOOD MEASURES
lib 176-to license and bond
truckers who act as grain buyers,
will, according to Comm. of Agricul-
bure Ed Wren, put to an end lucra-
tive racket which has resulted in the
Fleeing of farmers of untold thou
sands of dollars. Wren says that zone |
Of the heaviest losers to INSCRIPTIONS
truckers in the past year, was
Townsend area farmer who last fail |
turned over $1,000 worth of barley
TO a trucker who promised to pay
alter. The farmer is still waiting for
MS money! HB 176 sponsors were
Eskildsen and Twedt.
lib 244-provides for the Indus
rial Accident Board making pay
nents to the Bureau of Vocational
for industrially dis
lbled citizens undergoing rehabilita-
ion with Vo-Rehab. Availability of
his funds source will greatly hasten
hem to go home and face the par