The people's voice. [volume], August 09, 1963, Page Page Three, Image 3

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

Image provided by: Montana Historical Society; Helena, MT

                
State House 'Beat' . .
FMNK-LY SPEAKING
By FRANK SMALL
Wonder what the poor people are
doing?" was the theme of the conver
cation the first night out on the
Highway Commission bus trip through
western Montana. As the thick smoke
rose from the steaks charcoaling at
Lake Blaine, the secretary of the
Kalispell Chamber of Commerce took
us on rides in his motorboat and a
local banker entertained us and kept
our glasses filled with an unstinting
ratio of spirits. No measuring device
was used, just tip the bottle.
After gorging ourselves we stopped
at Commissioner Stan Halvorson's
house to inspect his quarters. He
passed inspection and we all went
to a motel for the night.
Breakfast with the Kalispell Cham
ber was ceremonious with three ex
Commissioners getting certificates
which enable them to buy a cup of
coffee anywhere as long as they have
a dime.
On we rolled, stopping for hand
outs of coffee and grub wherever we
were welcome.
» *
Bringing with us the power and
glory of Helena and half the state's
budget we were quite delighted with
ourselves and would stop to give
our blessing to almost anything. The
standard answer was we don't have
any money but maybe we can build
your road someday.
It was easy to see that the main
problem of Northwestern Montana is
not necessarily roads, but what to do
with the lodgepole pine. The only
hope lies with the new forest research
center in Bozeman, I can imagine the
need for a giant machine something
like a bulldozer-sized barber's clip
pers to shear off the "weed tree" to
allow the sun to nourish the soil for
grass to support livestock and wild
life plus new growths of trees either
of more valuable species or more
lodgepole if the giant machine could
also be some sort of moving factory
making bales of fiber to serve the
industries which will arise when the
rivers start turning gravity into low
cost electrical energy.
At Libby the future is keyed to
Libby Dam to harness the mighty
Kootenai which carries more water
than any other river in the state.
The new high school is being built
to handle the influx of construction
workers and their families. One side
of Main Street will be moved to
handle the increased traffic. Little
or no more highway funds will be
used to maintain the present road
(U. S. 2) which will be inundated
by several hundred feet of water.
That lunch was marred only by my
saying that I had to act as the com
mittee's conscience.
On the Bull Lake Road the bus was
stopped and we had a ribbon cutting
ceremony. A Missoula motorist drove
by and wondered what that bunch of
nuts was doing strung across the
highway with a yellow ribbon in
their hands.
Undaunted, we went on to Noxon
Rapids Dam and I posed with Com
mission Chairman Roy Sorrels in
front of the propaganda sign at the
dam to symbolize ideological differ
ences or something. He pointed at the
wording showing thousands of stock
holders and I pointed at the myth
no tax dollars".
We dismounted the bus at Thomp
son Falls and ate dirt via Prospect
Creek into Idaho. The Idahoans had
a picnic for us but we were late and
some had to go without steak but
plenty
really suffered. Some even went the
other mile into Murray and looked
at the Court House Bar wooden chain
carved from one piece of wood—It
has 160 links or is 160 feet long.
The reports were blurred—even the
bartender couldn't make change.
Although the routes into Idaho
have been surveyed by air the Com
mission okayed a survey to be made
that they may choose between the
Murray and the Burke route.
Sanders county is in the hole as far
secondary funds are concerned
because they are going to he spent on
the Ferma bridge. This bridge would
be 75 per cent salvageable when it
is flooded out by Knowles Dam so
arrangement may be able to
be made for this value to be used in
the county if the bridge is going to
be used in another county after the
dam is built.
so
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Meanwhile the Editor of the
People's Voice has volunteered his
services to organize an old motqr oil
collection drive to try to kill some
of the dust on the Prospect Creek
road to Idaho, (He has a selfish in
terest in that particular stretch of
highway).
Commissioner J. M. Nass got into
a discussion with a Thompson Falls
doctor about the value of roads.
Roads are bringing in more people
and wrecking the doctor's hunting
and fishing, and therefore are no
damn good. This sort of argument is
common in other sections of the
state and is hard to talk about with
out falling into the trap of person
alities. The only answer is more fish
and game Which is the problem of
another state agency.
♦
The next morning we had break
fast at Plains where the Chamber
of Commerce gave us Japanese let
ter openers which looked like hari
kari swords. Politics in Sanders county
is really tough. Everyone is inter
ested in the mint crop being dis
tilled near Plains. It is harvested the
second year and the finished product,
mint flavoring, is shipped from the
farm. A new stimulus to our econ
omy perhaps.
At Superior they did not lynch the
commission even though the Inter
state bypassed them. The town, has
lost considerable business but at the
bank where we had coffee the cal
culating machines kept dancing under
the girl's fingers despite the invasion
of road agents.
Then in Missoula where I was ad
miring the hand rail the women of
Missoula made the commission put
on the Higgins Avenue bridge the
cottonpickers took off with the bus
without me and I had to run through
the street to catch them.
Coffee at Hamilton where the com
mission checked on Orvdn Fjare who
had some travel writers in tow. They
had straw hats on and looked like they
would try to make people believe that
they really roughed it in Montana
and weren't just on a conducted tour.
Up Lost Trail Pass to the Idaho
line then up another pass to the Big
Hole country. At the top we all got
out and Sorrels read a paper extoll
ing the virtues of Commissioner
George Cosman and gave him the
honor of dedicating the name of the
pass which we would now select from
name,
velt Memorial Pass"
smattering
of applause—next, "John F. Kennedy
Memorial Pass
smattering of ap
plause. The next sign held up was
the "Frank Small Memorial Pass"
* *
and the crew went wild while Cosman
kissed me on both cheeks. Me and
Kennedy ain't dead yet so the joke
pass which had been named after
George Sime, information officer and
Cosman and Chief Joseph, who never
went that way, may appear on the
maps as Frank Small Pass yet—why,
nobody will ever know.
This is the last piece of primary
to receive state attention since the
system was created two score and
some years ago. It will open up the
land of the ten thousand hay stacks.
And it is something to see. Of course
my mind went to the Board of Equali
zation fight in the Supreme Court on
the valuation of grazing and wild hay
land. In the Big Hole you can see the
few words spoken in the court are
not about chicken feed.
entourage got loaded up and then
had a big feed. The good natured
waitress who handled the public of
ficials as if they were little boys
went along with their continuing
jokes and handed me their checks.
Not being as charitable as the Mis
soula Chamber of Commerce I did
a memorable double take and pass.
After the meal they gave a very
creditable show for the people gath
ered in the lodge. All the percentages
were trotted out and by the time they
were through, the men were quite
satisfied that they were getting their
share however the ladies who have to
drive the children to school every
day during the winter were not taken
in by the numbers game. What about
that curve? Who would allow such a
thing? Roy Jones, the Bureau of
Public Roads representative, quickly
disclaimed any federal responsibility.
Mrs. AI Hill Named
Region 14 Director
For Demo Women
Mrs. AI Hill, Clancy, has been
named director of Region 14 of the
Montana State Democratic Women's
Club, according to Mrs. Gordon R.
Bennett, state president. The two
year appointment is effective im
mediately.
Region 14 is comprised of Jeffer
son, Lewis and Clark, and Broad
water counties.
In announcing the appointment
Mrs. Bennett said; "We are most
fortunate to have a director of Mrs.
Hill's caliber. She has a background
of organizational work with public
service groups, years of dedicated
service to the Democratic party, and
unusual leadership abilities.
Mrs. Hill is the past president of
the Brown Gruber Hahn Chapter of
the VPW Auxiliary; a member of
the Clancy PTA, and Committee
woman for precinct 1 in Clancy. She
is also a member of the Helena Chap
ter of the Cystic Fibrosis Founda
tion.
Born in Townsend, she graduated
from Jefferson County High School
in Boulder. Her husband is a masonry
contractor and the couple has four
children. Her parents, Mr. and Mrs.
E. P. Gruber also reside in Clancy.
Farm Population
Drops to Less
Than 8% of Total
WASHINGTON, D. C.— (CNS) —
U. S, farm population dropped to
14,300 persons last year. This was
less than 8% of the 185,764,000 per
sons in the country—a new all-time
low.
In only two years in the past 30
has farm population increased. This
was in 1946 and 1947, when many
persons were leaving war plants and
the Army.
The average income of each of
the 14,300,000 persons who live on
U. S, farms rose to $1,436 last year.
This was the highest ever. It in
cluded $940 from farm sources and
$496 from non-farm sources.
Farmers' income still lagged be
hind other persons'. Per capita non
farm income last year was $2,446.
There were signs, however, that
farmers were beginning to catch up.
Figured per capita, farm income has
risen steadily from 50% of non
farm income in 1969 to 59% in
1962, In fact, farm people's incomes
compared better with others' incomes
last year than anytime in the past
30 years, excepting only 1948 and
1951.
Farm operators' net cash incomes
averaged $2,566 lost year. This com
pared with $6,021 wages for the
average factory worker.
The secondary system design is left
up to the state and county. The only
interest the BPR has in secondaries
is the accounting.
Commissioner Ted James said that
he was more "conservative" than the
others in that he thought that since
there is no legal reason for the coun
ty commissioners to set priority on
road construction, only custom, that
the people should come directly to
Helena to establish priority.
A friendly rancher took some of
the commissioners out to see his place
and then to the Wagon Wheel saloon.
In the wee hours of the morning Com
missioners Nass and Cosman, found
out that maybe the rancher makes
more off the blackjack table than
the ranch. At least they got cleaned
of about twenty bucks apiece.
In Butte we were a little shocked
to learn that they were using cement
stabilization on some of the fancy
loops and whorls of the Interstate
there because the roughest part of
our journey was over cement stabili
zation near Avon on the road to
Lincoln. But they are going bo put
concrete over the cement stabiliza
tion so maybe it will work out.
An hour in Helena wound up the
business for July. Although I was
pooped out, I had to admit to the
commissioners as I took my type
writer case stuffed with dirty shirts j
It's been fun".
i •
and underwear,
Residential Rates One-Third Those of MPCo. . . .
Washington PUD Drops
Rates By $650,000
Snohomish County Public Utility District's all electric resi
dential rate has been dropped from nine mills to eight mills,
according to a recent banner line story in the daily Everett,
Washington HERALD. The new residential rate amounts to
one-third the current residential rate of 2.35 cents extracted
by Montana Power Company from its residential patrons.
In dollars, the Snohomish pub
lid y -owned power system's rate
slash will amount to $650,000 an
nually, according to PUD Manager
Tom Quast.
Reports the HERALD ;
Lower electric service costs will be
effective immediately for nearly all
of the PUD's 6,000 commercial ser
vice customers, most public and pri
vate schools, many churches and by
all residential customers using more
than 1,000 kilowatt hours per month.
The average residential customer
uses about 1,000 kilowatt hours of
electricity per month with a bill to
taling $8.60. The reduction will af
fect immediately homeowners whose
bill is higher than $8.60.
The lowered rates—averaging 20
per cent in savings to commercial
customers and 11 per cent bo home
owners—will be shown in meter read
ings on and after July 1 throughout
Snohomish county and Oamano
Island.
Th* district's "*ll-«lectric" resi
dential rate, reduced now on sched
ule 7, will drop from 9 to 8 mills
per kilowatt hour and particularly
will benefit homeowners who use
larger amounts of electricity.
The minimum on this rate had
been reduced from $4.60 to $1 per
month in 1966. This "ail-electric
rate is substantially lower than simi
lar charges levied by neighboring
utilities, Quast said.
This is the latest in a sferies of rate
reductions begun in 1954. Wholesale
industrial rates, already substantial
ly below those charged in adjoining
areas are not affected.
TO ENCOURAGE GREATER
POWER USE
This change is designed to en
courage the greater use of electricity
which will result in lower incremental
costs and thereby enable the district
to continue low electrical rates in the
face of rising costs," Quast said
Since its beginning, the district
has established and followed a pat
tern of lower electric rates,'' Quast
said. "As a result of action instituted
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in January by Commissioner William
Huibert, with the concurrence of
Bennett Named To
Western Democratic
Civil Rights Group
Democratic State Chairman Fred
Barrett announced Wednesday the
appointment of Gordon R. Bennett,
Helena attorney, as Montana mem
ber of the Western States Demo
cratic Conference Committee on Civil
Liberties and Civil Rights.
Bennett will attend the 1963 meet
ing of the Conference in Salt Lake
City September 19 through the 21st,
Barrett said. The Conference will be
attended by delegates from eleven
western states. President Kennedy is
scheduled to speak at the Conference
banquet.
Civil liberties and civil rights are
are of national interest and concern
and are not problems peculiar to any
particular part of the country," Bar
rett said. "For this reason, I am
most pleased that Montana has been
asked to send a delegate on these
matters to this important conference,
and that Mr. Bennett has agreed to
attend.
year above the cost of its contract
settlements with newspaper unions.
Camouflage
NEW YORK—Newspapers appear
bo be the latest industry to use wage
rates as an excuse to raise prices—
far in excess of the increase of the
wage bill.
The GUILD REPORTER says that
the NEW YORK TIMES five-cent
price increase, for example, will
yield the paper about $4.5 million a
*
Commissioner Bill Berry and my
self, a program of rate research and
analysis has been carried out by our
management and staff.
It was determined that lowered
residential and commercial rates
were possible and justified,'' Quast
added. "Savings to our commercial
and residential customers will release
$660,000 into local trade channels,
further emphasizing the fact that
Snohomish county and , Camano
Island are good places to live and do
business.
Thi» and previous rate reduc
tions now are saving the district's
'
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. }
customers about $3 million per
year when compared with rates
prevailing at the time the PUD
acquired its electric properties in
1949, officials said.
The new rates will not jeopardize
our excellent financial condition as
reflected in the district's bonds
present 'AA' preferred rating," Quast
said.
USE TRIPLED WITH
LOWER RATES
PUD Manager A. S. J. Steele re
ported that since 1949 the number of
electric customers in all categories
served by the district has nearly
doubled from 38,060 to 69,000. Dur
ing the same period the average use
per customer of residential elec
tricity has more than tripled from
3,700 to 12,000 kilowatt hours per
year and corresponding increases by
commercial customers have occurred.
In a very real sense, our residen
tial and commercial customers them
selves have done much to bring down
the incremental cost of their electric
service by using increased quantities
of electricity,'' Steele said.
We are pleased we can make this
rate reduction and at the same time
continue to satisfy the heavy demands
of our customers for new and in
creased electric services, expand and
modernize our extensive distribution
facilities and continue the Sultan
River project toward successful com
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a
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our customers that the district's
present facilities are ready and able
to meet the demands for increased
service which will result from this
rate reduction.
ff
During its 14-year history in the
electric business the district has re
duced its original bonded indebted
ness from $1914 million to $1214
million and has increased its plant
value from $1614 million to nearly
$43 million. During this time rates
were reduced in 1964, '65, '58 and
1960.
It is evident that progress of this
kind is the result of sound manage
ment, with the assistance of a com
petent staff of experienced utility
personnel,
performance projected into future
operations and coupled with antici
pated increases in power use justifies
this reduction in rates.
i i
Quast said. "This past
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"Our rates are already far be
low the average for the state and
Quast said. "The district
nation,
is owned by the people it serves,
therefore, whenever sound busi
ness judgment permits, savings are
passed on to customers in the form
of lower rates.
*7
THE PEOPLE'S VOICE
Published weekly by The People's
Voice Publishing Co., at 1206 Lockey
Street, Helena, Montana.
HARRY L. BILLINGS, Editor
GRETOHEN G. BILLINGS,
Associate Editor
Entered as Second Class Matter De
cember 7, 1939, at the Post Office at
Helena, Montana, under the Act of
March 3, 1879.
Subscription Price: $3.00 a Year
No Commercial Advertising except
from Co-operative Bualneas Institu
tional accepted. Rate« on application