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c historical society Final Bureau Report Shows . . . .„JpEJyLQ&IXA- t. NJ Él f < N .1. V— -fgl • A-~ -WtiEliENA/ HUNGRY HORSE DAM COST $7 MILLION î f K: il!' W n LESS THAN ESTIMATE IT] ! ~L----- Ù. Sédès. Final cost of the Hungry Horse Dam of the nation’s fourth largest and J/£ it; r and powersdte, the Bureau of Recla­ third highest concrete dam with its ^MONTANA’S ONLY* Il il «in r r r Wn*41Wl mation’s first major World War II powerhouse was estimated at $108,- EWIDE INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER postwar project, has been set at $101,- 800,000. The dam itself was com­ Vol. XVII- , 5 $3.00 Per Year pleted Oct. 4, 1952, with first power HELENA, MONTANA, JANUARY 6, 1956 620,268, according to a report in the 03O e HUNGRY HORSE NEWS: generation Oct. 1, 1962. a The report says: “Completing an n El L. Gochmauer, Hungry Horse The Insole if High Office” . . audit that was started Sept. 26 were project superintendent, lists the fol­ O. W. Morgan and B. C. Hammock, lowing major factors as contributing auditors from the Bureau of Recla­ to Hungry Horse costing $7 million mation Denver office. They were less than anticipated when building Inter f Dept. Has "Callous Disregard joined recently by J. S. Reece, super­ began : Construction efficiency and vising field auditor of the Denver completion by the prime contractors, n office. General-Shea-Morrison, ahead of the “When construction of the dam schedule; good labor relations—not a For ‘ blk Sentiment started in May, 1948, estimated Cost strike during the construction period; higher than expected sales of surplus ♦ Continued adamant refusal by the months ago. The request was re­ Department of Interior to hold a pub­ fused. We jointly requested a pub- materials and housing. Gochnauer lic hearing on the mass slaughtering added that there were also other cost lice hearing this month. That re­ MURRAY-HINMAN of Yellowstone Park elk now being saving factors, such as improvements No Skinny Elk In quest likewise was refused. Interior undertaken by the National Park in design. informed us that the park super­ REMATCH APPEARS Gardiner Area Service, this week brought forth from intendent would meet with repre­ “Last major contract at Hungry Federal bureau claims that mass Montana’s Democratic congressional sentatives of groups interested in IN THE OFFING Horse was this past summer when slaughter is necessary to preserve delegation sharp criticism of the de­ Odds on favorites to be general the elk problem for a joint inspec­ a $185,000 channel below the dam the park elk herd from starvation partment’s “callous disregard for pub­ tion of the elk range, adding that election opponents again this year was completed. are not borne out by on-the-spot lic sentiment” in the long-standing in the department’s view such a as in 1952 are State Treasurer Edna . » Hungry Horse Dam backs up a observers. Some Helena sportsmen controversy. meeting “would serve the purpose Hinman and Supreme Court Clerk 34 mile long lake holding 3,468,000 have spent the last two weekends much better than a public hearing.” Frank Murray. Both have announced In a joint statement to Bernard acre feet of water. The reservoir has in the Gardiner park entrance area. King, board chairman of Rocky Moun­ their intentions of seeking the post a pattern of being full each summer. They saw many elk. They didn’t Prudent game and public lands tain Sportsmen, Butte, Senators Mur­ management depends to a great ex­ of Secretary of State, Mrs. Hinman see a single “skinny” one. All of on the Republican and Mr. Murray “The four 71,250 kilowatt genera­ ray and Mansfield, and Rep. Metcalf tent on public understanding of the tors are tied in with Bonneville Power the animals they saw 'were sleek expressed grave concern over the on the Democratic ticket. and fat.” problems involved. The public must Administration grid. Hungry Horse federal agency’s dictatorial attitude be taken into the confidence of the In 1952, as their party nominees resulted in the Anaconda Aluminum Further, they report that some concerning the proposed slaughter of for Supreme Court Clerk, Murray administrators, who should have con­ Co. plant being located two miles of the “trigger-happy” marksmen two thousand or more of the park’s fidence in the public. The depart­ won the nod from the electorate for east of Columbia Falls. of the bureau, one day killed so elk herd. the six-year post by a 4,206 margin. ment’s adamant refusal to grant a Downstream benefits of this furth­ many more head than they could The statement follows: public hearing, at which the air could After Governor J. Hugo Aronson took est upstream major dam on the Co­ dress out in regular hours that the office Mrs. Hinman became his recep­ Mr. Bernard King, Board Chairman be cleared, reinforces our opinion lumbia system see water storage that force worked all night to save the that the Interior Department, particu­ tionist. Then, following the death of resulted in additional generators be­ carcasses from spoliation. Rocky Mountain Sportsmen’s Assn. State Treasurer Charles Sheridan, larly those officials responsable on a ing installed at Kerr Dam at the foot Possibly it is because the park Butte, Montana she was appointed to serve in that Dear Barney; policy level for public land manage­ of Flathead lake, and essential stor­ elk are 'sleek and fat”, the De­ ment and wildlife, have a callous dis­ capacity until the results of the offi­ . ■ age for Cabinet Gorge Dam and partment of Interior is unwilling to This is in response to your joint cial canvass of the 1954 general elec­ regard for public sentiment. Noxon-Rapids Dam on the Clarks hold a public hearing on the issue. letter to us regarding the Yellowstone tion became known. She was a suc­ Fork River as well as bolstering up­ Possibly, it is because large stock- Park elk herd and cover letter dated In our opinion, the Yellowstone cessful candidate to continue as stream storage for Grand Coulee. >> raisers covet the lush winter-feed- December 12, 1955. Park elk herd problem boils down to Treasurer, at the 1954 election. KALI SPELL NEWS-FARM JOUR­ north of the park, that You state that a great majority of a vexing conflict between wildlife mg range conservation and soil conservation. The post that both Mrs. Hinman NAL. * Park Service officials are so deter­ the people in Montana would favor a and Mr. Murray seek this year is emi­ mined to slaughter off a substan­ public hearing on the Interior De­ Certainly no true conservationist can nently more important than either of tial percentage of the herd—with­ partment’s program for slaughtering become enthusiastic over wholesale slaughter of prize game animals like their previous state offices. The Sec­ Leaphart Enters Private Law out a public hearing disrupting by Park rangers, of a considerable retary of State, besides all of his (or this phase of the national “give- number of the herd. elk. Nor can he walk along the severe­ ly depleted range areas of the Yellow­ her) routine duties, is a member of Practice In Capital City program.—PV EDITOR. We too favor such a hearing. We two of the state’s most important ad­ C. W. Leaphart, Jr., who for sev­ away stone and Lamar rivers without be­ each requested one, about two ministrative boards, the Board of Ex­ eral years has been an assistant in the ing profoundly concerned over the aminers and the Board of Land Com­ office of Attorney General Arnold H. effect of overgrazing on the land, as missioners. Olsen, this week entered the private Attorney General Contends . . well as, of course, the animals who Because of the great importance practice of law in the Securities must live on it. Additionally, there is placed by both parties on control of Building in Helena. the conflict among wildlife itself, i these two top state boards it is antici­ Leaphart, during his tenure in the A PUBLIC OFFICIAL CAN SERVE inasmuch as some other species of pated that much political activity w:ll state’s top legal office, was among wildlife are being crowded out by r be expended by Democrats and Re­ other matters, in charge of the At­ ONLY ONE EMPLOYER AT A TIME the elk. publicans alike to capture the office torney General’s rate cases against In other words, there are con­ of Secretary of State. the Montana Power Company and In obvious reference to Montana’s find a few elected public officials siderable arguments on both sides Mountain States Tel. & Tel. Last win­ Governor and the position he has con­ acting more like free-lance specula­ of this issue. What concerns us tors than people impressed with a ter he and Attorney General Olsen sistently taken in support of oil leas­ most at the moment is the fact that Meat Cutters, Packers, Plan sacred trust. All too frequently we won a precedent-setting decision ing legislation favorable to the oil in­ the public agency charged with re­ find public officials in high places To Merge In March when the State Supreme Court ruled, dustry, Attorney General Arnold H. sponsibility refuses to grant a pub­ favoring one group or one clique or in an opinion written by Justice A. H, Olsen, this week, “branded as un­ lic hearing at which it may intro­ NEW YORK, N. Y.—Spurred by one industry as against all other citi­ Angstman, that the Attorney Gen­ worthy of public trust, those officials duce all the evidence it has to sup­ the AFI^CIO convention’s harmony, zens. Such c'onduct is morally re­ eral is a “proper person” to bring without enough moral and spiritual port the position it has taken, and the Meat Cutters and Packinghouse legal actions seeking to nullify utility strength to stand up and face the prehensible and dishonest. Workers announced they had reached at the same time hear, and counter rate schedules that are approved by duties imposed on them by their of­ “A public officer must act in the an accord that will lead to a merger if it can, the arguments of those the Public Service Commission. • ’ best interests of all the people. It of the two unions and creation of a fices. who question departmental policy single organization with a membership The reasonableness of both rate Olsen voiced his denunciation of is morally the obligation of a pub­ and seek to ask directly questions the Governor’s stand before a meet­ lic officer to work for one employ­ of about 490,000. increases is now before the Supreme relating to transplanting and other ing of the Federated Women’s Clubs er at a time. It is a full time job Formation of the new union may Court for decision. Leaphart will con­ related matters. and the employer, the citizens of take place in March if present con­ tinue his end of the legal work on in Billings, Tuesday. Continuing, the Attorney General Montana, deserve an undivided We are sending an information vention plans by both unions can be these cases until a final determination | copy of this letter to Douglas McKay, told his auddene’e: “Far too often we loyalty of interest. altered. is made by the court. Secretary of the Interior. “It is for this reason that I try hard to work in support of the Con-1 stitutional mandates. Sometimes this I Forrest Anderson Is First brings me to conflict with the Legis- _ mi««.«., Hells Canyon Prospects Reach lature as it did in the case of the slot 10 /MOURSe TOf AltOmey machines and punchboards. It has Qgßgffll brought me into conflict with other ’ public officials as it did when the HELENA—Forrest H. Anderson of All-Time High Governor attempted to appoint a man Helena Wednesday announced that to public office and avoid an election. he will be a candidate on the Demo­ High Federal Dam Would Provide 45 Per Cent More Power At No Higher Cost, BPA It also has brought me into conflict cratic ticket for the office of attorney with the Legislature in the case of general. aiuJ Reclamation Engineers Declare oil legislation which is in violation of In making his announcement, the ------♦ WASHINGTON, D. C. — (NRECA) — The Hells' Canyon the Montana Constitution and favors 43-year-old Supreme Court justice giveaway suffered two staggering blows from engineering and the oil industry and is against the said “As attorney general I will give i Montana Not In Lowest 10 . . legal experts last month, while Capitol Hill observers predicted best interests of the schools.” to the State and its people my un­ divided time and attention with the lowest Electric Rates In that the expert documents boosted prospects for congressional view in mind to encourage develop­ authorization of a high federal Hells Canyon Dam to an all- Defense Department Gets ment of Montana’s natural resources. Public Power Areas We have a great state. Outsiders WASHINGTON, D. C.—(CNS) time high. ♦ Competitive Bids On 5/2 Per ----Federal Power Commission has 1. Three expert engineers in the adoxically are generally higher, rath- should not only be requested to visit again released its survey of typical Bureau of Reclamation and an official er than lower to those made by the Gent of U.S. Arms us but also should be encouraged to stay here. With Montana’s hydro­ residential electric bills, and you of the Bonneville Power Administra- Department of Interior, WASHINGTON, D. C.—(CNS) electric potential, industry should de­ can pick out the areas where pub­ tion declared that a high Hells Can­ A high dam at Hells Canyon —Defense Department officials put velop here, thus creating more and lic and co-op power furnish a “yard­ yon Dam would provide 900,000 lew would cost only $311,607,000, and a “shocking” reliance on negotiated better jobs for our people. The hydro­ stick” to hold down the rates of of prime power annually, as compared would produce approximately 45% to 610,000 kw which the three low contracts to supply the armed electric power created in Montana private firms. « , more power than the three dams, in should be used in Montana. Montana’s Washington has the lowest rates, run-of-the-river Idaho Power Com­ forces with guns, tanks, planes, addition to providing flood control farmers, ranchers, producers and Oregon third lowest, and Idaho pany dams would produce. The engi­ ships, and other munitions, Carl and irrigation benefits, they said. consumers should have more favor­ ninth lowest—all in the Pacific neers blasted the cost estimates made 2. The legal experts at the Library Vinson (D-Ga.), chairman of the able shipping advantages. Montana’s Northwest. Tennessee has the sec­ by the Idaho Power Company’s con­ House Armed Services Committee highways must be modernized to meet ond lowest rates, Alabama is tractor»—Morrison-Knudsen Construc- of Congress compiled a comprehensive the demands of present day trans­ fourth, Kentucky seventh, and tion Company. Morrison-Knudsen es­ legal opinion, declaring that Congress contends. Of $36 billion in con­ portation. Georgia eighth—all influenced by timated that construction of the three had the full jurisdiction to order a tracts awarded the first six months Tnnessee Valley Authority. dams would cost $133 million. The ! hif?h Hells Canyon Dam built, despite of 1955, only $2 billion was by “The laws of Montana will be en­ Nebraska, where every kilowatt four engineers estimated that the ; Federal Power Commission s de- advertised, competitive bidding, forced with the view to making Mon­ hour is publicly or co-op produced correct cost would be $311,220,000— : vision to give away the middle bnake Vinson said. “The traditional sys­ tana a more attractive state for her and distributed, has the sixth low­ more than twice Morrison-Knudsen’s Diver to Idaho Power Company. The tem has been practically scrapped,” citizens, present and future. est rates. California is fifth and estimate. They also pointed out that | Library of Congress’ document went he said. “We need the competition << To these and similar ends’ I will Colorado tenth. Morrison-Knudsen cost estimates par- (Continued on Page Four) Congress intended.” dedicate myself.

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