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Show 6 THE SEARCHLIGHT Injunction Suit Brought by SEC to Curb Idaho Kilowatt Crew Federal Commission Political Control in State. Gem Moves Exercised to Eliminate by Power Devious Company “The The reputation of Electric Bond & Share Company for inveterate social wickedness was sulliied further last week when the Securities & Exchange Commission filed a complaint in ‘the Idaho Federal Court charging the Tdaho Power Company with financing candidacies, nominations, election, and appointment of. individuals to office in Idaho. ‘lhe purchase of political officeholders was effected through the Idaho State Chamber of Commerce, and the Idaho Self-Insurers Asso- ciation. The complaint doubtless reveals why Idaho Power Company has had things its own way for a long time in the Gem State. Kilowatt tracks have been discernible in the statehouse at Boise for more than two decades. While no mention of the Idaho State Grange was made in the SEC complaint, that purported farmers’ organization has long been considered a political ally of the Power Trust. An inner circle & Share defense.* Mr. Strike evidently went to school in the same place as Jube Hale and George Gadsby. Mr. Strike said: in the Grange formulates and controls legislative and administrative pollicles. An effective lobby is maintained. Grange poliey never clashes with kilowatt policy. In the Idaho case Bond & Share appears to have followed its established technique of debauching public servants. By financing candidates for office in advance of elections or appointment, it manages to influence the whole course of public policy, including specific legislative enactments. The supposition is that Bond & Share finds advance purchase of officeholders more satisfactory than post-election acquisitions. And quite likely it is more economical. Sometimes it takes a lot of ‘‘dough’’ to control the course of legislation and administration that has not been fixed in advance by having the right people in office. The alibi of C. J. Strike, president of the Idaho Power Company is a characteristic Bond Idaho Power Company will continue to support any legitimate organization or industry whose aim is the further develop- ment of Southern Idaho.’ The implication of the Strike alibi is that control of offices and legislation by predatory corporations through the Idaho State Chamber of Commerce is a good thing for Southern Idaho. The Idaho State Chamber of Commerce is composed of utilities, mining interests, and a wide variety of pillaging outfits who unite to dominate the Gem State for their own selfish interests and purposes. The activities of the non-utility members are fully as pernicious as are the kilowatt tricks. But the Federal Holding Company act apples to utilities only. SEC is powerless to stop the skulduggery of non-utility corporations. However, the Department of Justice has the power to halt political ‘‘contributions’’—i. e., purchase of officeholders—by corporations doing interstate business, if it chooses to inter- fere, Utahns should note that Utah Power & Light Company “contributed” $600 to the Idaho State Chamber of Commerce in 1941, with similar “donations” in other years. Of course, $600 isn’t much money. It probably wouldn’t finance more than two legislators in their campaigns. But Idaho lawyers were paid an aggregate sum of $41,(Continued “The Associated on following Press story page) about the Idaho complaint, used by the Salt Lake Tribune, devoted twenty-eight lines to the charges filed by SEC and thirty-eight lines to the alibis of C. J. Strike, kilowatt official, and R. S. Erb, president of the Idaho State Chamber of Commerce. That isn’t bad for a newspaper that has been known to suppress entirely stories that reflected adversely on Utah Power & Light Company. |
