1960-11-01 Char-Koosta News

              To each and all
A Blessed Christmas
Editorially Speaking . . .
and a Happy New Year
Flathead Tribal Council Moves to Encourage Charcoal Industry to Move to Reservation
According to statistics of our nationwide population there has been a tremendous move of people leoving the cities to fettle in suburban areas -and the country. These people are mostly people who are working in cities and undoubtedly our great state of Montana, as well, will be affected some day. Relative to our own Reservption, statistics show 50 per cent of our people live off the Reservation and a great many of these people have left because of the one important problem—lack of work. We who have been on the Tribal Council have looked at this labor problem from a!l angels and it is indeed a problem. In the first place we must have industrial, sites, railroads, power, material and available man-power. We are satisfied we have the above items. The one thing that is a major factor and that is competition of the above items as we must bear in mind that many other areas want the same projects. In many cases the other areas have more than we have to offer, such as buildings', cheap power, low freight rates, etc.
We are now happy to announce the construction of our first building at Pablo, Montana, for the manufacture of the very popular product, charcoal briquettes. With the help of Mr. Reuben Fuhrer, assistant to Tom St. Clair of the Industrial Development Division of the Bureau of Indian Affairs this project has become a reality. Through very careful study of this little factory by our Tribal attoineys, the attorneys and officials of the Big Bear, Inc., (plus moral ar.fi legal assistance by the Bureau of Indian Affairs we were able to arrive at a conclusion that everything was in line to proceed with the plant.
The one thing that may be interesting to our readers is that the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes had to spend approximately $35,000.00 for the buildings as was agreed on when our first meeting was held several months ago. This company was not pushed for a site as the city of Livingston, Montana had made a prior offer of accommodations just as good as ours but fortunately Mr. Fuhrer, with the green light of his superior officers, devoted much time to all procedures of our first factory. The Tribe will receive approximately eight per cent on our investment until a time when we may negotiate a sale of the buildings to the company at an agreed price. The land the buildings arc on is under a lease to the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes on a long Jerm program with -t^he only cost being for paper handling. The Plum Creek Lumber Company near Pablo, Montana owns the land. The Big Bear, Inc , briquette factory is erected a very short distance from the waste burner of the Plum Creek mill. When the (Continued on page 2)
PUBLISHED BY CONFEDERATED SALISH AND KOOTENAI TRIBES, FLATHEAD AGENCY, MONT.
Vol. 4 — No. 6__November - December, 1960
Pictured above are Big Bear, Inc., officials Kermit Harrison and Gerald Delin discussing grading and leveling operations with Tribal Council Chairman William Morgeau (on grader tire) who was the contractor for the earth work at the plant site.
Tribal investment is partially represented in this large steel storage building located near Plum Creek Lumber company plant near Pablo. Another building, with more floor space but not as high, will house equipment and operations of the charcoal briquet manufacturing plant.