Remember When?

82 YEARS AGO • JANUARY 28, 1942

BUSINESS IS GOOD

Macho’s Modern Store (where True Value Hardware now is) reports that business during the past two months was much better than expected. Their hardware department is doing a greater and greater volume of business all the time.

Burn’s Cash Store is doing a very nice business, the proprietors report. They had expected slow business during January, but the volume so far has been more than anticipated resulting in heavy stock reorders.

R.O. Briggs is doing an excellent business from all indications. Dry goods supplies quickly become exhausted and many styles and grades are unable to be secured for the public.

Ernest Ross did an excellent Christmas business and is continuing to have a heavy stock turnover. The restaurants report very good business. Even the garages in spite of the tire rationing and car sale restrictions are doing better than expected, but there is no doubt that garages, service stations and tourist camps are taking the worst effects from present war regulations.

50 YEARS AGO • JANUARY 9, 1975

REFUGE POSSIBLE

“We can do it!” That was the response State Senator George H. McCallum got Monday from Wes Woodgerd, director of the Montana Fish and Game Department, to a request to close the Thompson Falls reservoir from Steamboat Island to the Thompson Falls power plant of the Montana Power Company to waterfowl hunting.

Woodgerd told McCallum that it would be a simple matter to include the reservoir as a closed area in the new hunting regulations to be issued next spring.

The closure has the support of the Thompson Falls Rod, Gun and Conservation Club as well as numerous other citizens.

One sportsman who opposes the action is Dick Wells.

Woodgerd asked McCallum to have the rod and gun club write a letter to him delineating the area of the reservoir desired closed.

He noted that the fish and game personnel recognize the need to have some closed areas where migrating waterfowl can land and rest without being disturbed by hunters.

DRINKING AGE HIKE

Two veteran legislators - Senators Cornie R. Thiessen, a democrat, and Allen C. Kolstad, a republican from the Highline, have introduced a bill in the legislature to change the drinking age from 18 to 19.

Also introduced by the two senators was an act to put the drinking age question to Montana voters, thereby amending the Montana constitution.

Raising the age limit to 19 will not prevent 18 year-olds from getting liquor and beer. But, it should help in making it a little less easy for the 15, 16 and 17-year-olds to get intoxicating beverages than now is the case.

A major objection to the 18-year limit, is that too many high school seniors are able to purchase beer and liquor legally and this makes it too easily available to others in high school younger than 18.

The bill deserves serious consideration. It should be passed.

Note: Montana’s drinking age was lowered in 1973. From 1969 to 1976 30 states lowered their drinking age to 18 or 19. They were lowered primarily because the voting age was lowered to 18 in 1971 with the passing of the 26th amendment. The drive to lower the voting age from 21 to 18 grew across the country during the 1960s and was driven in part by the military draft held during the Vietnam War. The draft conscripted young men between the ages of 18 and 21 into the United States Armed Forces, primarily the U.S. Army, to serve in or support military combat operations in Vietnam. This means young men could be required to fight and possibly die for their nation in wartime at 18. However, these same citizens could not have a legal say in the government's decision to wage that war until the age of 21. A youth rights movement emerged in response, calling for a similarly reduced voting age. A common slogan of proponents of lowering the voting age was "old enough to fight, old enough to vote."