Great Falls weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1894-1???, 1895-02-22
DAYS WAGES,

Representative Reynolds of Cascade,
who is a republican, but withal one Of
the %staunchest labor advocates in the
state, has succeeded in having a bill in
the interest of the %workingmen recon-
mended for passage by the committee of
the whole of the house. The bill in brief
requires that all work andimprovements
done by municipal corporations shall be
of the corporations and abolishes the
contract system. The act is as follows:
That any or all work or Improvements
hereafter done or performed for or in be,
half of any county, school district, town,
incorporated city or other municipal Or
ganization shall be done and performed
by mechanics, laborers or artisans en-
ployed at days wages by and under the
direct supervision of the commissioners,
aldermen or directors or other persons
in charge of such city, county or other
municipal government; provided, that
any such municipal or other government
may, in addition to the employment Of
artisans and laborers, employ a compe-
tent superintendent to oversee and prose-
cute such work or improvements.
This proposition on its face appears to
be a fair one, but it has in other sections
been tried and found wanting. The
great question in all the large cities just
now is economy, not the economy that
would reduce the wage of the laborer
| below the living scale, but the economy
that will insist on having a fair return
for money expended. While there should
be 40 good reason for it the fact remains
that where large improvements have
been undertaken by cities under the day
system as proposed, the cost has Ak
ceeded what it would have been if done
by contract. The cause is apparent. In
the selection of men, even unskilled
labor for such work, politics plays a part
and the job is a reward for political
services. The workingman thinks that
as he is working for the city he need not
labor so hard as though he were work.
ing for an individual, and the result is
he does not. Some will say that this
statement is not correct, but the history
of every city goes to show that it is.
There is no doubt but that the senti-
ment of the people of Montana is
that the man who works on public
improvements shall receive good
wages and in obedience to this de-
mand Butte and other cities have an
ordinance that answers the purpose. 1t
provides that all bids for city work shall
be based upon an estimate of wages in
accordance with the scale adopted by
| the labor unions and this ordinance is
enforced. This mode surely protects the
wage worker and that ie the only object
Of the pending bill. If all the cities
would adopt a similar ordinance there
would be no need for such an act AS that
of Mr.. Reynolds. 1t is true, it's scope Is
| wider and includes county commissioner
and school boards, but it can be- said
that any Improvements undertaken by
such bodies wonld be near the large cities
and public opinion would compel them
to let the contract under the terms OF
the city ordinance. The contract sys
tenn, too, has it's faults, but at present il
would. if operated under the restrictions
of the ordinance quoted, appear to be
safe enough to let it alone.