Montana news. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1904-191?, 1907-03-21
BUTTE ACTIVITY
Employers Say Unions Are 60.
ing too Far-Whose Battles
Will Working Class Fight?

W LII w UlhIl
Special 10 The Montana Newa
Butte, March 1.-THE labor situ-
alton in Butte remains unsettled and
the employing class is endeavoring to
use the general disquiet as an argu-
ment against unions. "The unions are
going too far" is repeated in parrot
like style doees times q day and fire.
quently by union men themselves
Pals on Workers.
As matter of fact, the advances
granted the labor unions during the
past six months have almost invaria-
bly, fallen on hte shoulders Of the work
ing class itself ana not on the en-
ployers, as planned by the founders Of
the union idea.
The raise of the cooks and walters
went on the bill of fare. The advance
to the BARRIERS went on the price list
with the result that the employer de-
rives more benefit from the raise than
he did under the old wage.
II II Their Gain
The coal dealers make no less than
AZ cents every time the driver gains
1-2 cents This holds true every
time, almost. The wages of the
plumber are complained Of, yet the
fact remains that no matter how high
the plumber sets the wage scale the
employer adds so per cent to il and
charges il against the owner. A large
element would like to see the plumb
er's wages cut, but nobody talks Of
cutting the profit Of the master
plumber who belongs to trust SO
powerful that no master plumber can
buy material unless he belongs to the
trust.
Administration Stand.
So it goes all along the line. The
streets are full of dust because the
administration is in sympathy with the
Business Men 3 association and will
not employ men at the $3.50 wage for
street work because it might result in
compelling the electric light company
and the other public service corpora
tions to pay the wage scale.
Conditions have reached a point
where the stability and peace of the
city can only be insured by deter
mined attitude on the part Of the work
ing class. If they allow themselves to
be browbeaten the master class, which
has always entertained a healthy fear
of labor unions, will soon grow AFRO
CANT and then trouble will surely fol
low.
To Insure Peace.
With a working class mayor and city
council in charge of the city's affairs
the average employer viii think twice
before forcing matters to An issue with
the working class. At the same time,
the prosecution Of the illegal combi-
nations of business men will bring the
cost of living down to a normal figure
and relieve the present stress.
The corporations are lined up with
the business men. When Ryan granted
an increase to the miners he impressed
on the committee the necessity of dis.
couraging agitation for higher wages
among the smaller unions.
The corporation controlled democrat
ic and republican parties are pursuing
the same policy, that of dividing the
working class by endeavoring to Sc.
lect candidates who will be able to d.
vide the working class by drawing
them away from the socialist ticket to
vote for some "friend of labor"
To Fool the Workers.
What success win attend their ef-
forts remains TO be seen. AT present
the. town is strongly socialistic. The
working class has learned the bitter
lesson that there are as many corpora
tion tools in the unions az out Of II,
and that because a man is working
man is no proof that he Is not some
times q scoundrel
More honest men nave gone into Of.
fee than have come out. "Labor
leaders" who train with the old polit-
ical parties and achieve a prominence
In labor matters, have been known to
wax wealthy by mysterious means.
About every so often when the work
ing class show signs Of breaking away
from the bosses' party, one Of these
labor leaders is trotted out as q proof
that the party is friendly to the work,
ing class. The dodge has been pretty
we'll worked out in Butte, however,
and il will hardly answer this time.