Montana news. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1904-191?, 1907-09-12

SOf scNcfh years Tequostn nave Son.~
from the Western Federation strong
holds across the border for a Labor
Day address and some propaganda
work around that period. The inter
val between the Federation trials made
the trip possible this September, and
Friday morning found me aboard the
Northern Pacific for Spokane. Owing
to delays it was after midnight when
we pulled into this city. Comrade
Barber had been appointed commit
tee to meet me, and was punctually
ON time at that unearthly hour. ow-
ing to gate regulations, however, he
missed me at the depot and made the
rounds Of the hotels before he found
me. The Spokane bunch is always
Johnny -on-the- spot, and had all their
arrangements made for a series of
meetings after the Canadian dates are
filed.
The next evening found me in Brit
ish territory, and Comrade Benninger,
secretary of the smeltermen's union,
met me at Grand Forks. Grand Forks
lies in the beautiful valley Of the
Kettle river, with high mountains all
around il. The smelters are here that
treat the copper ore that is brought
from the camps of Phoenix, Greenwood
and others in this district, which re-
ceives the name of the Boundary dis
trict, because of its proximity to the
border line which divides the domin-
ions of King Edward from those of
King Rockefeller.
An officious and important looking
parsonage emphasized this fact by con.
fscating the consignment of "Machine
Politics" / was carrying in my trunk.
The red covers evidently didn't look
good to him, and gave him an oppor.
tunity to enforce the authority Of the
Dominion and its custom regulations.
The Western Federation is very
strong in this district; 400 men belong
to the union at Grand Forks. So strong
AMI aggressive is the spirit of organ
ization that the men have attained all
they have asked from the company,
even TO the cessation of work on Labor
Day.
The merchants, as usual in camps
with a high wage scale, are most ra'
pacious, and the union is just starting
cooperative store which opens on
the tenth Of September.
Elaborate arrangements hal been
made for the Labor Day celebration at
Curlew Lake. Excursion trains were
run from all the surrounding camps
and towns, and an elaborate program
Of prize games had been prepared. The
day was showery, but that did not in
terfere with the general good time.
After the speaking commenced il be
gan to rain, but the listeners went
away and got umbrellas and came back
80 the speaker knew they were going
to stand and listen docilely to a social
list speech.
Grand Forks has no socialist local.
Appearances indicate that there is a
tendency there to make the same mis-
take that the Western Federation fell
into in Colorado-develop an active
and aggressive union organization with
q neglect of protecting the political
powers upon which the freedom Of ac-
tion of the working class so largely
depends. Unlike the elections in the
United States, the Dominion elections
are liable to be sprung on the voters
at any time. Hence there is all the
more need of the working class being
in a constant state of organization
and preparation along their own class
line Of political action that they may
be able to raise voice Of opposition
in the government by which the work
Ding class is oppressed.
Three socialists were in the Domin-
ion parliament at the last sessions, and
as everywhere where the socialists
press into legislative positions, they
welded a powerful and disturbing in
fuence amidst the government of the
capitalists. The Conservatives and Lib
erals are about evenly divided in the
Dominion parliament so that the so
cialists held the balance Of power on
any questions.
The Conservative and Liberal parties
represent our own republican and dem
ocratic parties in tho "states", as
we are called in Canada.
The Conservative party is the out
spoken guardian Of established capi-