The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-01-31
Beet Sugar Factory EN-
ployes Come Under Pro-
posed Restrictions.
SENATORS MAY ,BALK
AT LUSK AMENDMENT
Higgins Makes Vain Plea in
Interest of Missoula's
New Industry.

!
'". u. Ferguson. Staff Correspondent.
Helena. Jan. 3O.-Although Higgins
OF Missoula. supported by Eaton, Vel.
iowstone. fought with might and main
to Kill the amendment to II. b. 20 pro-
''o'hs that eight hours shall be a days
| work IN all beet sugar factories, 10
| mouse voted to leave this feature ir
the Dill and it was favorably recon-
mended by the committee OF the whole.
HIGGINS based his argument against
the amendment on the fact that tho
industry was just being established In
western Montana and the state at large
an" 'hat II should be encouraged
rather than discouraged. Demel and
Carll. both of Billings. stated that con-
ditlons in the beet sugar factory there
were such as to make 1t necessary
Tor the legislature to take some action.
particularly as they seemed willing to
give such hours OF work to all other
classes of labor in the state.
| The bill was introduced by Mason.
Missoula, with the idea of including
school districts in the eight hour law
as 1t now stands The beet sugar
factories were included by Demel, but
the school district clause was finally
changed to apply only to cities Of tho
tirst class and at one time was entire
ly eliminated.
Eaton. Yellowstone. fought to have a
separate bill proposed for the sugar
factory employees SO that both men
and employers might have q chance to
| be heard.
| Obstacles in Way.
| The bill will probably pass on third
reading in the house. but an amend
inent tackled on by Lusk, Missoula, APP
pears To throw some obstacles in tho
way OF smooth passage through the
senate The Missoula representative
moved that the bill also include all
manufacturing and sawmil opera
tons and his amendment carried. It's
| probable effect was Il forecast by
CARL, Yellowstone, who said that it
was being amended to death and asked
that some legislation be left the next
thirty days rather than have this one
| measure carry 1t all
II. B. % by Mason, Missoula was tho
iirst house measure to come before tho
committee of the whole for consider
alton and the fire works started i'm
mediately. Belden, Fergus, asked that
the house strike out the clause pro-
Viding for an eight hour day for all
employees of school districts. His
argument was that this would work
hardship on all small school districts
and that janitors did not work ex-
cessive hours as their duties allowed
considerable leisure time while tho
school was In progress.
AS the real intention of the framer
OF the bill was to provide eight hours
for school districts the battle was on
which was destined to wax much
warmer when the amendment includ-
ing all employees Of beet sugar factories
was reached.
| Mason. Missoula. explained that the
janitors in his district construed the
law as on the books at present as in
| cluding them and that the bill was
merely for tho purpose OF making the
| proposition plain.
l<usk, Missoula, and Harmon, Gal
| latin. called attention to the hardship
which this measure would work on
| some of the smaller districts in the
| state where the greater part of work
| ln construction Of buildings and janitor
| work was done by the farmers them
| selves.
Higgins Stirs Hornets Most.
Beldcn's amendment carried by n
vote Of 55 to 80 and then Representa-
tive Higgins, Missoula, offered his
amendment to strike out the amend
ment previously offered which In
! cluded workers in beet sugar factories.
The debate on this amendment was
hot. Demel. Yellowstone, the intro
ducer of the measure spoke at length
In favor of tho amendment and cited
hgures to prove the amount of money
made by the sugar factories. He con-
tended that 1t would only cost the
factory at Billings $4,000 a year to
install three eight-hour shifts and that
as II had cleared much over a million
dollars this year, it could well afford
to stand the expense.
His colleague from Yellowstone.
Eaton. took the position that this was
much too important IA matter to be
considered as a rider to any other
measure. He stated that he did not be-
iieve all Of the figures given by Mr..
Demel to be correst as he had lived
IN Billings for nine years and had not
heard of these awful conditions from
, anyone but his colleagues. He told of