The Powder River County examiner and the Broadus independent. [volume] (Broadus, Mont.) 1919-1935, 1920-07-16
PROPOSED MT A4URE WOULD
MAKE MONTANA HAVEN OF
AGED AND lNFIRM
COPIED FROM n. DAKOTA ACT
Many Who Signed Petitions Circulated
BY Nonpartisan and Labor Leagues
Are Asking to Have Their
Names Withdrawn

including farming and livestock rails
ing, through the proposed new work.
mems compensation measure which,
at the instance of the Nonpartisan and
Labor leagues, was to be referred to
| the people at the coming general
elections, according to bulletin is
sued by the Montana Development as
ISOLATION.
Montana's present law. which costs
about $4,000 per year to administer
and which has proven satisfactory both
to employer and emp!oye. would, in
effect. be repealed in its entirety by the
proposed measure, and the new law
would exact a sum of several hundred
thousands of dollars each year from
the business men and farmers Of the
state. This huge fund would. accord
ing to the provisions of the law, be
distributed among workers, including
aliens, in the form of compensat ton
and old-age pensions.
BUSINESS men and farmers who elect
not to be bound by the proposed law
are denied any defense at common law
in case OF proceeding against them for
damage as a result of injury to en-
p'oyeS. The commission which the
measure creates is given autOcratic
powers and would be able. through the
granting of pensions and compensation
to build up huge political machine
without any check being placed upon
them
Although the measure does not state
the amount which would be assessed
against the various industries of the
state, leaving this entirely to the dis
erection Of the commission, a schedule
compiled by the commission created
in North Dakota by law almost ex-
actly similar is available. The pro-
posed measure is not only patterned
after the North Dakota law, but in
many sections has been copied from it
word for word
According to the schedule under
which North Dakota is laborins and
which. it is safe to assume, would be
instituted in Montana under the pro-
posed law $50 must he paid to the
state on every 500 paid in wages to
threShing crews. For one group of
coal mine workers alone, the increase
in wage expense would he $1o.93 for
each 500 Of wages paid: for county
bridge building. Sl2.23: for painting
such structures $3.50; for chimney
and stack building. $3.50; for acety
lene welding. Slo.6i: for all concrete
work in bridge building. $l2O2; for
painting barns and other buildings.
S9.1S; for sewer building, $9.4o; for
drayage and hauling. $14.45.
If citizen were to employ a Japa-
neSe lahorer to help unload a truck or
go on an errana. and the Oriental We're
to he killed through accident, his tenn
pOrary employer, .,ot having first elect.
ed to be bound by the law, would be
compelled to pay damages which would
go to the laborer'S wife and children
in Japan until the children came OF
age. Or if the employer had elected
to be bound by the law. the little laps
would be pensioners of the state of
Montana and reared in ease until they
! had reached their majority. Rou-
mania Czecho- Slavaki:, Italy. Russia
aud other foreign countries from which
our lahorer> come, would profit by
Montana'S iargess in pensions, through
this proposed law.
The Old-age pensions feature would
! make the state Il haven for the aged
and intirm and make exploitation Of
the employer through intentional in
jury a profitable procedure
/ In addition III including every con.
ceivable line nf endeavor which may be
rated as -ainful industry. the North
/ Dakota schedule goes farther than this
and includes base ball players AS en-
! titled to compensation in case of in.
jury. Citizens supporting Il local ball
+ team would also be forced to pay
! money to the state to protect them
| selves from suit in case of injury to
any of the players on the home team
| In North Dakota, by this plan, q
fund of $3.50. S:'l2l was raised. and
in period OF seven and one-hali
months only S13.S4625 had been re
turned to the people in the form OF
compensation. while S4O,6sl.33 hat
been spent in administrative expense
The sum which such Il law Woulc
raise is so far in excess of any pos
Sihle honest compensation needs thai
the honesty of purpose Of the propon
ents of such law is easily open Il
question.
The law is Il fair sample of what thu
people of Montana may expect if thu
state embraces TownieyiSm. Man.
citizens who signed the petition aSkin.
that the measures he submitted TO thu
voters at the Coming elections hav'
asked to be allowed TO withdraw thei
signatures. declaring that they wer
not told the true nature Of the bill ant
that the signatures were Obtained b.
fraud. If these signatures can b
withdrawn, the measure viii! not h
presented to the people and the effor
of the Nonpartisan and Labor league
to saddle dangerous sOcialistir meas
ure upon the people of Montana vii
| hAvn foilo6