The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1928-03-23
ABOUT GREAT FALLS

Great Falls is to build big school, There is clause
in the contract that union labor is to be employed
Enemies Of organized labor got busy and have
opinion given that such clause would not stand up
in the Supreme Court. The Great Falls School Board
Obgingly acquiesce and the clause stricken and
the door left wide open for the importation of cheap
outside labor into the electric city.
The workers-the people who built up Great Falls by
establishing American standard of livng-are again
menaced by competitive bidding the labor market.
And the body responsible for this threat the business
man. the worker the small property holder the profess
siona and the taxpayers of the city, is their
school board
But that is not ALL
There is to be lot of brick used in the construction
of the school building. got abroad in the
city that eastern brick firm to get the contract
for the supply of brick to be used by the contractors
The people of Great Falls naturally wanted Montana
product in preference to foreign article Instantly
public bodies got busy and unanimously passed resolu
lions asking that the brick made in Montana and in the
city of Great Falls be given preference. The Cascade
Trades and Labor Assembly, representing section
of the population and the Commercial Club represent
ing the other went record in favor of Montana
brick The sentiment in favor of home industry
unanimous it could be expected to be in typical
American city.
But the School Board said that the Architects plans
called for sort of rough finish red brick and they
didn't make red brick in Great Falls!
On such a flimsy preteXt home industry is turned
down and the contract is let to Twin City brickmak
ing concern
The prosperity of Great Falls, the expressed views
of its citizens and taxpayers, the fact that few dozen
extra families would make living producing the brick
that would be used in constructing the school didn't
to make any difference to the School Board of
that city. They wanted foreign goods. And they made
the that red brick to meet the specifications
produced in Montana
Page Dan Mckay. He knows about much about
brick as any other man in the State Dan is producing
brick samples in Redstone right that have been
tested the greatest laboratories in the United States
and pronounced No. 1. Dan Mckay wasn't given
opportunity to bid for the supply of red brick by the
Great Falls School Board If he they would not
have used the red brick" excuse Because Dan could
demonstrate that he making his product out of
Montana red brick clay and not out of Minnesota sand
The acts of the Great Falls School Board brand that
body being out of harmony with the citizens of its
town. The Board has placed the interests of peo-
pie living in distant cities above the interests of Great
Falls and Montana. The members of the Board owe
their present position of power and responsibility to the
voters of Great Falls. They have been tried in the
balance and found wanting.
The citizens of Great Falls have one remedy-the
ballot box. They should their power at the next
election They should walk sterny to the polling booth
and mark their dsapproval Of official conduct that is
harmful to the interests of the people of their city anG
state.