Montana labor news., 1932-06-09
FOR THIS THEY ARE PRAISED.

Inc daily press went 10 great lenSCnS Ill pfdSlnS Iut
Chamber of Commerce for the wonderful work that it
has done for Butte. Why should this organization be
praised for the good it has done, if any? The praise be-
longs to the Anaconda Copper Mining Company, the
power that tells the Chamber of Commerce what to do.
The Chamber never makes a move without the consent
of the fifth floor"
Let us consider the work not done by this great" body
The Chamber of Commerce was noticeably silent in the
matter of a copper tariff. 1t never spoke in favor OF "
and the only comment made was that there were two
sides to the question.
The Chamber of Commerce refused to support its COM
mittee when that group fulfilled its duty in bringing down
the price of gasoline. The committee had to finance the
Community Gas Station from its own pocket. Now that
gasoline has reached another high price, the Chamber
is doing nothing to investigate the validity OF a raise IN
price at a time like this.
The Chamber of Commerce has done nothing to Sc
cure a lowering of the telephone rates in Butte. Prom
inent business and professional men approached the
Chamber some eight months ago, asking it to work for a
reduction in rates, but their petition was Ignored.
The Chamber of Commerce has done nothing to Sc
cure a readjustment of the power rates in Montana. In
short this organization has done nothing to benefit Butte
or its citizens. During the past two years or more it has
slept, cOmplacently, while Butte has lost some 10000
people. 1t has seen Butte lose its prestige and done
nothing to strengthen it. AS we understand it, a Cham
Der of Commerce should be a constructive force. The
local Chamber has been nothing but a messenger boy
for the powers that rob Butte of its wealth and then in
vest that wealth in South America, using it to destroy the
people who created that wealth.
Now, let us consider what the Chamber has done,
DuIluS IIe PAST SIX MOulIS IL Has Sought W sIelltNG I'LL
employment by sponsoring wage cuts and advocating
the open shop, asking the Unions to give up their condi-
tons and wage scales. 1. is seeking to establish a wage
scale of So per day in Butte. At the same time it has
done nothing to reduce rents, taxes, light and heating
costs and water rates for those whose wages are cut.
In the second place it has "headed" up the relief work
in Silver Bow county. 1t has used the unemployed on
road work and other work for which money has been
appropriated to employ labor. 1t has refused to aid those
who have radical ideas. Even n-on-communists who eX-
press a dissatisfaction with present conditions are re-
fused aid. In other words it is using the relief fund to
keep men docile and in line.
1t has now compelled men who receive their two meals
a day at the Salvation Army to work for these meals.
They are marched to the place of labor, with shovels
over their shoulders like a group of convicts.
1t now expects those getting relief to live on the mu-
~nificent sum of nine cents per day. One family of four
receives an order Of $40 per month, or 33 13 cents per
day. Divide that by four and you have about nine cents
per day per person. On this innocent ration a man is
supposed to do some work, in return for his food. How
the Chamber can expect men to have strength enough
to work on such rations is more than one can understand.
We could go on in this vein. A man works a full day
and is supposed to receive five dollars in groceries for ii.
When the order comes it adds up to $3.50. Not much
when you consider one man but multiply that by the
number receiving aid and we find quite a profit for the
merchant filling the orders. But why go on? The daily
press has given this organization enough praise. All we
can say is, they shoot men like Lincoln and imprison men
like Money.