Montana labor news., 1932-07-14
IDENT GRAHAM'S CONVENTION REPORT

The state of Montana receives a large amount of crude oil a royalty for
oil produced from state lands; the state in turn sells this oil to refnenes,
and many times has difficulty in collecting the money for the OIL At
times the oil accumulates with no buyers in sight.
1t has been proposed as a solution for this problem that a state refinery
be built at the penitentiary, said refinery to be operated by the convcts
We should take cognizance of this situation and proceed without delay
to create a sentiment in favor of the state building and operating an oil
refinery with free labor. The products of this refinery should be used for
oling the roads and highways and for other state county and municipal
purposes.
We have a poor mechanics lien law in Montana, and a large number of
workers are beaten out of wages which rightfuly belong to them. Efforts
should be made to have an adequate mechanics lien law enacted, giving the
labor commissioner full authority to collect wages due workers from en-
poyers who will not pay wages earned.
A law should also be enacted making the labor commissioner the official
responsible for the enforcement of the eight-hour law.
Further legislation that should be considered by this convention is;
Compulsory education up to the age of 16 years, regardless of the grade
that the scholar may have passed.
An eight-hour law for all drivers of buses and trucks used in freghtng
between points in the state.
Eight-hOu day for quarry and cement plant workers, strip mining and
construction of hydroeectric dams.
A six-hour day for all highway construction work, with a wage that
will maintain the American standard of living, and the highway commits
sioners and state engineer t. BE made responsible for the enforcement of
the law.
The penalty clause in the prevailing rate of wage law will have to be
amended before the law can be successfully made operative, without the
cooperation of public officials who have the awarding of contracts for
woRKMENs COMPENSATION.
The legislature of 1929 made amendments to the Workmens compensa-
ton law, lessening the waiting period for injured workers with dependents
and making a graduated scale of compensation
These amendments were called great improvements by the politicians,
but a careful study of the latest reports of the Industrial Accident Board
shows that very little gain has been made.
One of the chief complaints made against the working of the Work
mems Compensation Act is that too many injured workers do not receive
compensation for injuries received.
Very few workers who are under the compensation act, excepting those
who come under Plan One, have received any benefits from the amend
ments to the law passed by the legislature Of 1929.
Under Plan One the number of injured workers who received compensa-
ton for injuries have increased from As per cent in 1928 to SO per cent
for the year ending June, 1881.
Under Plan Two, the insurance company group, only 20 workers out of
every hundred receive compensation; 80 per cent of the injured workers
receive % compensation.
Plan Three is about half way between Plans One and Two, 80 per cent
of the injured receiving compensation for injuries received.
The total for all the workers under all plans O the compensation act
is 80 out of every hundred injured receive compensation, and 65 per cent
receive nothing but medical attention.
This state of affairs is entirely unsatisfactory to the workers, and some
remedy must be found for it.
The executive council of the American Federation of Labor has recon-
mended to all affiliated unions that a determined effort be made by or
ganized labor to abolish Plan Two, the insurance company plan, from the
compensation act in all states. Therefore labor should see to it that only
those favorable to this policy should be elected to the Legislature.
LABOR REPRESENTATION.
Labor should have greater representation in the affairs of the state.
At present, and for some time past, labor has been completely ignored in
appointments. Although labor has been the pioneer in the advocacy of
the establishment of the public schools and free text books and gives I'M
stinted support to everything for the benefit of the schools, yet never a
member of organized labor has been a member Of the Board of Education
Of Montana. 1t seems to have been policy to appoint lawyers or insurance
agents IS members Of the State Board of Education, and generally these
have been from cities having state schools. We protest against the idea
that brains goes with lawyers diplomas II insurance agencies. 1t is time
that the next governor of Montana appoint a representative of labor to
the State Board of Education. Labor has just as good material as the
THE COMING ELECTION.
A survey of the legislative candidates for the coming nominating pri-
maries shows a lot of mediocres, reactonares and labor haters seeking
election. A strong effort should be made to defeat these candidates. If
they are elected to the next Legislature it will be a hard task to get any
labor legislation enacted.
Labor has been very modest in making legislative demands; in fact, we
ask for very ittlei yet We re treated with contempt BY many of the mem
bes of the Legislature. 1t is about time that we were shown some decency
and consideration by those whom re elect to office.
Every Trades and Labor Council and local union should appoint a COM
mHtee TO look INTO the record OF every candldate Ion pubic offce.
The coming year or two is going to be very trying to the labor move
menb, and we should lend all our energies TO building up our organization,
and make a n extra effort to organize the unorganized.
It is only the organized that have been able to do anything toward holding
what we have gained in the past. It is the unorganized that is suffer
ing most from the depression. Therefore, it for nothing else than self
preservation, W e should help the unorganzed in these times of stress.
With the failure of the captains of industry and bankers to save our
industrial system, labor must advance and take a more active and prominent
part in the affairs of society if civilization is to be preserved. Let us look
to the future with hope and determination to make this world a better
place to live in.
standing still is childish folly,
Going backward is a crime:
None should patiently endure
An ill that he "a cure;