Montana labor news., 1933-09-28
PRESIDENTS REPORT

49,
To the delegates of the Montana State
Federation of Labor in special ses-
sion assembled:
Two months ago we met in annual
convention in Missoula. AT that time
sufficient knowledge of the National
Industrial Recovery Act was not
available to act intelligently on the
subject.
Developments throughout the nation
affecting the everyday life of all have
been so rapid that it vas considered
advisable by your executive board to
call a special assembly of representa-
tives of labor for the purpose of TAX
ing stock of the situation, laying plans
for immediate action and making
plans for future eventualities.
Let us review the situation that has
confronted us for the past four years.
Industry has been slowing down all
over the world until it seemed as if
it must come to a complete stop. Many
complex and interdependent causes
had produced this situation, principal
ly among which was the rapid install
lation Of improved machinery by
which man power was slowly but
surely being discarded.
Thinking people now realize that it
is no longer necessary workers be en-
ployed eight hours a day to produce
the necessities of life. To the great
mass of people it has become manifest
that the thirty-hour week was neces-
sary to take up the slack, but the time
has now arrived when with the rapid
advance of machinery that even the
thirty-hour-week is insufficient. Those
who are conversant with the machine
age feel sufficient confidence that
within probably ten years, fifteen
hours per week will produce all the
necessities, comforts and luxuries of
life for the American people.
The National Recovery Act was
drafted for the express purpose of
putting the unemployed to work at
living wages. The designers of the
act realized two things:
First-A substantial reduction of
the working hours must be made in
order that a drastic cut in unemploy-
ment be made effective Immediately.
Second-That a high purchasing
power of the workers must be estab-
lished in order that the consumption
of the products Of the machine be ac-
celebrated.
In other words, a drastic cut in the
working hours of the toiler must be
made without a decrease in the pur-
chasing power.
1t is estimated that upwards Of
seven millions of dollars will be al
lowed by the federal government to
Montana for the erection of public
buildings and flood control, in order
that idle workers may be given the
opportunity to earn a subsistence. To
assist in this work of recovery, the
federal government gives a bonus of
30 per cent and a low rate Of interest
on the balance to all political subdi-
visions of government borrowing
money for these public works.
To plan a reduction of hours of la
Dor in Montana in harmony with the
Recovery Act, and to maintain a
healthy purchasing power on the part
of the workers, we are gathered here
today. We should resolve that on all
public works financed by the N. |. r.
A. not one second over 80 hours a
week shall be worked and not a penny
less shall be paid for the 80 hours
than is now paid for the forty-eight
hour week.
President Roosevelt, in a speech to
the American people, made a few
weeks ago over the radio, said that
the success or failure of the N. |. r.
A. was in the hands of the American
people. Let us do our part to make
the National Recovery Act a success
We know what its principles are and
what it is intended to do.
The state highway commission, last
winter, set the hours of labor on high
way construction at thirty hours a
week, but made the rate of wages too
low. The commission ever ignored
the prevailing rate of wage law of
Montana, fixing the wage to be paid
by contractors in certain counties 25
per cent below that paid by contract
ors in other counties. The scale of
wages set by the highway commission
to be paid by contractors coming I'M
der the N. |. r. A. is entirely too low
and needs correction.
A letter was sent to the highway
commission asking that body to meet
on Monday with a committee to be ap-
pointed from the delegates Of this
convention to discuss a wage scale.
The commission replied that they
would not meet a committee Monday,
but would meet with a committee Sep
TENDER 18th.
The highway commission was mott
fled that we considered their wage
scale too low, and that we would pro-
test their code if it was not amended.
As the highway commission is intent
on letting more contracts regardless