Montana labor news., 1934-09-13
Drifts and Raises

Continued from Page u
under the Jensen big navy bill and
you get Sl00,0OO,0OO. By way OF COM
parison. that money would build 200,
600 nice bungalows or 100000 miles OF
paved highway.
The prospects Of the proposed sliding
scale OF wages to move ahead in pro-
portion to the increasing cost Of liv-
ing are not very encouraging when
one takes into consideration the con
dltion OF the world copper market.
The price of copper abroad has been
the equivalent OF 4Ac gold a pound
for some time. This 4Ac gold in the
various inflated curriencies of differ
ent countries has different meanings,
and it is also the lowest gold price in
history for foreign copper regardless
OF what it is multiplied into by foreign
exchange.
There has been no attempt at rational
curtailment by foreign producers. Just
the. opposite. When one producer steps
up production, his competitors go him
one better with The object in view OF
improving their bargaining position
when the inevitable curtailment must
come. The result is that the world
market goes from bad to worse. In
view of the foregoing, there is prac-
ticallv no prospects Of our domestic
producers doing much of an export
business at a much better price than
they are now getting. Our domestic
price is probably about the equivalent
Of this 4Ac gold world price in our
somewhat inflated currency.
On the other hand, the outlook for
food prices is exactly the opposite.
There is no comment needed on the
way our food prices are acting and
will continue TO- act.
A complete embargo overriding all
codes and tariffs" on all foreign pro-
duced copper, regardless whether it is
produced by foreign subsidiaries OF our
own big producers or by African COM
panies, looks like one way to help the
domestic price.
The Democratic State Convention
was held in the Antlers Theatre, Helena
Saturday, September 9Th. The con-
vention was scheduled to start at High
Noon, but failed to do SO because Of
the fact that the State committee which
had met in the same place at 10 A. M.
that morning had not completed its
business of selecting a National Com
mittee-man when recess was taken at
Il 80 P. NJ. The principal business OF
the convention was to elect officers
who will conduct the fall campaign, and
adopt a platform upon which the county
state and national candidates will run.
The Legislative candidates from Sill
yer Bow County, who received the en-
dorsement of Organized Labor and
Organized Agriculture in the Primar-
les succeeded in getting a plank in the
platform demanding that on all P. w.
A. jobs within the boundaries of the
State, and on all State jobs, only Mon
tana labor and Montana products be
used, when available.
Another plank which they succeeded
in having incorporated calls for Nat
ional legislation establishing a six-hour
work day and a thirty hour work week.
This latter plank wa inserted by an
amendment to the platform when it
was reported to the convention.
Another plank which was submitted
to the Platform committee in the form
of a Resolution and which was signed
by the entire Silver Bow county legis-
latiye delegation present at the con
vention, which included the candidate
for State Senator and nine Of the ten
candidates for the Legislative Assembly
calls for an immediate investigation of
any or all P. w. A. OF other govern
ment set-ups where there is evidence
OF discrimination or other abuses.
The platform also calls for the enact
ment Of Old Age Pension, Unemploy-
ment Insurance and other progressive
measures.
4 4 +
AT the morning session of the State
committee there were some signs OF
insurgency, but by the time the con
v%ention got under way, these discont-
ented spirits seemed to have been pla-
Gated.
The proceedings OF the convention
were preceded by a banquet in the
Placer Hotel, Friday evening, at which
about five hundred Of the faithful were
present. The banquet was presided
over by Lester Lobe, Helena, who act
ed as Toastmaster. There was a long
list of speakers scheduled to display
their forensic ability, among whom
were Harry F~reebourn, Silver Bow
County Attorney and Paul Erler, Pre-
sident, Silver Bow Trades and Labor
Council. F%reebourn gave a blast that
echoed and re-echoed up and down
the huge dining hall and apparently
made a decided hit with a big majority
Of the vast throng present, But for
some reason the POSTMASTER failed to
c,U n, D,,,1 E-to. 80, o,,.-o:.. e..