Montana labor news., 1934-05-24

WASHINGTON, D. C.-May-(Sp.)
A grim, hard-fisted, buzz-saw type of
political warrior this week threw down
the guage of battle to all comers when
Burton K. Wheeler, Senior United
States Senator from Montana, filed
with the secretary of state at Helena,
his petition to succeed himself. He
faces the voters at the Democratic pri-
maries on July 18th. The senator made
his announcement with a smile and the
comment that he never felt more like
making a campaign, never felt better
physically and wanted his friends to
know that he would be "out in Mon
tana and busy" as soon as the session
of Congress adjourns.
IF nominated and elected l will en-
deavor to serve the people of Montana
as a whole rather than limited groups,
Senator Wheeler said. 81 shall favor
a recovery program designed not only
to cure the present but to prevent
another such severe industrial depress-
ion in the future be vigilant in defense
of farmers and laborers; %presevere in
my advocacy of bimetallism and give
my best efforts to deserving citizens
of small means with the general OBJ
ject in view of not only maintaining
but lettering the standards of living
for the great mass of the people. l
have asked that there be printed after
my name on the nominating ballot the
following words For Roosevelt for
bimetallism for recovery but with nee
essary reforms"
Senator Wheeler was elected at the
age of forty to the Senate in 1922 and
rejected in 1923. He jumped into the
national spot light almost at once by
exposing one of the ugliest scandals
in political history, a scandal that end
ed in driving three cabinet members
to private life and one to prison, and
placed again under federal control the
famous Teapot Dome and Elk Hill Oil
Reserves. He is classed with the Pro-
gressive forces in the Senate and has
been vigilant in supporting all legisla-
ton effecting the rights of labor.
Surprises All With Silver
His most spectacular performance in
recent years was the fight made to re-
monetize silver. Described as "the
most remarkable phenomenon in Amer
lean politics." this issue was believed
to have been buried in 1896, after the
defeat of William Jennings Bryan.
For the first time in forty years a vote
was taken in January, 1888, on a pro-
posal Of Senator Wheeler, then called
by many Eastern newspapers the sue
cessor to the Great Commoner," but
the measure was rejected by the over
whelming score Of IS to SO. Undaunt-
!; ed, Wheeler went on the radio and in
April, 1888, three months after the first
vote, he again put forth his silver pro-
posal and this time the vote was 80 to
48. On the third attempt, the result
was 43 to As and if pairs are included
AZ to 40. As this is written, President
Roosevelt is reported by the press to
have agreed to silver legislation that
! will call for a Is to rs ratio with gold
and present indications are that the
measure will become law before the
session adjourns.
Always a picturesque, dashing fig
ure another Measure of Senator Wheel
er's that attracted nationwide interest
because Of the opposition of President
Hoover, called for the distribution of
100000 bushels of surplus wheat for
relief purposes. Of strictly Montana
appeal is a Senate resolution calling
upon the Attorney General to deter
mine whether the oil and gas compan-
les are violating antitrust laws with
in the state. A pending bill would
place the control of pipe lines com
panies Transporting natural gas with
out state borders under the control OF
the Interstate Commerce Commission
Aids Mining Industry
: In addition to the silver r%emonotiza-
! ton measure, Senator Wheeler has in
PRODUCED a number of bills of vital con-
Germ to mining interests. OF these, the
most important to Montana would be
the resolution calling for an investiga-
ton OF the copper situation which la
: ter led to an amendment providing fof
a four cent per pound tariff on copper
imports. Another measure provides for
the suspension Of the annual assess
ment work on mining claims.
: Active Worker for State
: Senator Wheeler has been an active
and effective worker in securing fed
eral appropriations for Public Works
projects within Montana. One of the
first federal projects approved was the
gigantic Fort Peck Dam in northeast.
ern Montana calling for an expendi.
ture of approximately $63,000.000. He
was an active supporter Of the gooc
roads measure which provided $780,.
600 for Montana including 81, 65000(
for the purchase of gas tax debenturt
bonds.
Career in Brief
Senator Wheeler was born at Hud.
son, Mass, on February 9th, 1882. He
worked his way through the Universit,
Of Michigan as a waiter in one of the