The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1935-09-06
HIGHWAY PATROL
Law Is VICIOUS
Tom Dinwiddie Recites
What Has Happened in
Other States Having Pa
troll Laws.
UNCONSTITUTIONAL

The highway Patrol law of Ore /.
gon has clause in it that the pa
trol must not be used for strike
breaking purposes. However, when
the seamen and longshoremen
were on strike last year, the patrol
was used to prevent picketing.
The recent session of the Ore
gon Legislature repealed the sec
ton of the Highway patrol law
which prohibited the patrol being
used for strike-breaking purposes,
and amended the law so that the
patrol can be used in Oregon. in
times of strike, the same as the
regular militia. This amendment is
row in full force and effect in Ore
gon.
The patrol in Oregon is now e.
qulpped with sawed-off shotguns
and tear gas bombs to be used in
breaking up picketing in times of
strikes. The patrol has been very
busy in Oregon during the recent
strikes of sawmill and lumber wor-
kers.
To overcome some of the OBJ
Jectlons of Montana organized la
Dor against the patrol the legisla-
tors favoring the patrol law amen
ded 1t by inserting the following:
Provided that such highway
patrolmen shall have no author
1ty and are expressly forbidden
to make arrests in labor disput-
es or in preventing violence in
connection with strikes, and
shall not be permitted to per-
form any duties whatever in
connection with labor disputes,
strikes or boycotts, and shall
not be permitted to congregate
or act as a unit in one county
to suppress riots or preserve the
peace"
Any future legislature has the
power to amend the Highway Pa
troll law by repeating the fore
going section.
The question arises: How far
would such section get in the
courts?
The patrolmen, under orders
from the governor, could be used
for strikebreahng purposes the
same as they have been used in
other states, and who is to prevent
it? Organized labor knows that
from past experience when it COM
es to using force to break strikes
there is no such thing as law ard
order.
The highway patrol is a peace
and semi-military organization
that can be used at any time cor
porate interests desire. to break
strikes and smash the heads of
pickets. And that is that!
What happened in Wisconsin
LaFollette's state-when the milk
strike took place? The highway pa
troll men smashed the farmers
picket line!
The same thing happened in
other states when the Farm Holt
day declared strike on the deliv-
cry of farm produce.
What happened in Minnesota
when the truck drivers were on
strike? The highway patrol men
were on the job fighting the truck
drivers the same as they fought
the milk strike in Wisconsin.
There will be a convention of
highway patrol commissioners
held in California during the early
part of October. This convention
is for the purpose of devising
ways and means to carry on pro-
paganda to have the legislatures
of the various states pass uniform
highway patrol laws so that the
patrol law of the various states
will be in harmony with each
other. We can expect that the next
session of the legislature of Mon
tana will have bill introduced to
make the Montana patrol law as
, vicious as any now in existence
Two members of the Montana
highway commission are authoriz-
, ed to attend the convention at the
expense of Montana taxpayers.
| Government by Commission
/ The Highway Patrol Commits
: sion are making rules and regula,
! tons for owners of automobiles Il
: conform to. By what constitutions
: authority has the commission thu
/ power to do this? None whatever
: Like all bureaus the Highwa!
n Patrol Commission will become
f autocratic and dictatorial. It will
:. issue orders and the patrolmel
: will enforce them.
For example: A patrolman mad,
e the owner of car parade up an
down the white line in the cente
of the highway to ascertain whe
Their or not he was sober.
By what authority has any pa
trolman the power to order an
citizen to walk along a white lin
on the highway?
By what authority has a patrol
man the power to order the owne
of a car to vacate his car So ths
|: the patrolman can run the citizen
l. car up and down the highway,
l. order that the monkey-wrench me
2, chanic might satisfy himself ths
r the car was equipped with brakes
= The might of bureaucracy an
l. dictatorship gives the patrolma
# the power.
n Free and liberty-lovmg voter
,r will sign the petition for refel
l. endum on the patrol law.
Il IT.. Ds-sIIs