Montana labor news., 1935-06-20
THE MINERS UNION
DAY PARADE


NENHNAAA1Na 4 abk
abled people all over the park TO hear
the speakers, but in spite OF this, sew
eral hundred people gathered in front
of the pavilion and remained there
during the 90 or 100 minutes the speak
ing lasted. It seems they wanted to
see the speakers as we'll as hear them
The first speaker was Mayor Charles
Hauswirth who spoke briefly, but COM
medatory, upon the way in which the
parade had been conducted. James
Robinson, secretary-treasurer |. U,
M. M. and S. W., spoke upon the con
ditions of the Miners organization
throughout the country, of its battles
in Alabama, Tri-State mining region OF
Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma, of the
organized mobs OF mine owners and
their hirelings who assault and beat up
and kidnap officers of the law, who re-
fuse to do their bidding, as well as strik-
ing miners. Thus far no one has heard
OF any G-men hunting down these kid
napers.
The principle address of the day was
delivered by William Kneer, chairman,
Industrial Commission, Utah; which
office, we understand, corresponds very
closely with hat of chairman OF the
Industrial Accident Board in Montana.
In fact that Mr.. Kneer occupies such a
position Of trust in the state of Utah,
indicates very clearly that the A.. c. M.
Co, or its subsidiary, the international
Smelling Co., does not dictate the ap-
pointive policies of Utah's Governor.
His principle topic was the necessity,
which is becoming more apparent day
.by day, that the American Federation
of Labor adopt the Industrial plan OF
organization to the exclusion of the
vertical plan, which he claims has be-
come %antiquated and obsolete. He also
criticized the recent decisions of the
United States Supreme Court, and
voiced an opinion, which a growing
number of people hold, that the court
has no authority under the constitution
to veto an Act of Congress. That nine
old men whose thoughts are almost en-
tirely in the past, who are hedged
around by precedent, and by virtue OF
their training and environment are alb
solutely incapable Of one forward look
ing thought, are usurping this veto
power in spite of constitutional guar
antees to the contrary, During his
speech he quoted Thomas Jefferson
who voiced the opinion that "The con-
%stitution should be rewritten every de-
cade.''
Mr.. Kneer is a very able, forceful
speaker, and his speech contributed
considerably to the success OF the day.
The Mines Band had started its CON
cert before the speaking began, and it
resumed the musical entertainment i'm
mediately upon the conclusion Of the
oratory.
A baseball game in the late afternoon
and early evening was followed by a
dance in the Gardens Dance Pavilion III
the evening, which was attended by
hundreds of union men and their ladies'
or lady friends.
This wound up the official festivities
of the day. It is estimated that the at
tendance at the Gardens was in the
neighborhood OF fifteen or sixteen
thousand.
The street cars carried approximately
1000 passengers each way, to and from
the Gardens, and there were thousands
OF automobiles. Every available inch
of parking space in the Gardens and
outside was occupied by mid-after-
noon.
It was a glorious day and a gloriously
successful day. May the Miners
Union and organized labor generally in
Butte and Montana, celebrate and en-
joy many such anniversaries in the
future,