Montana labor news., 1935-09-26
Senator Murray Tells
Story of Efforts To
Secure Present Wage

The Work Relief Appropriation Bill
contained a provision regarding wages
to be paid employees on Work Relief
Projects called Subsistence Wages.
These wages, it was claimed, would al
low a man to exist; would provide an
income which would permit such an
employee to live on his earnings tenn
porarily. The scale was to be much
lower than the prevailing wage scales
Of the country. The effect of such a
policy on the part of the Government
was instantly recognized as detrimental
to the best interests and welfare OF the
workers. Obviously such a wage
would have tendency to pull down the
wage scales Of the country everywhere.
AS a substitute for this Subsistence
Wage provision the McCarran Amend
ment was offered in the Senate. The
McCarran Amendment provided for
the payment of the prevailing scale
OF wages on all work under the Gov
eminent Work Relief Program. Obvi-
ously if the McCarran Amendment was
adopted, it would greatly strengthen
the efforts Of Labor to maintain the
wage scale of the county which it had
struggled for years to establish. A bit
ter fight ensued in the Senate over
the MdCarran Amendment. I took the
view that it would be against the best
interests and welfare of my State to
permit the Subsistence Wage Scale to
be adopted and I gave my support to
the McCarran Amendment from the
outset.
Much pressure was brought to bear
on the Senators supporting the Nc
|Carran Amendment in an effort TO in
duce them to withdraw and permit the
Subsistence Wage Scale to become the
law. This was probably one of the bit
terest and hardest fought controversies
in the Senate. I felt that in support
ing the McCarran Amendment I was
supporting the State Democratic Plat
form which pledged our party to sup
port Labor in its efforts to maintain
decent wages and living conditions. In
my campaign | pledged my support to
Labor in all legislation designed to i'm
prove working conditions and wages,
and l voted consistently for the Nc
Carran Amendment while it wa be-
fore the Senate.
The Subsistence Wage Scale as it
was finally passed by the Congress
gives the President authority to fix
different rates of wages on Work Re
lief Projects throughout the country
but provided, however, that on all per
manent public works the prevailing
rates of wages should apply. Under
the provisions which permit the Presi-
dent to fix different rates of wages on
the Work Relief Projects, an effort
was made to have the Administration
authorize the payment Of prevailing
wage rates in the industrial centers.
While l was at Great Falls at the
Labor Day meeting, l was handed a
Resolution adopted by the Trades and
Labor assembly requesting the Admin
istration to so reduce the hours Of en-
ployment under the Work Relief Pro
gram as to make the monthly wage,
which was being fixed in this State,
the equivalent Of prevailing wages. In
other words, it was requested that the
hours OF employment be reduced but
the monthly wage fixed at the same
figure. This would make it the pre-
vailing wage scale, l Immediately sent
the resolution to Administrator Hop
kins and also called the attention Of
the President to the situation in Mon
tana and recommended the proposal as
the only solution of this labor question
in our State. Administrator Hopkins
has issued an order giving the State
Administrators in each State the pow
er and authority to follow this plan and
thus put into operation the prevailing
wage scale in any industrial centers
where it is thought expedient and pro
per to do so. Boards are now to be
created in each District to fix the pre-
vailing scale and hereafter in these
Work Relief Projects in all c%enters,
where the State Administrator directs,
prevailing wages will be paid.