Montana labor news., 1935-02-28
Federation OF Labor
l~nterposes Objection

II aAAtoio VI ia
a very determined manner that they
were opposed to all forms of highway
patrol bills at the general meeting Of
the committee at Helena, Wednesday,
February goth. Jack Driscoll repres-
the Silver Bow Trades and La
Dor Council c~ooperated with union de-
legates from other parts of the state,
and all of them were assisted by Presi-
dent Graham of the Montana State
Federation of Labor.
The report of MIR. Driscoll follows:
February 10th, 1885
To the officers and delegates to Silver
Bow Trades and Labor Council.
l hereby submit my report on my
trip to Helena in regards to matters Of
Legislation as requested by the Coun-
Gil at its last meeting. l appeared be-
fore the Highway Committee, Wednes-
day Evening, February 10th, with the
President of the Montana Federation
Of Labor and other labor representa-
tives from various parts of the state
to protest the Highway Patrol Bill and
also urging the passage OF Highway
Bill No. 357 for the employing Of force
account or day labor as against work
done by contract. This bill has since
been killed by an adverse committee
report. We did not secure a hearing
on the Patrol Bill until the next after
noon and presented our arguments
against the bill. A subcommittee had
reported amendments to the bill with
Boone Of Powell County as chairman,
stating that the amendments they had
made to the bill would Prohibit the
use Of the Patrol in time Of Strikes and
Lockouts or B~oycotts against Labor
and that it should and was satisfac-
tory to some organizations as amend
ed. We pointed out that the bill was
still unsatisfactory and we were OPP
posed to the Bill in its entirety and ar
gued that its highly centralized au-
thority was a menace to the workers
and cited our experience with similar
laws in other states throughout the
country and the abuse Of power and
use in labor troubles and that once
it was enacted into law future legis-
lature could and probably would amend
it so that it would become injurious
Ito the workers in time of troubles and
that also it was an unnecessary ex-
pense and burden IN the state at this
time. After the hearing | was inform
ed by Mr.. Branan, one Of the ON
mittee from Richland County that they
intended to redraft a bill placing au-
thority in the hands of the county
sheriffs of the various counties. Since
then they have taken the Bill out Of
the hands Of the subcommittee and
placed it before the Legislature. /
spoke to some Senators about the bill
against the ordering Of direct primary
law which was defeated in the Senate
the following day.
The minimum wage bill for women
was defeated in the evening at the
night session. The Workers Social
Welfare Bill was not even introduced
in the Legislature. The Bill on Gross
Income Tax was also defeated.
The Bill to Ban Music from places
where beer was sold is before the
house and those who are opposing it
are having a hard fight to defeat it.
Respectfully submitted,
JNO. H. DRISCOLL.
Vice President of Montana Federation
of Labor and Business Agent Of
Workinpmen's Union.
Mr.. Driscoll supplemented his writ
ten report by some oral statements in
which he said that there have been
three patrol bills, one of which has
passed the Senate and another one of
(which has passed the House. The SEN
ate bill 90 which gave the Governor
the power to appoint the patrol and
which concentrated too much power
in one place apparently has died in
the committee. This bill was especially
Objectionable. Mr.. Driscoll stated that
labor throughout the State had never
Preceded from its original resolution to
resist to the uttermost the passage Of
any patrol bill and that was the con-
current opinion OF the Committee in
its hearing at Helena o n these meas
ures.