The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1935-08-29

fected by rust but would bring the
same kind of clamor from housewives.
So sharp soft pedaling OF the wheat
reduction program, accompanied by a
reduction In the processing tax on
wheat. is liz order.
In fact 1t may be taken for granted
that regardless OF all past theories, the
administration will do its best to have
food prices down by next summer.
To Make Concessions
President Roosevelt will make con-
cessions In the present labor war on
relief projects. The concession will
not be to pay union scale wages on
work relief projects. The Presidents
jaw is firmly set on this. 1t will be to
remove present restrictions which limit
Jobs to people now on relief.
Very little has been heard from
union labor sources on this last phase.
but 1t has been vitality important to the
unions. Not only to the rank and file,
who need work in many instances,
though they may have had sufficient
pride and sufficient savings to stay of
relief, but to the leaders, For men
| out of work are not apt to be regular
In paying their dues, and thus the
union treasures get hurt. Especially
as union leaders have been forcing In
| the check-off system wherever possible
/ for years now, with the result that
| union workers, In more than a majority
| OF cases, are not used to paying dues
| personally. They are educated up to
| having their dues deducted from their
pay envelopes. Hence, no pay enve-
| lopes, no dues
Work relief Jobs, under the original
| formula to which the union leaders
object so strongly. were to be given
| only to persons on relief rolls last
May. The Job could not be obtained
unless the United States employment
| service SO certified.
| In the near future orders will 60 out
| from Washington that the employment
service must certify union men who
need Jobs, whether they were on relief
last May or not.
/ This will meet a very important
/ point In the present controversy be-
tween the government and union labor,
but 1t will by no means leave d good
| taste In the mouths of the union men.
May Cause Feeling
/ The situation makes for artificial
| mInatIons-likely to raise bitter
| feeling. For example, two groups Of
bricklayers may be working across the
street from each other One group Will
proved by Ickes under the old 'spend
our way out Of the depression" theory.
| Those men will be drawing the prevail
i ing wage. The other group will be
working under work relief project
approved by Harry Hopkins. They
/ will be drawing relief wages. Under
| the Hopkins schedules the highest rate
permitted at present Is 1914 a month !
Obviously every man drawing the
lower wage will be sore for they Will
/ be union men In each case; the admin
istration may be fairly brave at times
but 1t Is not going to employ many
non-union bricklayers In big city pro-
jects. The man drawing the lower
wage will have crouch against the
| government to start with.
But John Taxpayer also enters the
/ situation. He is being taxed for re-
lief. and knows It. The average middle
class taxpayer has more or less OF a
fixed opinion that union wages In the
building trades are too high. He re-
sents the day wage rates for carpen-
tiers. bricklayers, pasterers and plumb
ers, though he thinks 1t fine that Henry
Ford has raised minimum wages In his
plant to So day.
The answer to this prejudice Is that
the average automobile buyer thinks
he gets his moneys worth when he
buys car, but thinks he gets stuck
every time he has tidy repair bill
| on the. home. He also thinks the price
Of building homes Is too high and
blames II on high wages for the build
Ing trades.
1t Is not important for the moment
whether there Is any justice In this
| view or not. But there Is no doubt
j whatever that 1t Is very widely held
Hence 1t Is politically important.
As to Huey Long
All this talk about Huey Long Is
food and drink to conservative critics
Of the administration, There Is moth
Ing they would like better than for
TIuey to be an independent candidate
for President. and to run In as many
states as possible. They figure he
would not get any electoral votes. save
possibly those of Louisiana, where his
machine controls the election machln-
cry. But they also figure that In GER
tain radical states, particularly In the
West, every vote he would draw would
come from Roosevelt's strength. thus
aiding In the election OF the Republican
nominee.
No one takes seriously Huey's al
legged statement that he would support
the Republican ticket II Borah were
| tho candidate Politicians think this