Montana labor news., 1935-10-10
SERVICE
INVADES BUTTE

Social Service is a term and a sys-
TEN with which Butte people are not
very familiar. 1t is extensively oper-
ated in the slum sections of large east
ern metropolis. 1t is a systematic,
highly developed method originating in
the upper and ruling classes, and a sub
ject taught in some Of the higher uni
versities which has for its purpose the
soothing OF the humble and lower class
es much as a flippant mother would
give her crying infant p~aregoric in or
der that she could run off to a dance,
without being interfered with by her
offspring. People who have lived in
the west nearly all Of their lives are
entirely unfamiliar with the subject or
its ramifications. Social Service is
nothing more or less than systematized
beggary, the lowest form Of ignomin-
ious charity. Many proud people re-
fused to accept Federal Government
assistance during this depression I'M
til the last asset Of that household had
been spent including automobile, home,
and insurance policy, and yet as re-
CARDS charity the people are entitled
to consideration and assistance from
their Federal Government. But now
this is all going to be done away with.
We are going to have Social Service.
No longer is the Federal Government
going to assist the people in anything
except grub. The rest Of the essen
tials of life such as clothing, eats, shell
ter, and etc, must be obtained through
Social Service. In other words, from
begging your neighbor. The commun-
ity must take care of its own. There
is to be an organized protest meeting
at the court house on October the
tenth at two o'clock against the in
stitution OF this nefarious practice in
Silver Bow County.
Last Friday, October 4, a strike oc-
cured among the employees of the Fed
eral commodity houses, namely, the
Arizona Street Fire Station, the Har-
rison Avenue Fire Station, and the
Commodity Gardens at Hansen's again
st the ruling of the relief authorities
that all budgeted allowances would be
cut off except that for food.
The men and women in these com
modify stores who were formerly re-
ceiving pay would also be cut off from
this remuneration. 1t was officially re-
ported to the Trades Council that Miss
Mary Hanson, who was to be in charge
of Social Service here, has been trans
ferred to other fields. The following
communication was received from the
relief workers organization in regard
to this matter.
When relief authorities announced
last week that the monthly earnings
Of relief workers on all projects ex-
cept the tannery would be restricted
to the budget food allowance, a cut
Of nearly sixty-five per cent, there was
a storm of protest from those involved.
AT the regular meeting of the Public
Works and Unemployed Union on Fri
day they voted thirty-five to two in
favor OF strike action and were on
hand with pickets early Saturday at
commodity stores and the relief gar
dens near Hansen's Packing plant to
stop work until the full allowance was
back.
Saturday evening a special meeting
was held and plans were made for a
demonstration in front of the court
house on Thursday, October 10th to
demand the immediate restoration OF
the cuts and full budgets for those on
relief. A decision was also made
to send a committee made up Of strik-
ers and members of the executive board
OF the union to Helena to meet with
the relief commission on Monday the
9TH and insist hat it use its authority
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