Montana labor news., 1935-05-02
A CONGRESSMAN
COMMENTS
By Hon. Joseph P. Monaghan
April 9th, 1895

Dear Mr.. Editor;
The Los Angeles Record requested an
article relative to the prospect for old
age pensions, which in view of the
keen interest in this subject is submit
ted herewith for the weekly column:
The House defeated last week all
liberal pensions, every n of which
received my support. One thing, at
least, was accomplished by the fight
waged against the gag rule, an OPP
portunity was afforded, although in a
limited way, to present the various pro-
posals. Had a rule been adopted, how
ever, which would have permitted a
direct record vote, the outcome, wen
at this Session, might have been great
ly altered in favor of the McGroarty
Bill. We need not seek far for cor
roboration of this. The Chair report
ed only So standing in favor of the
McGroarty Bill, while So had signed
the petition to discharge the Ways
and Means Committee from c%onsidera-
ton of the unamended McGroarty Bill.
The fact of the matter is that a dir
ect vote could not be had, and con-
%sequently the real strength of an ade-
quate pension at this Session of Con-
gress cannot be known.
One other benefit resulted. Sneering
at liberal pensions has subsidized and
a degree of respect is accorded the view
that such pensioning is one way Of
ending the depression. The Bill which
passed the House was merely a p%retense
at p~ensioning, since most states have
inadequate if any law at all on the sub
ject matter of old age pensions. Even
in those states where the pension is,
for example, $4,000 a month-the amo-
unit which must be paid is not com
pulsory, is pro-rated according to the
amount of monies collected. Montana
pioneered the field Of old age pension
ing and yet the average pension is only
about 5000 to $1,000 and the highest
pension l have known to be paid there
was $1,000.
The bitter disappointment that the
people will experience at not receiv-
ing an adequate pension as a result of
the bill passed by the House, will bring
the next Congress into Session fired
with enthusiasm rather than antagon-
ism for a liberal pension such as was
provided by the McGroarty Bill. Far
from being a defeat, the standing vote
registered on the Townsend Plan, was
in actually a moral victory when we
consider the history of great National
movements. 1t took fifteen years to
repeal prohibition. II took approx
mately twenty years to accomplish NO.
man suffrage. When the Bonus was
first voted on in the House, its siren
9Th was surprisingly small. It took
Approximately twenty years of battle
on the part of the Railroad Brother
hoods, with that powerful newspaper,
LABOR, bespeaking its cause to ac-
complish enactment of the RR. retire
ment bill. 1t is safe to say that the Nc
Groarty Bill has had a greater number
of original supporters than any of these
movements, both inside and outside of
Congress. Far from being defeated, a
real, substantial old age pension has
received its first great impetus and vic
tory and it would not surprise me to
find the next Session Of Congress en-
acting a bill which approaches the Nc
Groarty Bill in its revised form.
The malady affecting our Nation is
maldistribution of wealth. Machine
production from endless chain belts to
mighty steam shovels, occasioning com
pulsory, permanent unemployment is
the landmark OF that uneven distri-
button, where the few have much too
much and the many have little to little.
Proper and effective regulation and
legislation would conquer that condi-
ton. Jobs, and jobs alone, can accom-
Iplish recovery. President Roosevelt
said in his great Inaugural Address,
which was like a voice from Heaven
to the people Of America: Our great
est primary task is to put people to
work" l can conclude in no better
fashion than by restating the remarks
concluding debate on the Floor;
Enact a law which will take a suf-
ficient number of men out Of industry,
and enact a law that will cut down dra-
stically the hours Of labor; those two
measures and those two alone, will
fulfill the desire of the great Presi-
dent of Republic.
Again | repeat, the cause it not lost.
We have only begun our fight.