The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1936-07-02
IA Apply
Continued from Page u


to the state. That was an erroneous
impression.
In the case of applicants having an
income of less than $50 q month. as
sistance will be given to increase the
income to $50 month or whatever
sum the county board decides as just
Financial assistance given person
will become a lien against such prop
erty as they may own in case the
property is sold or probated.
The story of the efforts that have
finally eliminated in putting his new
law into effect covers period of some
years.
! Considerable History
Montana was the first state to adopt
an old age pension law. 1t was drawn
and presented and put into operation
through the efforts of Lester Lobe,
who was then a member of the legis-
lature. Under this law there was
adopted a pension plan in some coun-
ties.
Some three years ago the fight for a
new law that would be state wide start
ed. When the legislature met several
members introduced bills. Represent
atives Phil Goodwin, Cain Corners,
Mike Mulholland, Ed O'Byrne, Sam
Spiegel, and Harry Mitchell all of
Butte, Representative Hugh Egan of
/ Fergus. and Representative Charles l..
Stevens of Cascade county all intro
duced bills. These were finally re-
ferred to a special committee on cid
age pension legislation consisting of
Representatives S stevens, Goodwin
O'Byrne, Byrne and Egan.
This committee reported out House
Bill No. 1875 which became law. This
was the bill introduced by Representa-
tive Stevens after conference with
the special representative from Wash
ington. The bill was passed by both
House and Senate and signed by Gov
ernor Frank Cooney. 1t was expected
to go into effect July |, 1885, but
through technicalities raised at Wash
ington, there has been,,a delay of
year in getting il into operation.
Great credit is due to Governor Ell
mer Holt, to the late Governor Cooney,
to John E. Erickson, who served as the
first old age pension administrator, to
our delegation at Washington and to
the members of the State Old Age
Pension Board and the county boards
for their persistent and continuous ef-
forts to get the law into effect.
The state relief organization has done
much Of the preliminary work and APP
plications were investigated and the
machinery put into operation that
makes it possible now to do most eff
fective work in getting the payments
into the hands Of some 1000 needy
people.
Hundreds Of Letters
/ Representative Stevens during the
past year has received hundreds OF
letters of anxious inquiry and these
show beyond question that this law
that goes into effect July ! will be
one of the most appreciated measures
that has ever been adopted by a lcgis-
lature in the state of Montana.
Meetings with the county relief
boards to iron out any special diff
culties that arise have been planned by
Acting Administrator Joseph Watson
and he is particularly DESTROYS Of the
cooperation of the newspapers in get
ting needed information to the public.
In the handling of the details to get
the law into operation, Governor Holt
was especially instrumental as his two
years service on the Montana Relief
Commission and his service as state
relief administrator, together with his
membership on the Senate committee
that had this legislation in charge, gave
him a splendid grasp on all the in
tricate points involved