Montana labor news., 1936-10-29

The LODDle OF Tie n. u. M, AND
those who care to oppose the reduc-
ton, will have full power and privi-
lege to use all their legitimate per-
suasive powers to convince the leg
islature not to pass the law. If this
fails. then they can circulate a petit
ton and obtain the signatures OF
only 5 per cent of the electors to de-
clare the law imperative until il
can be referred to the people at the
next general election. Of course, il
they cannot get five per cent of the
people to sign the petition--95 per
cent of the people ought to be able
to sustain the act. And if a majority
of the people do not disapprove the
act, this is a representative demo-
cratic form of government, and the
will of the people must prevail. II
will be seen then that a seven or six
hour day cannot become a law with
out a further vote by you on the
question. The gin marriage law is a
good example of what would hap
pen. After passage by the legislature
it remained in force a couple of
months. Petitions were circulated
and the signatures of five per cent
of the electors were obtained. In
mediately the law went out of force
and remains out of force until you
approve or disapprove of it on No
vember 3rd.
Friends, what do Campbell and
Martin want? Do they want to bait
labor, so that they can hold their
positions? If they want to increase
the working day beyond eight hours,
you know there will be industrial
strife. How would that affect bust
ness and businessmen? Is it not bet
ter that we all recognize that an
eight-hour day is a sufficient days
work? Isn't it better to put this
eight-hour day in a place where it
cannot be removed except on your
vote?
Burns said of the workman of his
day:
See FOUNDER, poor o'erlabored wight,
So abject, mean and vile,
Who begs a brother of the earth,
To give him leave to toll.
/ wish | had the time to discuss
with you the valiant struggle which
transformed that poor wretch into
the intelligent and efficient work
man and producer of America today.
Economists define wages as the
lowest amount for which unskilled
laborers would consent to live. Of
course, wages depend on hours of
labor and working conditions as well
as money.
In the struggle for our present
standard of living the great weapon
of the employers was the threat of
starvation; they branded trade
Unionists reds, radicals, criminals
and traitors. They used the Courts
of Equity to obtain injunctions; they
added gun-men to their pay-rolls;
they controlled State officials to use
the Militia to weaken the effective
ness of the strike weapon. The his
tory of recent years has seen re-
spected public officials ousted from
office because they would not con-
sent to precipitate bloodshed among
workers; Little was lynched because
he dared voice opinions favorable to
labor; and a battle was fought on
Anaconda Road between armed gun
men and unarmed miners.
Is this the civilized way to settle
industrial disputes? America has led
the way in substituting arbitration
for war. To leave the settlement of
industrial disputes to the combatants
is to settle such disputes by war. 1t
ignores the non-combatants, the pro-
fessional men, and the businessman,
though these sustain irreparable loss.
Leave the hours of labor question
to the legislature and all the people
leave the whole question of labor
conditions to the legislature and to
the people and you will have done
more for human progress than has
been accomplished in many a year.
That's the civilized way.
Business men, if I asked you
whether you would rather have the
production of Montana-and the
money obtained from it-sent to
New York or distributed locally,
wouldn't you rather it were left here.
The less the part of production that
is paid in wages, the less the miners
can pay you OF can buy from you.
The workman here has gone through
the horrors of depression for seven
years. So have you. You have had
bad business because there were
little wages = and poor wages. How
has the New Yorker Jared? There
are 8,674,338 shares of Anaconda
stock. In February 1888 it was worth
So a share or $26,O23,014 in all. Last
Friday it was worth $46.50 a share
or $403, 1856, 717. A profit of $377,-
1888, 703. And all the owners did was
to hold a piece of paper.
That is the result of the billions
spent by the Government. A frac-
ton of it comes to Butte. Business
mani Won know now that the Com