Montana labor news., 1936-01-09

the Federal Government are not i'm
mune to the provisions and regulations
ofthe laws he is attempting to enforce.
The commissioner recently stated al
so that attempts are being made by the
state administrator to ameliarate the
ruling wherein an individual not on re-
lief prior to November l, 1885, could
not be assigned TO a WPA job.
y
COPY
December S, 1885
Mr.. Ray Hart,
State Administrator, WPA.
Helena, Montana.
Dear Mr.. Hart:
| an the recipient Of a number of
complaints pertaining to the W.P.A.
set-up in Montana, and more parti-
cularly as to the way in which it is
being administered in the cities Of Hell
ena and Butte. OF course, I am not
.Iinsinuating that there are any peculiar
situations obtaining in these cities that
do not exist elsewhere. Ny general
Information is that it is being admin
istered substantially the same in all
four districts Of the State, but the
specific complaints to which | refer.
come from the two aforementioned cit
lies.
[ realize, and | have SO informed the
compliments, that the W.P.A, is a Fed
eral set-up, and so far as I know, is
not bound to conform to any State
labor laws or regulations; but, con
ceive it to be a part Of my Job, to
investigate any and all complaints per-
tanning to the welfare OF labor in Mon
tana, and when I find just cause for
complaint, to endeavor to remove this
cause by conciliatory means if pos
sible. Therefore, | take this means to
approach you on this subject, and APP
prize you Of some of the principal com
plants I've received.
Specifically within a few hours of
my arrival in Butte last week, I re-
ceived five complaints from stenogra-
pliers who asserted they were capable
of doing all of the work required Of
any office stenographer, but they were
unable to obtain employment because
several Of the larger business houses,
as well as the W.P.A. were working
their office help overtime. (By over
time is meant more than eight hours
per day). During the following few
days | listened to plenty Of similar com
plants from individuals and labor I'M
lions.
I investigated these complaints, and
found they were based on fact in near
ly every instance, and of course the
State eight hour law for female en-
ployees, should it become necessary to
invoke it, will take care OF the situa-
ton in the business office. These bus
mess people have promised compliance,
but it leaves a bad taste in the mouth
when they are compelled to abide by
the State eight-hour law and they can
look up the street and see the Fed
eral Government employees working
ten, twelve or perhaps more hours per
day. This practice is certainly paridox-
ical when you compare it with the
%preachment, put more people to work
by shortening the work day and the
work week? If Uncle Sam not only
refuses to live up to this maxim but
goes in the opposite direction, how can
we expect private enterprise to get
very enthusiastic about it?
I talked to several Of the W.P.A.
Administrative personnel, and also to
Mr.. Tom Davis, Assistant Admins
TRAITOR for that District. | was inform
ed that these people worked from eight
to eighteen hours per day, and that
this sort OF overtime work would be
continuous for at least another month,
and occasionally thereafter. When /
suggested putting on a relief shift dur
ing these busy seasons, the objection
was first made that sufficient capable
help was not available and if avail
able it would have to be trained.
THE latter contention, of course,
is true, but | don't believe it is a
legitimate or logical objection. In
order to check upon this, | visited the
Butte Business College and interviewed
both Mr.. Scott and Mr.. Rice and re-
luested figures as to the number Of
capable people Immediately available
for employment as Bookkeepers, Steno-
graphers, Typists and Office Clerks.
They furnished me with what they
maintained were very conservative fig
ures and which would indicate they
could furnish 50 people in these four
lassifications. However, some Of these
classifications would overlap, as all
stenographers were typists and some
bookkeepers would also qualify as Of
lice clerks and vice versa, which would
reduce the total number of people to
slightly more than forty, which would
probably be sufficient to duplicate the
IW,P.A. office force in Butte. In adj.
dition to the Butte Business College.
there are also Business Colleges in
Missoula. Anaconda, Helena, Great
Falls and Billings and possibly in other