Montana labor news., 1936-12-03
5LA5HE5 TO
Be MADE IN W. PA.
WORK PERSONNEL

Orders have come from Washing
ton, D. c., to drastically curtail w.
P. A. operations in the state of Mon
tana, according to Joseph Parker,
State Administrator. At the present
time the quota in the western dis
trict is 6,375; this is to be reduced
to 1926 by December Is. It means
that more than 1900 men and wom-
en- r going to be turned out of
employment in the next two weeks.
This will be a nice Christmas pres
ent for people who have been re-
ceiving wages barely sufficient to
cover necessities of life. Of course
the order that has been issued does
not relate exclusively to Montana
but includes the whole U. S.
Rumors and rumblings of such
reductions have been heard for some
time past. There is also to go into
effect Immediately a process of re-
interviewing, wherein all persons
now working for w. p. A. will be
examined as to their eligibility to
remain there. If they are not found
eligible, they will be removed. Per-
haps in some instances there might
be a little justification in laying off
a few workers to make DON for
others who are more in need. But
the sad part of this picture is that
there r practically 1000 persons
now waiting assignment to w. P. A.
work. These 1000 people are out
Of work, they have nothing to do,
they r needy. If in the process of
elimination, 1000 people were re-
moved who were not eligible to re-
main there, these thousand people
who r waiting assignment could
not be employed, owing to the re-
duced quota allowed by the federal
government.
The ALLEGATION for Montana for the
month of November was $1,000, 900;
for the month of December it is
100000 less than that figure.
Coming on the heels of a national
democratic victory such as this ma
ton never before witnessed, such
slaughter just before Christmas time
seems nothing short of inhuman.
The local office of which James
Combo is the head, is distressed over
the situation, but is helpless in view
Of specific commands from the ma
tional headquarters.
In some of the eastern counties of
Montana, as much as GA per cent of
the population was on w. P. A. This
huge amount was occasioned by the
severe drought of last summer,
which forced farmers and other
rural folks on to government agen-
cies. It is presumed that some of
these folks will be taken care of by
the resettlement administration and
given a straight grant of $500 a
month.
1t may be remembered that some
time ago the W. p. A. officials urged
workers to accept work in private
industry promising them that if they
did SO and the job eventually played
out, that they could come back on
w. P. A. This is all gone now. They
can't be taken back. 1t will mean
to these people that no more reliance
can be placed on the word of w. P.
A. executives.
A threat has been made also to
slash wages Of women in the sewing
rooms. These workers are now re-
ceiving $500 to $4,000 a month.
This is not too much. 1t is not
enough. Many women working in
the sewing rooms have families to
support and it is tough Shedding to
keep a house and family on $500
or $4,000.
Another phase closely relating to
this subject, is that of insufficient
funds in the relief set-up to take care
of people now. If more of these
people are forced back on to relief
which, undoubtedly, they will be,
it will be hard to describe the horror
and suffering that will take place
this winter.
There has been some talk of a
special session of the Legislature, if
there is such a special session, the
matter of appropriation for relief
purposes should be one of the first
subjects. At any rate such a clamor
should be made both in the state
legislature and in the national leg
islature for more just and liberal
treatment in the dispensing of re-
lief, in w. P. A. work, and in the
national security act, that the men
and women in those bodies wouldn't
dare to disregard the voice of the
people.