Montana labor news., 1936-08-13
Firemen Should Have Received
Increase

In the issue of July 81 there appeared a front
page editorial in the Eye Opener, written by
Mayor Charles Hauswirth, concerning the re-
quest of the Butte Firemen for an increase Of
paw. The Mayor said that the firemen should
be satisfied with $145.00 per month. In order
to bolster a rather weak argument Mr.. Haus-
worth also described the leisurely conditions un-
der which the firemen earn their pay. He
furthermore wove into the picture the unhappy
condition of the miners. 1t was obvious that
our liberal Mayor was attempting to pit the
miners and other classes of workers against
the firemen. 1t is doubtful if Mr.. Hauswirth
was consciously aware of what he was try
ing to do. 1t is an old corporation trick
to get two unions fighting among themselves,
or getting two groups of workers quarreling, so
that the bosses may walk off with the spoils or
defeat the ends sought by the unionists. In
other words the trick that the Eye Opener
wanted to execute is as old as the human race
and SO subtle that the viciousness and effective
ness of it is not perceived by the unwary. That
the liberal paper, The Eye Opener, and our lib
eral Mayor should resort to a process of Great
ing jealousy, envy and spite among the work
ing people seems incomprehensible.
But to come down to the essence of the merits
of the firemen. The three platoon system
which merely means the eight-hour days not
such a remarkable concession. The fire depart
ment, public library, streets, etc, are the So
c~ialistic features of our present society. Mr..
Hauswirth has often announced some sympathy
with socialistic ideas, and other cooperative
movements The large co-operatives in the
M;ddIa Meet and Fact dttrin0 the danraceiOn nv
ceeded private industry, under the same type of
enterprise, in the payment of wages to their en-
ployees. 1t is the primary principle of all CO.
operatives and socialistic undertakings that they
will lead in the compensation of workers. 1t
looks like Charley breaches one thing and prac-
tees another.
1t hardly seems possible that as prominent
an individual as the Mayor would bring into the
argument to refuse the firemen their requested
increase, such trivial things as that they play
handball or horse shoes. Granted that these
diversions are pleasant nevertheless they are
merely inconsequential incidentals. Men do not
buy bread nor shoes merely because the circum-
stances of their job enables them to play
pinochle. 1t costs the firemen just as much to
live as it does any other person or family. An
Oi lC III lSoPSNL ~ WdSCo AAAo
something like this: A worker should be paid
according to the indispensability of his work.
Are the firemen necessary-as necessary as any
other worker? If they are, and we take it for
granted that they are then they are entitled to
the same compensation as they received in 1882
and the same compensation as their brothers
are getting in other departments of the city.
The Mayor shouldn't whine about the people
on relief nor shed tears for the miners in an ar
gument to justify defeat Of the request of the
firemen. During the war the War Labor Board
was set up to adjust w~ages-there were a lot of
strikes-and one of the principles enumerated by
the board was: If a corporation cannot pay
adequate wage to its employees it should fold
up and go out of business. This statement was
made to a corporation in Butte.
So if the City of Butte is unable to pay an adj
equate wage, let it also fold up and go out of
business. 1t is true the people are taxed to
death, but has any attempt been made to extend
the corporate limits of the city to bring some of
the big mines within its corporate limits? That