Montana labor news., 1937-02-25

Montana and the State Federation of Labor 0f
which james Graham is the head. und which is
the spokesman Of the trade union movement. the
farm organizations, and liberal and progressive in
dividuos in the state Of Montana held high hopes
that the present session Of the Legislature would
pass measures beneficial TO the common people OF
Montana.
The Legislature has been in session since the first
OF IonuorY. The high hopes which were enter
tanned in the beginning have given dWdy to one Of
~pessimism if not Of d~iscourdgement.
The people OF the nation expressed themselves
in very certain terms in the November elections.
They rallied Ground q great leader who promised
them. in effect. that the resources Of the United
States Government would Qt least be pdridlly uil-
lied in their behdf, thdt their vents Ud expressions
und sufferings would not go unnoiced.
Republicans, Socialists. Communists, end Demo
crdts voted the Democratic ticket, firm in the dssur-
mce Of the promises given by that administration.
The Senate Of the state of Montund and the House
Of Representatives Of the state Of Montana oppor-
emily have fdiled to grasp the significance Of thot
tremendous vote in November. nor to perceive the
deep underlying causes involved in the election.
The unorgonized common people of the state Of
Montana. thdt is those who neither belong to the
farm organizations nor to the trade unions. ere in
drticuldte. They hoe no organized Wdy Of express
ing what they wont. These folks in the different
counties elect their senators md representatives
with q blind hope thdt in some WdY or other these
men or women will be true to them in the passage
Of laws. 1t is unfortunate thdt many Of these some
people do not scrutinize the records of their repre-
sentdtives, but the poor through q combination Of
indifference and inuccessibilitY to proper informu-
Hen, do not know. otter the men enc women whom
they have elected come home from Helena,
whether they have served their interests or not, and
SO the situation crises in which great enemies Of
the people ore elected year otter year and as regu-
ldrlY betrdY the common people who elected them
10 their high offices.
Beyond q shadow Of q doubt, should the State
Federation of Labor or any other liberal organize
ton or person go into these counties. from which
emdndtes the redctiondTY representatives and SEN
utors, dmd tell these people Of the record Of these
some individuals they would not go back for the
succeeding session. The common people need q
companion of education.
The Anaconda Copper Mining Company, the
Montana Power Company. railroads., dnd other big
interests ore controlling dnd dominating the Legis-
luture. To throw epithets at them is useless, thut
would be as futile as throwing rocks at q spitz dog
because he wds white. Its their very nature. The
ldWYers, the Lobbyists, dnd many OF the legislators
und senators 90 10 Helend TO pass legislation for
the benefit Of the corporations and against the com-
mon people.
The people Of the state Of Montond outlined q
program Of legislation and the State Federation Of
Labor dnd other organizations are in charge Of put
TING this program through. The legislators and sen
dtors know this, they know that the program thdt
is advanced by organized labor at Helena is the
program OF me common people. Ii ISL q IQQlCQ
program, it is not such q costly program to the
corporations, none Of the measures will materially
injure the corporations and certainly would bene-
fit the state if they were passed.
One cannot refrain from culling to mind the pic
ture Of the terrier dog with his hedd cooked to one
side und his ears pricked up sitting in front of the
horn dttoched to q phonogrdph, under which is the
title, His Masters Voice" If we substitute the Sen
ate, yes, and the House Of Representatives too. for
the dog, and place the corporations on the phono-
Graph roll, we should then have q pretty good pic
ture of whdt is transporting in Helene. And they
heed thut voice. Those men and women who wont
liberal ideas look with sorrow upon the degTddd-
ton TO which the state Of Montana is descending
in this session Of our low makers. 1t causes one 10
wonder whether the pompous senators ore really
aware of what they are doing. The some I'M
reasonable condemnation and opposition to all
liberal measures is in evidence in Helena now as
hos been in evidence since the first legislative ses-
sion. The some opposition is expressed now to
measures submitted by the people as wus shown
to the proposed 5 hour laws 35 years ago. The
same opposition is shown to present measures as
was shown ct the time Montana enacted q com
pensdtion measure. 1t is sdfe to say thdt none Of
the senators and none Of the members Of the House
Of Representatives and possibly none Of the corpor-
dions would wont q return to the old master and
servant relations OF the common law. nor would
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