Montana labor news., 1937-07-15

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chased by a politically cnotrolled
corrupt procurement department.
saw splendid group of unemployed
men with high record of efficiency,
loyalty, and willingness to work
kicked out of the home they had
created for themselves by their own
labor in that Transient Camp, and
driven like wild beasts across the
state line by the Los Angeles police.
| saw the beginnings of a beautiful,
and probably self-supporting, school
dissipated and the wild boys" of
the depression thrown out onto the
highways to starve or live by crime.
You ask: who dares be respon-
sible for such terrible social
wrongs?" l answer: 'The same
Democratic leaders who are the
pork barrel bloc" Oh, yes, l know
that Harry Hopkins issued the or
ders and Aubrey Williams carried
them out, but back of them was Jim
Farley, and back of him the pork
barrel bloc, and, back of everything,
the necessity of winning the 1886
election. From the day the first
Federal relief bill was passed and
all down the line, Federal relief has
bent subservient knee to corrupt
politicians. Now the same politicians
have turned on relief like a pack of
wolves, and would like to emascu-
late it.
am glad that this thing happened.
l am hoping that Hopkins and Will
liams and Farley and Roosevelt have
learned that loyalty cannot be
bought, and that principles are not
for sale in the political market. How
ever, l am afraid hard facts belle
my hopes. was in the gallery when
the House, sitting as a Committee of
the Whole, where no roll-call votes
are possible, voted three to one for
the vicious earmarking. 1t looked
as if the whole relief program was
doomed. Then, canny old Rayburn
of Texas suggested that they had
better postpone final action, and cool
off. Over the weekend conferences
were held and members stated on
the floor that Roosevelt had prom
ised them that as much, or more,
than the proposed earmarked sums,
would be spent for roads, flood con-
troll and PWA. The only difference
| can see is that Harry Hopkins nom
inally controls the spending.
There are approximately $4,000
relief department employees in SUI
pervisory positions, not taken from
relief rolls. If the plans of the pork
barrel block should prevail $4,000 to
$4,000 of them must be discharged.
If I were running this Administra-
ton I should take the Congressional
Record and go right down those roll
call votes should do the relief
cutting in the districts of the mem
bers of the pork barrel bloc, and
should gently but firmly remove
every relief department employee
that any member of the pOrk-barrel
bloc had placed on the pay rolls.
should also make it plain to every
person who was refused relief, or
who lost his job exactly why, and
who is responsible. l would stop |
to politicians and fight |
back like He'll.
'Cattyll" you cry. Yes, I know
it is. But would rather be wild
cat fighting for my own than a
weakened political huckster.
have grown old, and perhaps tough,
fighting the battles of the under
and l am just aching for
this session of Congress to adjourn
50 that l can get back to California
and set half a million voting women
to making the fur fly from the cor
rupt, reacitonary old politicians who
have made Federal relief sinking
pork-barrel in my state. How about
your state?