Montana labor news., 1937-02-25
5ATIR|(AL TALE OF
The LEGISLATURE
Chump Is DisillusiOned.


| have been going to write to you
for some time but you know how
things are with the baby teething
and the wife's bridge parties.
However, l have some news for
you which is so old that it has hap
pened before, as near as | can tell,
at least twenty-four times in the
last fifty years.
Being one of Montana's two hun
bred odd thousand voters and a fine
outstanding citizen according to
some standards), and having nothing
to do as the cold weather has
stopped my business which is in the
building trade, | decided to spend a
little time at the Capitol Building
while here in Helena.
Fairy Land of the Gods
| went out and when | got there
| took the elevator up to the third
floor which l was told was the floor
that had the Senate and House
Chambers on it. l had to stop and
admire the way the main hall was
finished with all its massive pillars
and marble finishing. The mahogany
finished Senate Chamber and offices
that branched off from everywhere.
There were beautiful pictures, each
with a true story, by Russell and
Paxton. These were painted in life
size on the ceilings as well as the
walls. Truly, l thought, this is a
wonderful place, and Bill, just think
the men who come up here every
two years to serve us are the pick
and cream of the state. They must
be very smart and wise, with a COM
plete knowledge of what the people
| of Montana want and what will be
for our best interests and welfare.
said to myself, 1.-THE rank and file of
the sovereign state of Montana has
selected these men and they r the
leaders, and through our wishes they
will pass laws that will provide jobs
and better conditions for us. They
| will tax those who can afford to pay
and tighten the burden of those
whose living is on the ragged end
of nothing. People who have big
families to feed and have lost or
about to lose their home and small
accumulations through a mortgage
or loss of a job, sickness or some
unfortunate happening
So with these thoughts in mind
and a satisfied feeling I went
through the lobby and over to the
House Of Representatives. There
saw all of them busy and much
handshaking and back slapping.
Some of them going from one desk
to another and all seemingly work
ing on the great problems Of our
state.
The House was called to order and
l went up into Tie gallery to look
on and see how these laws that af-
feet us and sometimes mold our lives
were made.
There was quite a lot of routine
business at first, such as introducing
bills, reports of committees and mo-
tons and resolutions. This took a
lot of time but finally they got down
to general orders which is very inn
portant as there the bill is debated
on the floor by the proponents and
opponents.
Innocence Abroad
While | was watching this, a bill
came up to allow the miners to work
eight hours and no more. Now,
thought, this is a fine bill as the
miners working down in those deep
holes where the heat is terrible on
some levels and contracting that
dreaded disease called s~ilicosis, GER
tainly should not be forced to stay
in that kind of a place any longer
than eight hours, especially after the
people of the state voted in the Gen.
eral Election to allow eight hours
as a working day. Well, Bill, il
seems that a bunch Of high officials
had come to Helena from the vari-
GUS mining companies and said to
those who didn't know the differ
ence, that if they couldn't keep the
miners down in those holes longer
than eight hours that they would
possibly 60 broke and have to shut
the company down. Now that was
a pretty big statement to my notion
but coupled with the fact that six OF
the representatives from the largest
mining county we have, voted to
kill this very good bill, it served its
purpose. No one seems to be able
to tell exactly why these six men,
some of them being miners them
selves, turned on the people that