Montana labor news., 1937-09-02
0'(onneII Snitosis Bill
Introduced in House

~
of Butte, Montana, today introduced
in the House of Representatives a
bill to regulate interstate commerce
in goods produced under conditions
exposing employees to the hazard of
silicosis and related dust diseases.
This is the first measure ever in
troduced aimed at the control of
silicosis and the handling of the
problem on a national basis. A few
years ago resolutions were offered
in the House which called for an
investigation of the disease follow
ing startling disclosures in West Vir-
ginia where hundreds of men work.
ing in coal mines developed the dis
ease a few months following their
employment.
Under the O'Connell Silicosis Bill,
the Secretary of Labor will require
the installation, maintenance and eff
fective operation of devices and safe
guards and the use of methods and
processes adequate to eliminate
harmful dusts from such industry or
occupation. Preventative measures
would be set up which in time would
considerably lessen the present dan
ger of contracting ~silicosis which
now c%onfronts workers in mines all
over the country.
1t provides in order to secure COM
pliance that Investigators may enter
and inspect mines, quarries, mills,
workshops and factories and further
provides a penalty for obstructing
such investigations by a fine not less
than 500 nor more than $500 or
imprisonment not longer than six
months, or both.
The Government under O'Con-
nelPs bill could subject to seizure all
goods being shipped or delivered for
shipment in violation of the bill and
provides a penalty for violation of
the act with fines ranging from 5000
to $1,000 and Imprisonment for a
period not longer than one year, or
both.
An Advisory Council consisting of
the Secretary Of Labor, the Surgeon
General, and the Director of the
Bureau of Mines is set up under the
proposed legislation to make recon-
mendations relative to the admins
tration of the act.
In addition to the bill introduced
today, O'Connell intends to intro
duce sometime in the near future a
bill which will provide for grants
and aid to states in order to set up a
fund for payment of compensation
for silicosis and allied occupational
diseases. This bill is being prepared
by the Congressman now and will
be considered as a companion mea-
sure to the n already introduced.
Early in life, O'Connell evidenced
an interest in this dreaded disease
when his father, a victim of silicosis
or miners consumption as it is called
in the mining country, died follow
ing exposure to it in the copper
mines in Butte.
In a statement issued today the
Congressman said, my purpose in
introducing this bill is because of
the apparent lack of interest on the
part of states in handling this prob
lem. In most states, corporation
controlled legislatures will not write
an effective s~ilicosis law and those
states that have such a law make M
effort at all for prevention and make
inadequate payments in way of CON
pensation."
I'm my state the great Anaconda
Copper Mining Company not only
vigorously oppose any attempt to
provide compensation for ~silicosis,
but in addition fail to provide ade-
quate preventative measures. This
is true in many other states"
Thousands and thousands of
miners, in my district alone, have
contracted this dreaded malady.
They can no longer work in mines,
and as a matter of fact are unfit
for any further manual labor. They
receive no compensation at all. I
hope to remedy this condition by
this bill and the companion measure
which / will introduce shortly, and
while | expect the customary opposi-
ton from the mining corporations,
l Z expect ultimately to secure passage