Montana labor news., 1937-07-15
.LAB0R'5 PRESIDENT
SUBMITS BRILLIANT
CONVENTION SPEECH
Continued from Page 81


to the unemployed.
The functioning of unemployment
compensation must be done through
the National Unemployment Serv-
ice if it is ever to be of any con-
sequence to the workers. The Wag-
ner- -Peyser Act provides for the de-
partment of labor to administer the
National Re-employment Service and
the state to administer the state and
local employment offices but super
vised by the Department of Labor,
the Federal government is to match
dollars with the state in the admin
istrative cost. Such an arrangement
will not work out to the benefit of
the service or the workers; as the
states with a small but growing pop
ulation have not the money to spend
on employment offices.
The Montana Unemployment In
surance law contains a section pro-
viding for a state unemployment
service under the provisions of the
Wagner-Peyser Act and appropriate
$4,000 year to maintain the Re
employment Service. This appro-
priation will assure $4,000 coming
from the federal government to as
sist in operating the Montana EN-
ployment Service. However, this
means as far as Montana is con-
cerned the crippling of the Employ
ment Service as $4,000 a year will
not maintain the service. When the
Unemployment Insurance law gets
into full operation in Montana it will
require at least $4,000 month to
maintain the Employment Service in
this state; otherwise the administra-
ton of Unemployment Insurance
will be a fizzle.
The Wagner-Peyser Act should be
amended to make the National Re
employment Service entirely Federal
just the same as the post office serv-
ice is. This will insure a well func-
tioning and an efficient service which
in the end must be if unemployment
insurance is to function with the
minimum of friction.
WOrkmen's Compensation
The last session of the legislature
gave an extra appropriation to take
care of the increased work of the
Industrial Accident Board but not
enough to provide for safety inspec-
ton to prevent accidents. During
the past year there have been a
number of serious accidents resulting
in death and permanently totally in
jured workmen. The accident at
Poison dam this year which result
ed in nine deaths was avoidable. Had
the proper care been taken the acci-
dent would not have taken place.
There are many foremen and SUI
perintendents that are careless and
Indifferent about the prevention of
accidents. Something should be done
to bring those who through careless
ness are responsible for accidents re-
sulting in death of workers into court
on charge of manslaughter and the
fatal accidents in industry would be
materially reduced
An amendment to the Workmen's
Compensation Act should be at
tempted that will provide for a liza
bility on the employer whose reck-
less carelessness results in the
permanent crippling of a worker SO
that he is unable to take care of |
himself.
The number of major accidents
can and should be reduced. A work |
er permanently and totally crippled |
is not an asset to society.
Membership
The membership of the Federation
has increased about fifty per cent
over that of year ago and still in
So far this month six un-
ions have affiliated and the indica-
tions are that there will be way more
in the near future.
There has been considerable or
ganizing attempted by the Fedora
ton during the past year, and there
is much organizing that could be
done were more money available to
do the work.
During the past year the Montana
Federation of Labor has received
splendid cooperation from the local
unions and the central councils. This
is appreciated very much by your
In closing let us hope that the
coming year will see much advance
nent in the cause of labor; that the
factional differences will
soon end. Labor cannot progress
through division in the ranks. United
we stand, divided we fall.