Montana labor news., 1937-02-25
Copper (oIIared Senate
Kills More Labor Bills

Among the numerous measures
intended to benefit the working peo-
pie of Montana which received the
Senatorial axe during the last week
were H. B. SO, the silicosis bill, and
S. B. 1853, the Collar to Collar bill,
the same H. B. 70, previously killed
in the House by the treachery of the
SERVILE SIX, led by ABLE.
There were a majority and a mi
nority report on both these bills.
On H. B. SO the majority report rec
ommerding passage was signed by
Meyer of Silver Bow, Murphy of
Deer Lodge and Swartelle of Mus
selshell. The minority report rec
ommending the death sentence was
signed by Drumheller of Glacier and
Robinson of Philips. On S. B. 1863
the majority report recommending
that the bill do not pass was signed
by Sullivan Of Jefferson, Drumheller
of Glacier and Cotter of Broadwater.
The minority report recommending
passage was signed by Murphy of
Deer Lodge and Page of Granite.
In contrast to the stiff battle that
these two bills occasioned in the
House there was very little debate
on them in the Senate. The Senate
went at its work of execution coldly
and efficiently. The proponents of
both bills, evidently sensing the ut
ter futility of trying to soften the
stony hearts of the copper collared
gentry who comprise a majority of
the upper chamber, offered little
resistance. Thirty-two members of
the Senate have on numerous previ-
Gus occasions demonstrated that they
have ar entire. lack of sympathy
with the toilers of Montana. They
seem to care nothing for the poor
miner, painfully, with dust-cemented
lungs, struggling up the hill and
endeavoring to work until the last
agonizing gasp, know the harsh fate
awaiting his loved ones on his death.
Nor care the Senators for the well
fare of the two hundred and ninety
widows and many hundreds of chill
dren who are now on the inadequate
pension rolls of Silver Bow County.
No, these gentlemen are impervious
to any plea for human misery.
That a few of them have some
latent feelings of compassion in their
flinty bosoms, however, was shown
when Senator Kelley Of Powell, in
the debate on H. B. rs, a measure
providing for distribution of license
plates by county treasurers, painted
a pathetic word picture of the pitiful
condition to which forty convicts in
Deer Lodge penitentiary would be
reduced if this bill were passed. The
worthy Senator stated that the pas
sage of H. B. rs would throw the
Jail birds out of a job and would
consequently probably drive them
insane. AS a tribute to the Sena-
tors eloquence we must confess that
his he%artrending plea for forty on
victs actually drew a large tear or
two from eyes that were callously
dry at the tale of the misery of
widows and orphans.
Now that H. B. SO is killed and
H. B. rs is passed we would suggest
to the gentleman from Powell that
he try to get at least thirty-two of
the convicts elected to the Senate
where they would probably be of
less harm to the working people of
Montana than the bunch in there
now.
AS we left the Senate gallery after
witnessing this farce, some evil
minded party informed us malicious
ly that Keeley's inspired plea on be-
half of the denizens of the Deer
Lodge dungeons was only camou-
flage and that his real concern was
for the loss of revenue the passage
of H. B. rs would mean to Deer
Lodge post office. 'Honi Soft qui
NAL y pense.' CIVIL to him who evil
thinks.)
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