Montana labor news., 1937-04-29
HOUSE BILL IS AND SENATE BIZ III
SHOULD Be REFERRED 1888 VOTE
Success Of Petitions Means That
These Measures Will Be In
operative Until Approved by
Voters.
Unions Ask for Signatures.


"The referendum of House Bill
No. IS, known as the Hitler Bill, and
Senate Bill No. II, its companion
measure, both passed by the recent
legislative assembly, are progressing
very satisfactorily" reports Ralph
Vanek, secretary of the Peoples
Government League whose head
quarters are at Helena which volun-
tary organization is sponsoring and
directing the referendum.
According to Mr.. Vanek the nee
essary 1870 of the vote, cast for
Governor, at the last election have
been secured on petitions in Is coun-
ties Of the required 20 or majority
of the Sc counties of the state and
IA or Is more counties are nearly
completed. Referendums are ex-
pected to be completed by June LIST
when the operation of these two
very dangerous laws will be sus-
pended automatically with the fill
ing of the necessary petitions, until
passed upon by the voters at the
general election of 1888. In the
meantime the power Of the Govern
or to hire or fire the employees of
the many departments of the state
will terminate and control over the
state employees returned to the
Board of Examiners composed of
the Governor, Attorney General,
and Secretary of State as the Con-
~stitution provides. The old state
Liquor Board, composed of the
Board of Examiners, will then again
administer the state liquor stores
as provided under the laws which
Senate Bill II repealed and the adj
ministration of the state beer act
will return to the State Board of
Equalization, where it formerly rest
ed, until the people have a chance
to pass one way or the other upon
these laws.
Trades Council Endorses Petitions
The Good Government League
has had substantial support from
organized farmers and organized
workers of the state. The ~referen-
dunn has been endorsed by the Holt
day Association of Montana, many
locals of the Farmers Unions, labor
union locals, among them the Silver
Bow Trades and Labor Council, the
Butte Miners union. House Bill No.
IS supplemented by Senate Bill No.
II takes from the Board of Examin-
ers and the several commissions,
boards and authorities of the state
the control over the employment of
three n four thousand state en-
ployees and place it in the hands of
Governor Ayers, whereby he is en-
abled to build up the most power
full political machine ever built in
any city or state in this union. I'm
der this law he has complete con-
troll over the employees of the high
way department, state liquor stores,
relief departments, and educational
and penal institutions of the state.
Senate Bill II also puts the appoint
ments of all the liquor vendors and
other employees of the state liquor
stores of many counties and cities of
the state into the Governors hands.
Laws Build Political Machine
If House Bill IS and Senate Bill
II are allowed to remain as laws,
it will be impossible to defeat the
Governor of this state after this ma
chine has been perfected and in OPP
Grafton. This is particularly dan
gerous to labor. Governor Ayers
record shows in his recent appoint
ments and attitude in the discharge
of Professor Keeney at Missoula
that apparently labor has not much
to expect from him.
If these laws were not referred,
it would be a sorry day for labor.
Should any labor troubles develop
in Montana, it will mean that the
entire state organization personnel
will be allied with the enemies of
organized labor of this state in any
struggle that may occur in the flu
ture. The petitions for the ~referen-
dunn of these two measures are be-
ing circulated in Silver Bow County
and nearly enough, if not enough,
names have been secured already in
spite of the fact that Governor
Ayers, through the enforcement de-
partment of the Liquor Control
Board, has men on the pay roll of
the state now, who it is alleged, are
doing nothing else but fighting pros
pective petitioners. According to re-
ports in many places law enforce
Continued on Page 81