Montana labor news., 1937-07-29
). B. II MAKES A
FILTHY RECORD

the recent legislature. The number
of opponents of this vicious legisla-
ton is growing daily. Nevertheless
the law was placed on the statute
books through the combined efforts
of the Governor and the corporation
lobby. II provides for a board of
three men to direct the affairs of
the state liquor monopoly rather
than the Board of Examiners as pro-
vided by the old law The new
three-man board is appointed by the
governor and can be removed by
him at will Consequently the new
board is nothing more nor less than
a puppet board-a rubber stamp for
the governor.
Opponents of this dictatorial type
of legislation felt that it would be
far better business for the state of
Montana to have the Board of Exam
iners, all elected by the people OF
the state, in charge of this seven
million dollar business, rather than
three echoes of the governor Under
the old law responsibility was firmly
placed on three elected officials
the governor, the attorney general,
the secretary of state. Being poll
ticians they would be scrupulous of
keeping their skirts clean SO that they
would be in position to win re-elec-
ton from the electorate. Under the
new law the appointed board is re-
sponsible to nobody but the governor
and he can easily dodge any re-
sponsibility by blaming any misdeeds
on the new board. He can always
disclaim any wrongdoing and make
goats" of the new board. This is
proved to be exactly what happens
under the new system.
The casual reader will recall that
Governor Ayers in his message to
the legislature urged enactment OF
Legislation similar to S. B. II giving
his reasons that he thought the gov
ernor should not have anything tc
do with the liquor business, that
such things were beneath the dignity
of the governor, etc. Of course there
was no more sincerity in such a state
ment than there is in the affirmation
that the moon is made of green
cheese. The objective and result Of
S. B. II, which Governor Ayers ano
William Rae blessed, and which was
then introduced by Senators Johr
Campbell of Missoula and Harry
Benjamin of Shelby, was to place
the business in the hands of the
stooges of the governor. Since ther
the governor has been unable to picl
good men and true" for the jobs
and is running the state liquor bust
ness himself. 1t must cut Governor
Ayers heart to the quick to be forced
to go beneath his dignity and actual
ly run a liquor businessl
The governor removed the very
men he appointed to the new Liquor
Control Board. In making the re-
moval he inferred that his appointees
were not trustworthy. More than
two weeks have elapsed and no new
appointees have been announced
Perhaps the goats are difficult tc
lasso, hobble and hogtie. So Cover
nor Ayers takes up the disagreeable
task of handling the states liquor
business, the very thing he claimed
he wished to avoid.
What do Senators Campbell and
Benjamin think of the way their law
is being administered? 1t surely is
not being administered according tc
the provisions calling for supervision
by the appointed three-man board
Perhaps this does not bother Jack
Campbell for the state government
is not bothering the utilities and the
big Ship" is in absolute control OF
the administration steering wheel
Possibly Harry Benjamin is not con-
cerned with the maladministration Of
his pet law because he is probably
busy selling liquor to the State
Liquor Control Board as he and DR.
Sullivan are rumored to have beer
given a Zine of liquor" to sell by the
administration. OF course this is
not in repayment for Harry having
gone down the line" for the admin
istration in the recent legislature, fol
Harry is well known progressive
who was one of the real supporters
of Senator Wheeler way back ir
1920. Real progressives don't have
to be paid off. Harry was just lucky
and it is to be hoped he gets his
commissions intact.
The conclusion that any fair mind
| ed person must reach about this
matter is that it is a sinking mess
that all or any of the evils incident
| to the administration of the state
liquor monopoly under the old act
are to be found in aggravated form
under the new law; that additional
evils have been added by enactment
of S. B. II; that the new law de-
spite the great savings made by the
governor in the columns of the Com
pany press is no more economical
than the old. Under the old law
three politicians sat watching one