Montana labor news., 1938-02-17
Trades Council 0bjetis
To Arrest OF Liberals
For Opposing Jap War

The unions were notified by the
local organization of Government
Employees they had notified the
School Board of District No. l that
the swimming facilities and other
physical apparatus at the old Butte
high school should be used by the
grade children of both the public
and parochial schools. The question
of retaining the swimming pool at
the old Butte High arose in the Sill
yer Bow Trades and Labor Council
several weeks ago. 1t was brought
out at that time that many of the
grammar school children have no
swimming facilities. The Silver
Bow Trades and Labor Council reg
istered its desire to have them re-
tanned to the School Board and the
action of the Government Employees
Union is along the lines that were
taken at that time
4 = =
A communication was read from
the Butte Miners Union stating that
a fund of $4,000 that had been ap-
propriated by the last legislature
for relief purposes had not been
used and that this money would re-
vert to the general fund of the state
Of Montana on March End. The
Miners Union foels that owing to
the distressful conditions now exist
ing in Silver Bow County and other
counties, that this money should not
be reverted into the general fund
but should be spent for relief dis
tress.
The Silver Bow Trades and Labor
Council appointed Mr.. Tom Kenne-
dy, secretary, to represent them at
the hearing in Helena on February
"a, at which time the Montana Vel
fare Commission is scheduled to
meet.
The Council referred to its legis-
lative committee an appeal coming
in from the Algic Defense Commit
tee of New York City. The Algic
case is a story of an alleged mutiny
on a government-owned ship, called
the Algic. The boat pulled out of
Baltimore in July, 1887, and an
chored in Montevideo, Uruguay, on
September 10, 1887. She carried a
crew of 38 men, licensed and I'M
licensed. A strike was going on in
Montevideo of longshoremen when
other longshoremen, apparently
strike breakers, attempted to load
cargo into the boat. A meeting was
called of the crew. This meeting
sent a representative to the captain
requesting that the longshoremen
who were then attempting to load
the boat be removed. The crew in
formed the captain that they object
ed to working with these longshore-
e The striking men meanwhile,
had pulled up beside the boat and
were Directing to the loading of the
boat by these other persons, appar-
emily strike breakers, and to the
participation of the crew of the AL
gic with them in this work. The
crew ultimately had its way and the
boat was not loaded by these objec-
tionable men. Charges of mutiny
were brought against them later on
and the matter is now pending in
the Federal Court, The trial of the
Algic was brought before Federal
Judge Chestnut. Notwithstanding
that the men were represented by
very able lawyers, they were found
guilty. This is what Judge Chest
nut said in his charge to the jury:
"Seamen have no right to strike
against the lawful commands of the
master, there is no right to strike
against the laws of the United States
by anybody, at any time or any
place" Twice in the Supreme
Court it has been already deter
mined that the seamen have a right
to strike when a ship is anchored
in a safe harbor. This case will be
appealed to the Supreme Court. 1t
is a nj to all existing organiza-
tons in the United States.
The Silver Bow Trades and Labor
Council went on record as opposing
the arrest and prosecution of 372
Continued on Page 81