The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1938-02-24

VIII De made IN the latter part n
this session of congress to enact i
into law. A wage-hour law is such
an important factor in the whole
scheme that if it isn't passed the
New Deal must be considered as
having failed TO cross over to the
land of milk and honey.
Unorganized Labor
For after all, only a small per-
ceHtage of American labor is or
gained and able to demand high
wages through collective bargain
ing. The rest are scattered, help
less and unable to make themselves
heard. Families by thousands SUBJ
sist on such weekly incomes as S14,
Sl8, SIS. Mr.. Roosevelt and his fol-
lowers contend that people living in.
such conditions are not of much use
to society and are not good custom
ers for business.
Why has the wage-hour bill made
no progress? Because only the ad-
ministration is fighting for it. In
dustry is against such law be-
cause it fears the government, Civ
en- an inch, would take a mile and
clamp more irons to its leg. The
c. 7. 0. and A. F. Of L. saw they
are for it, but they do nothing. Bar
gaining for labor is their particu-
lar business, and they don't want
the government muscling in. The
South put up the bitterest fight of
all, because it pays as low as ten
and fifteen cents an hour and thinks
Its small industries would go broke
paying 40 cents.
Besides the administration, Of
course, the millions Of common
workers want a minimum wage.
They can vote. and it would seem
that congress would respond to
them. But congress responds pre-
clsely as pressure IS brought TO
bear. AMI the lower third. which /
Mr.. Roosevelt says is ill-fed, i'll
clothed and ill-housed, can't afford
to hire Hobbies and print propa-
ganda.
II the President and his support
ers can enact 1910 wage-hour law
they can hoist their banner, stack
arms, and wait for the morning
sun to show what manner of country
they have captured.
Take Up Dirigibles
Next summer another German
airshlp, much like the giant Hin
denburg which burned SO people to
death at Lakehurst, NJ j., last Nav.
will cross to the United States. It's
first passengers back to Europe will
be few adventures willing to risk
anything for a thrill. In time a
second German ship will enter the
transatlantic service. If no acct
dents befall, more and more travel
ers will blimp the Atlantic. Mean
while the United States will get
into the dirigible business and. if
successful, eventually viii Guido
Germany. For this country owns
about all the helium there is. and
Germany must buy it from us.
Probably never again will passen-
ger airships be inflated with hydro
gen, the highly infammable gas
that turned the Hindenburg into an {
|
But though the United States has :
monopoly on helium, Germany
seems to have all the skill in build
ng and flying dirigibles. German
ilrlgibles bombed London during r
ne war, kept the British people i
ana the war office in constant lit r
ers. Count Hugo Eckener's flight t
around the world and recently his G
ocular runs to South America in t
ne Graf Zeppelin were feats equal
Q Pan American Anyways pioneer Q
ng around the world trips in flying j,
oats. :,
Meanwhile the United States =
allied dismally in lighter-than-air ri 7,
neering. Why? While Germany r
ts@led hghter-than-air as distinct p
clence, this country treated il !,
lerely as a sideline for the navy. .,
rites say we sent sailors, not aero :,
auts, aloft IN our dirigibles. That :,
why we came to grief. If our c.
ups had been owned by private ~
terests, depending on successful 80 -
lterprlse for earnings and reputa- "
'ns we would have done better. :
or certainly it cannot be assumed o.
al tne Germans have some super Il;
tural knowledge or secret forrnu- -,
No, the critics say, the Ger ~ ~
ans just worked hard at the lob. ,a a
ats ALL isl
tn
SIX Financial Help ac
Right now three or four American uh
mpanies are asking this govarn- Du