Montana labor news., 1939-04-20
Joint Meeting Of Labor Unions,
Religious and Social Bodies
Plans Statewide Participation
Mandamus Hearings Before SUI
preme Court Saturday,
April 22nd.

While awaiting the decision Of the
Supreme Court of Montana on the
writ Of mandate submitted by Philip
O'Donnell to restore the cuts in old
age assistance, aid to dependent chill
dren and direct relief, the committee
Of II appointed by the Silver Bow
Relief Conference is speeding its
preparations for the statewide relief
conference to be held in the capitol
at Helena on May 7th at 10 a. m.
Protest Meetings.
At the same time protest meetings
are being held throughout the state.
One such meeting held Tuesday by
the Butte Workers Alliance on the
steps Of the courthouse here, was
addressed by Philip O'Donnell, Ed
ward Mason, Rev. Bert Powell,
Elmer Fredrickson and Leo Garnet.
All speakers emphasized the need of
sticking together and pledged their
organizations to see the fight
through.
Writ Hearing Saturday.
The hearing on the writ of man
date which was to take place this
Thursday in Helena, has been post
poned until Saturday, April 22nd, at
the request of Sam c. Ford, Helena
lawyer and former member of the
Supreme Court. The Supreme Court
judges are: Left Erickson, A. Angst
man, Sam Stewart, Morris and How
ard Johnson. The writ has been
filed in the name of Mrs. Mary J..
Dean of Butte against the Montana
Public Welfare department, and the
Silver Bow County Welfare board.
Call State Meet.
In a letter addressed to Gall Mon
tana Religious, Fraternal, Farm, La
Dor and Social Organizations calling
for the sending of delegates to the
statewide conference, the committee
of 70 states that "old age assistance,
aid to dependent children and other
classes of state welfare assistance
have been cut an average of 20 per
cent over the state, with the excep-
ton Of direct relief which has been
cut so per cent"
The letter follows in full:
Butte, Mont, April 18th, 1889.
To All Montana Religious, F~raternal,
Farm, Labor and Social Organiza-
tons:
Greetings:
At the meetings of April End and
9th, the Silver Bow County Relief
Conference decided, unanimously, to
call a statewide conference to deal
with the crisis in direct relief, old
age assistance and other state well
fare activities.
Old age assistance, aid to depend
ent children, and other classes of
state welfare assistance have been
cut an average of 20 per cent over
the state, with the exception of direct
relief which has been cut so per cent.
In view of the fact that we all know
previous standards were woefully
inadequate to provide a living com
patible with decency and health no
words are necessary to show the suf-
fering that has resulted.
In order to take the necessary steps
to correct this critical situation, your
organization is urged to send repre-
~sentatives to a statewide relief con-
ference in the Capitol building in
Helena, May 7th, at 10 a. m. Please
provide your representatives with
credentials signed and sealed by the
organizations proper officials. If
your regulations permit, please give
us the closest approximation possible
of your membership.
Inclosed you will find a copy of a
petition adopted by the Silver Bow
County Conference, representing a
membership of approximately $4,000.
Will you please make copies of this
petition and Immediately start them
circulating in your section of the
state. When making up your petit
tons, remember each sheet must
bear the same heading.
We feel that pressing for a special
session is necessary in order to make
our work along such lines effective
and to fall back on in case the other
lines of action fail us.
A local conference on the question
before May 7th would probably
bring out some worthwhile ideas.
SILVER BOW COUNTY RELIEF
CONFERENCE,