Montana labor news., 1939-05-18
MOTHERS ASK FOR
PEACE AND SECURITY
Continued from Page y

guarantee that they will not invade
any other nations. There a be no
doubt that those who accuse Presi-
dent Roosevelt of being a war
m0nger are mounting the words of
Hitler and Muss0lini themselves.
Hitler and Mussolini tell us to mind
our own business and their agents
in the United States parrot them.
Well, on Mothers Day, we can
tell them that our business is Peace,
and there will be no peace as long
as the fascists can go ahead and take
whatever they want without the
peace-loving, democratic peoples do
ing anything to stop them. There
fore on Mothers Day let us support
the policy of quarantining the
aggressors as proposed by u Presi-
dent way back in October, 1887. Let
us unite with the Soviet Union, and
all other democratic peoples to stop
fascism. Let us amend the Neutral
ity Act to embargo the %aggressors
and aid the invaded nations. The
same people who fight against Presi-
dent Roosevelt's peace proposals also
oppose his policies at home-the New
Deal recovery program.
While we should favor the entire
New Deal recovery program, there
are some parts of it which are doubly
important for mothers.
For example, there is the National
Health Bill which was submitted by
Senator Robert Wagner. This bill
provides, through amending the So
cial Security Act, ito enable each
state, as far as possible under the
conditions in such state, especially
in rural areas and in treas suffering
from severe economic distress, to ex-
tend and improve services; supplies
and facilities for promoting the
health of mothers and children, and
medical care during maternity and
infancy, including medical, surgical,
and other services, and care in the
home or in institutions, and facilities
for diagnosis, capitalization, and
aftercare."
Health Bill Benefits
The bill then goes on to provide
for medical care for children, for
cripples and those physically handi-
capped. It's passage would result in
public health work and investiga-
tons into tuberculosis, malaria,
pneumonia, cancer, mental diseases
and industrial hygiene. The bill
provides for federal grants to states
to extend and improve medical care
including all services and supplies
necessary for prevention, diagnosis
and treatment of illness and dis
ability including training Of
personnel"
1t also provides for federal grants
to states for temporary disability
compensation. This would initiate a
system of cash benefits to workers
for wages lost ON account of sick
ness.
A further provision of especial
Importance to Labor calls for pre-
vailing wages in the locality to be
paid to workers employed in build
ing the various medical facilities.
The bill also calls for a working
agreement between the state agency
administering the health plan and
related services such as, welfare, vo-
cational rehabilitation, social insur-
ance, workmen's compensation, la
Dor, industrial hygiene, education,
health or medical care. The admin
istration of the act rests with the
U. S. Public Health Service, the
Children's Bureau, the Social Secur-
ity Board, and the Secretary of
Labor.
When this bill was first suggested
about four months ago, our congress
sional representative fell all over
himself in his hurry to announce his
opposition to it. The fact that he
is a doctor and practiced in Butte
should prove that he is entirely in
sincere in opposing such legislation.
Let us answer these attacks on
progressive and necessary New Deal
legislation which would provide
health and security for the mothers
and children of our community who
cannot provide for it themselves, by
uniting all socially-minded organi-
cations and individuals in Butte in
support of the National Health Bill.
A conference could be organized
which would include the unions,
parents and teachers organizations,
doctors, dentists, nurses, ~fraternal
organizations, religious bodies and
all others interested in improving
the health of the people of u COM
munity.
Women in Soviet Union
l would now like to quote from a
pamphlet written by one of the
most courageous fighters for work
ing women in the United States
Ella Reeve Bloor-Mother Bloor, as
she is known to workers all over
the United States, had visited the
Soviet Union late in 1887 and studied
the conditions of mothers and chill
dren there. When she returned to
our country she reported as follows;
ut is absolutely shocking to turn
from the facts of conditions in the
Soviet Union-maternity hospitals,
rest homes for the ~expectant moth
ers, special care, both before and
after childbirth-to consideration of
the facts of the lack of care for
mothers where profit is the main