Montana labor news., 1939-01-12
news FROM The
CAPITOL

OF last year judging by the activities
of Billy Rae and AL Wilkinson, the
two chiefs of the companys corps
of lobbyists. At the 1887 session
they were to be seen most any day
handing out orders to senators but
were somewhat neglectful of the
House. This year they seem to con-
slider the Senate quite hopeless from
their point of view SO the two of
them are as busy as the proverbial
cat in the lime quarry about the
House. They may be seen every
day button-holing reactionary Dem
ocrats and disgruntled Republicans,
and by the strenuous efforts they
are putting into it, it would appear
they realize they have a hard fight
on their hands to retain their bal
ance of power.
The Governors Message
The message of the Honorable Roy
Ayers to the legislature was mainly
an exhortation to that body to grant
complete immunity from taxation to
all groups and interests except the
worker. This, OF course, was paving
the way for a proposed sales tax.
After the governor had concluded
his talk one dry-land farmer was
heard to remark that he would like
to have a few tons of it to spread
on the farm for fertilizer.
There is some talk of an investi-
cation of the Board of Liquor Con-
troll and from reliable reports the
record of this particular setup is
somewhat smelly. However, the
control of committees, achieved
through the use of the Highway
Patrol and House Bill 65, may make
such an investigation, if it is ordered,
a mere whitewash.
Disease Commission Gives COndi-
tions in Butte Mines Thick
Coat of Whitewash
The reports of the Occupational
Disease Commission are on the desk
of each senator and representative
and the majority report signed by
four members of the commission,
DR.. Cogswell, chairman, James J.
Carrigan, James D. Graham and
Carl Trauerman, is a complete
whitewash as far as Butte, Anaconda
and East Helena are concerned. The
supplementary report signed by
Denis Mccarthy, representative
from Silver Bow, is a brief but
accurate summary of the testimony
submitted at the hearings held in
Butte, Anaconda and East Helena,
including the testimony of DR.. j. ].
Kane at the Butte hearing to the
effect that go per cent of the 20
X-ray pictures taken by the Miners
Union showed definite evidence of
silciosis. The majority whitewash
report was given wide publicity in
the Helena company sheets while
the supplementary report by Nc
Carthy was ignored entirely The
attitude of the company press in
Butte on the matter. also their dis
tortion of reports from the House
and Senate regarding bills intro
duced by labor members from Sill
yer Bow, should be closely watched
by Butte miners, and if their cam
paign of Misrepresentation is not
Immediately stopped there should
be a sudden drastic curtailment in
their subscription lists. For instance,
in reporting the introduction of
House Bill No. 3 by Brown and
Mccarthy, it would appear that said
Brown and Mccarthy are primarily
representing the coal miners of the
state while actually the bill itself
is concerned almost entirely with
greater security for payment of
wages for employees of wildcat
quartz mine operators.
The repeal of House Bill 65-the
notorious Hitler" bills in the
Senate and from all indications it
will be passed by that honorable
body. All progressives throughout
the state, however, should immedi-
ately get busy and lombard both
senators and representatives with
instructions to vote for the repeal
of this piece of fascist legislation.
This is important. The governors
men are active every minute of the
day and night trying to line up
opposition to Senate Bill No. 5 by
Mahoney. Everyone who is anxious
to restore the government of Mon
tana to the people should immedi-
ately notify their representatives
and senators that they are expected
to vote for Senate Bill No. 5-the
repeal of the Hitler" bill.
ROBERT c. BROWN.
NEW YORK. - (FP) - Foremost
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