The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1939-08-31
Total of 6,O56 Checks
Issued to Unemployed

HELENA, Aug. 23-Montana bus
mess and industry has weathered a
downward trend which started in
the fall of 1887 and reached its low
est point in February of this year,
Barclay Craighead. chairman of the
unemployment compensation com
mission said yesterday.
The downward trend reversed il
self sharply in the months of April,
May and June 1889, bringing 10
workers S476,00000 more in pay
roll during these months than they
had earned in the corresponding
months of 1888
Mr. Craighead said that total pay
roll of workers covered by the I'M
employment compensation law in
the months of April. May and June
1899 amounted to S24 Isl 100000. In
the first three months of the year
the payroll of workers in industries
subject To the law amounted to
22,543. 9420
This is not based on guess work
but on cash contributions paid into
the unemployment compensation
trust fund by Montana employers on
wages paid their employees and the
number of employees reported by
employers, Mr.. Craighead said.
Employers were paying contribu-
tons on the wages of 81 ,009 workers
in July 1897 and in February 1899
were paying contributions on the
wages of but 64,564 workers. Over
26, 900 Montana workers employed
in industries subject to the unem-
ployment compensation law in July
1887 were not working in their reg
ular employment in February 1889,
and 1t may be assumed that for the
most part these workers were either
unemployed or working at such
stop-gap jobs as they could find.
Montana paid its first benefit
check from the trust fund, which
now amounts to over S7,050,0 10000
on July %. On August is the COM
mission had sent out 6,056 checks for
a total of $70,5I000 to the unem-
ployed Montana workers, and the
commission had received and quick
.ly acted upon the initial claims of
5.287 unemployed workers.
4 feel critics of unemployment
compensation should answer the
question of how should the $4,000
capable Montana workers and their
families who want to work be cared
for during periods of unemploy-
ment if not through the unemploy-
ment compensation plan" Mr.. Craig
head said.
The increase in employment, bus
mess and industry is encouraging.
The increase in the months of April,
May and June 1888 over the first
three months of 1888 was the diff
ference between a payroll of S23,-
768842.00 and the winter months
payroll of S23, $4,000 or an in
crease of $3.50, $4,000
The increase in the months of
April, May and June 1889 over the
three preceding months was ST.
707058.00 In other words the work
ers Of Montana made and spent
about one and three quarter mil
lions Of dollars more in April, May
and June 1889 than they had in the
first three months of this year.
Statistics in this office seem to
indicate that the lot of the employed
worker now is better than it was a
year ago. It seems more wages are
being earned by each employed
worker, and workers are in more
permanent employment. On the
other hand it is perhaps true that
or part-time workers
are earning less. It is hoped that
the payment Of unemployment COM
pensation benefits will do much to
bridge this gap, MIR. Craighead ex-
planned.
In the first quarter of this year
1858 workers secured employment
through the commissions employ
ment service offices, l,725 more
workers than were placed in Jobs
over the same period in 1898.
In the first seven months of 1889
the employment offices placed H.
88l persons in jobs, or 1887 more
than the 1924 persons placed in
employment in the first seven
months of 1898.
Another indication of improved
business and employment conditions
IN Montana is the employment serv-
ices active file. Active file means
the number of workers registered
as seeking employment On july
81. 1899, 28,390 persons were regis
tered as seeking jobs as compared
10 1865 persons registered on the
same date in July 1888