Montana labor news., 1939-02-16
Contraction Of Disease in Butte
Mines Told by Union Committee
Smeltermen Are Also Affected;
Members Request Passage of
Disease Compensation
Measure.

HELENA, Feb. lahore than 10
miners and wives of miners Travelled
the 81 miles from Butte to Helena
to present their case for the passage
of House Bill 100, which provides
compensation for disability resulting
from ~silicosis, to the state legisla-
lures committee on public health
and sanitary affairs this afternoon.
In addition there were committees
representing the Anaconda smelter-
men, and the representatives of the
Anaconda Copper Mining Company.
Machinery and Workers
Norman LeFever, representing the
Butte Miners Union and the Mon
tana State Industrial Union Council,
opened the case for the proponents
of the bill. "The company takes
care of their machinery very well,
but not of the miners" he stated.
He called upon miner after miner to
describe the hot, dusty conditions in
the Butte mines. John Emmons,
representing the Anaconda smelter-
men, presented death certificates,
signed by company DOCTORS" show
ing proof of death by ~silicosis. In
addition he introduced two living
examples of the results of arsenic
poisoning in the persons of Dan
Hafey and Chas. Unit, whose nostrils
were partly eaten away by arsenic.
every employee in the arsenic de-
partment of the Anaconda Copper
Mining Company in Anaconda is in
the same condition. he stated.
The Old Health Resort
The Anaconda Copper Mining
Company was represented by Judge
Dwyer, J.. J.. Carrigan and lobbyist
Hoover to oppose the bill. Judge
Dwyer declared the bill "unconstitu-
tional" before it was even passed
and the state supreme court had a
chance to review it. Mr.. Hoover
stated that the bill sis premature"
although the miners and s%meltermen
have been fighting for industrial
disease compensation for more than
Is years and although the National
Silicosis Conference held in Wash
ington, D. c., in February, 1887,
specifically recommended compensa-
ton for %silicosis. j. J. Carrigan re-
iterated the mystifying Health re-
sort" tactic of the Copper Company,
stating that ~"silicosis has been elm
mated from the Butte mines"
Sii:cOsis Deaths
Lars Carlson, representing the
small mine operators, stated that the
members of his association are not
opposed to such legislation, but want
certain equalizations for the smaller
operators so that they would not be
at handicap in comparison to the
big monopolies.
In his rebuttal, Norman LeFever
presented evidence of 207 deaths in
Butte from 1868 resulting direct
ly from silicosis or in which s~ilicosis
was a contributing factor. He then
invited the committee to visit the
Butte mines to 'see for themselves
the conditions under which the Butte
miners work"
Spiegel Scores
Sam Spiegel, member of the state
Legislature and Labor's Non-Partisan
League of Silver Bow county and
vice-chairman of the Montana Pro-
gressive Council, closed the hearing
in a brief, but masterful talk. "All
employers claim that their properties
are free of dust and consequently
there is no way for men to contract
the disease. This same assertion IS
undoubtedly being made by mine
owners in all states where legislation
of this sort is being proposed. Then
why are they fearful of the results
if this bill is enacted into law?" he
asked.
Certainly if there is no ~silicosis
Continued on Page A.