Montana labor news., 1939-06-22
kEENEy IX|NS TEST IN SUPREME COURT
Associated Industries Of FIaihei Again Active;
Unions Steadily Gaining DeSp..e Opposition

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KALISPELL.-The Associated In
dustries of Flathead, said to be carry
ing on under the pressure of a small
group of Kalispell business men who
are generally known for their high
handed business methods, has recent
ly made a few more concerted at
tempts to defeat the program of the
unions in Flathead county.
Bulletin No. l." which is reported
as being a joking by-word among
union members, has again made its
appearance, this time in printed
form Larry Devlin, former secre-
tary of the Associated Industries
whereabouts now unknown) was
the author of the first edition of
Bulletin No. l." So far as is known,
Bulletin No. 2 has never appeared
either under the regime Of Devlin
or as yet over the signature of one
Chris Hansen, former produce whole
sale manager for the Waybright Co.,
who now occupies the position SO
rather abruptly vacated by Devlin
some time ago.
It is reliably reported that activi-
ties of Hansen, as Associated Indus
tries secretary, have led from the
frying pan to the fire and back again
rather consistently, as his tactics
meet with one failure after another.
His attempts to influence various
groups against organization have
met with little or no success and
have proven quite embarrassing in
some cases, it is said. The recent
interest displayed in "behalf" of the
telephone operators at the Mountain
States Power Co. resulted in a good
ld-fashioned "bawling out" and a
request to tend to his own business"
all this at the hands Of the late
manager, H. M. Edmonds. His en-
deavors in behalf of Charlie Jellison,
reported renegade past president of
the Flathead Farmers Union, have
also proven fruitless, especially in
relation to the attempt to put the
pressure on the Shop-Rite Grocery
600 per cent union store) for re-
fusing to handle Jellison's unfair
products. Several union members
are backing the Shop-Rite in its fight
and arrangements have been com
pleted to cease business relations
with the Kalispell Wholesale Grocery
managed by George Chaffee, who is
widely known as an enemy of or
ganized labor and is the alleged
imam at the controls" behind Chris
Hansen and the Associated Indus
tries of Flathead.
Cooperation of the unions in af-
fairs of interest to the well being
of the general public are doing much
to break down the gross misrepre-
sentation put out by the Associated
Industries and it is generally con-
ceded that the unions in their en-
deavor to bring better conditions are
in a great measure responsible for
the recent shake-up at the Mountain
States Power Co. in which several
transfers took place, including Man
ager Edmonds, who, not withstand
ing more polite reports, wrote his
own ticket" back to the little town
of Dunsmuir, California.
The present trend of events in
Flathead county indicates that other
so-called prominent citizens are
slated for some uncomfortable ex-
posure if present methods of com
batting the rights of the working
people are continued.
The Central Trades and Labor
Council of Kalispell has guided a
program of organization that has
gained statewide commendation and
it is expected that its leadership will
be competent to carry on against
whatever odds may come. In this
work the Flathead Labor Journal,
semi-monthly publication Of the
central council, appears to be des-
tined to play prominent part in
future union activities and the circu-
lation is steadily climbing in all parts
of the state. Editing this creditable
little paper is Perry Melton, secre-
tary of the Central Trades and Labor
Council and who is perhaps the most
outstanding of several working
leaders in Flathead county's progress
toward complete organization.
Flathead county will be represent
ed at the convention of the State
Federation of Labor in Livingston by
several delegates, and it is reported
that a bid will be made by them to
have the 1910 convention held in
Kalispell at the new Carpenters hall.
The new hall, it is reported, will be
the finest in the state when com
pleted. Several features to enhance
the convenience and appearance of
the building are still to be added,
although it was dedicated and occu-
pied last December.
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