The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1941-10-15
Address Of NJ. W. Thatcher, Chairman,
National F. L. Legislative Committee

/ lection, or advantage, so that the Ia
boring man, with his brother, in col
lective action could bargain with the
employer for better working condi-
lions, minimum wages, maximum
hours, sanitary conditions, etc.
Because of the laws passed by the
congress of the United States and
affirmed by the supreme court of the
United States, labor can walk out of
the coal mines, or the factories, or
the lighting plants, or away from the
railroads, and literally tie this nation
in a knot. 1t thus has the power,
given it by the government and sus-
tanned by the courts, to exact working
conditions, wages, etc., that labor, it.
SELF determines is right Labor no
longer has to ask any other group;
it tells the people what it's demands
are and what it insists upon and if
it doesn't get it, it will strike. Even
in this late hour of National Defense,
it has the courage and the confidence
to state what it wants and what it
must have. That's the very essence
of democracy.
Big business has always done that.
Through all the 100 years that labor
was fighting for it's rights, big bust
ness was literally in control of writ
ing the legislation of the land. 1t was
busy writing the laws, by whatever
force it used, which determined our
national economy To illustrate that:
Public utilities are guaranteed rates
for the service they render; railroads
are guaranteed rates for the service
they render; banking has it's support
in state and federal laws to. keep it's
control over the credit of the nation;
the medical association, the bar asso-
citation, all of the various associations,
through the power of law, discipline
called ethical practices and, thus, are
able to demand such fees as will give
their profession the standard of living
they deem proper.
The unorganized people pay the
railroad rate; they pay the gas rate;
they pay the electric rate; they pay
the dentist; they pay the DOCTOR they
pay everybody the price asked The
average common person can pay that
price or do without. These pressure
They make democracy If they
everyday their hands, they create de
pressions and as in the case of the
last depression, nearly destroy what
we call democracy
Because of the understanding atti-
tude of the President of the United
States, agriculture was given its birth
right in 1888, so far as it relates to
our national legislative economy With
the vigorous support of the President
Of the United tSates, many laws have
been written for the farmers of this
nation to protect the price structure
Of farm commodities. Regardless of
how we disagree as to the administra-
ton of these laws for farmers, or how
unfair the distribution may be as to
acreage allotments, ETC., the stark fact
stands out that farm prices were
brought up to level where most |
farmers can now make living. We /
give these illustrations to show the |
father, the mother and the children, |
in each of the homes that may be
listening to this broadcast, that their
future, their physical welfare, their
to enjoy reasonable |
fife. depend upon the laws written by |
he nation; that no matter how much |
he family works, it could still end |
n defeat if the national administra-
ion failed to protect that group of