Montana labor news., 1944-08-31

OUTLINES PLANS FOR
POST WAR PROGRESS
From Cascade County Trades and La
Dor Assembly Of Great Falls, Montana
to the Senate small business committee
Hon. James E. Murray, Chairman:
Low income families, chiefly workers,
buy 65 per cent Of all food products sold
on the American market by farmers and
manufacturers they spend n per cent
of all money paid for housing, including
electricity gas, coal furniture and other
costs Of house operation and furnishing
they buy 68 per cent of all passenger au-
tomobiles and IA per cent Of all other
consumer goods and services including
clothing, higher education, medical care,
motion pictures, radios, pleasure trips,
tobacco and car fares in normal times,
In view of these facts it must be obvious
that there is not or should not, be any
conflict Of purpose between organized
labor farmer and small business as rep
resented by private ownership.
For the purpose of distinguishing be-
tween small business and monopoly con-
troll we submit that small business is
that business which is privately owned
and controlled by individuals who have
complete control of that which they own.
thereby being obliged to accept the re-
sponsibility that goes with ownership as
compared to corporate monopoly control
wherein the directors frequently without
any ownership, direct and control the
policies of that which they do not own
without responsibility to workers, farm
ers, community, stockholders or govern
ment.
Recognizing the distinction between
the two types Of ownership we should be
qualified to direct our efforts into chan
nels that will encourage private owner
ship and discourage monopoly control
and their international cartels to this
end we submit the following brief out
line
Cd AS an aid to the development Of
the natural resources of Montana, all
potential hydroelectric power sites Of the
Missouri river and its tributaries should
be explored and developed by the organ
ization of a Missouri River Valley Au-
thority patterned after T. V. A. to pro-
vide a yardstick for cheap hydroelectic
power.
(2) Break monopoly control and the
controlled production of scarcity, by
amending the United States patent laws
to make available for production all pat
ented articles upon the payment Of
nominal royalty this in no way to affect
the copyright protection Of trade names,
etc.
80 Encourage and protect wage earn
ers' rights to organize and bargain col
lectively.
"a Encourage international trade re-
lataions that will raise the living stand
ards of the people Of the world; we must
be prepared to raise their living stand
ards by protecting them from exploita-
ton or having our living standards re-
duced to theirs.
80 Enact legislation to insure the
mass of low income citizens from fear
and want (Wagner-M -Dingell bill,
so that income and purchasing power
may be maintained to support small
business.
(6) In normal times SO per cent Of
our families and single persons have in
comes of less than So 100000 per year and
spend SO per cent of their incomes pur-
chasing more than IS per cent of all
goods and services produced; it follows
then that if our economy of private
ownership (small business) is to survive
our tax structure should be so designed
that it will strengthen rather than
weaken the consumer market.
co Study and research should be start
ed Immediately to determine what part
of the government-owned war plant and
equipment should be retained and op-
Grated by the government as a yard
stick in monopoly controlled industries,
these plants to be operated as co-opera-
tives by returning service men and
women.
(S) All surplus government owned
plants equipment property and supplies
should be appraised on the basis of re-
placement values and made available to
private ownership through the already
established government agencies, or a
central agency of the government set up
to distribute these surpluses direct to
the retailer or consumer, this not to pre-
clude the right of formers co-operatives
or consumes co-operatives buying direct
from the government. The main OBJ
jective of the agency disposing Of these
surpluses being to get these surpluses
into the hands of the users without Gre
ating additional wealth for brokers,
spectators and profiteers.
(9) All heavy equipment such as bull
dozers, laterneaus, cats, draglines, steam
shovels, blades and all types Of dirt
moving machinery should be made avail
able by simple transfer to the various
departments of government, such as
reclamation, agriculture, forestry or any
department. having use for this type of
equipment without transfer of funds, but
not to be resold by the acquiring agency.
ANY surplus Of this type of equipment
after satisfying the needs of the various
government agencies should then be
made available to the various political
subdivisions, state, county and munich
pal at a price based upon appraised re-