davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Montana labor news., 1944-01-27
ELECTRICIANS PAY
HONOR TO MEMBERS

one hundred and fifty members OF
Electricians local No. 65, employer rep
resentatives and friends honored 16 re-
tired members at an old Timers night
affair at the Carpenters hall Saturday
night.
Gold badges were awarded Frank
Shott, Lawrence Mulholland, John T
Hagerty, Allen D. Aiken, Harley Thur
man, Ed ]. Drout, Tom w. Robbins
Robert j. Crimson, Frank C%ochrane, vii
liam A. Hoskins, Fred Nesbitt, Edward
E. Teasie, Chris Springer, Neis Lindquisi
and Walter L. Lewis. A travelling bag
was presented to Neil Mcdonald. retiring
from active membership in the union.
The gift was in recognition of long years
of service to the union. The gold badge
awards marked 20 or more years assOcia-
ton with the union.
After a brief welcome by Kenneth
Mulholland, local president, Toastmaster
Leighton Gribble was introduced and the
following program presented: Tenor solo
by Master Billy Davis, boxing bout, Eli
Asid versus Patty Ray. recitation, Bill
Davis; boxing bout, Billy Hitchcock YER
sus Marvin Shea; recitation, George Ire
VIENNA; boxing bout, Bill Ozanne versus
Tom Redfern; piano solo, Elmer Clark.
Refreshments were served late in the
evening.
Plans for "Old Timers Night" enter
tainment, and serving Of refreshment
were in charge of Committeeman Ber-
nard Morrissey, chairman; Bill Conroy,
Walt erase, Dave Everett and Russell
Williams.
Montana labor news., 1944-01-27
ANACONDA COPPER
MPPED AGAIN FOR
.GYPPING u.s.. AT WAR

PROVIDENCE, R. I.-CFP)-The Ana
conda Wire & Gable Co. and -four of its
officials were convicted and sentenced by
a federal jury for conspiracy to defraud
the government through manufacture
and sale of defective field wire and
cable to the u. S. Army.
Indicted for ~defrauding the govern
ment of more than $1,OOO,OOO and OBJ
structing prosecution of the war, the
company got off with a $4,000 fine.
The four officials received terms Of a
year and a day to Is months, with the
possibility Of release for good behavior
in less than six months.
The company is a subsidiary of the
Anaconda Copper Mining Co., formerly
a Rockefeller holding and now swinging
toward the House of Morgan.
During the 5-week trial government
witnesses revealed the elaborate methods
by which Anaconda palmed off 20 mil
lion feet of faulty wire a month between
November 1910 and September 1912 to
the U. S. Signal corps for use at the
fighting front. Evidence showed that
officials deliberately labeled spoiled,
broken, water-logged or badly insulated
wire with tags %signifying it was satisfao-
tory and sent it to the armed forces.
The government charged Anaconda Of
ficials knew the plant was not equipped
to meet military specifications for field
wire but still proceeded to take the
profitable contracts at a time when
the danger Of attack by our enemies was
imminent"
To slip the wire past u. S. inspectors,
the company installed complicated cleo
trio devices to make it appear that the
wire stood up under the required voltage
while being tested, instead of being full
Of flaws. Special reels of good wire were
kept on hand to be run through other
tests when the inspectors appeared.
Faxed tags showing reels to contain per
feet wire We're placed on reels of defec-
tive material.
Imposing the sentences for this
Shameful and Infamous crime against
the country, Judge John P. Hartigan
said: Army field wire is just as essen
tial, in the opinion of this court, as good
rifles, good machine guns. good tanks,
good airplanes, for the effective defense
of this country or for the prosecution
of the war after Pearl Harbor. Yet in
spite Of all this, the evidence discloses
that this corporation set out from the
very beginning to scheme to get around
and defraud the United States"
In general, daily newspapers ignored
the story Of a company's sabotage Of
the war effort. Most metropolitan news
papers suppressed or buried accounts of
the trial. In New York, the only paper
to report the sentences was Pm.
Another Anaconda plant at Marion,
Ind, was indicted recently on similar
charges and let off with small fines.
This story was also played down in the
commercial press.
Montana labor news., 1944-01-27
LIVING COSTS Ia. n
BOW COUNTY

The retail cost of food increased 90
per cent in Butte in the month ending
December Is, compared with a decline Of
OIL per cent in food costs for the nation
as a whole, Edison H. Cramer, regional
price economist Of the Bureau of Labor
Statistics, reported in Denver today.
An increase of 90 per cent in the prices
of fresh fruits and vegetables in Butte
from m~id-November to mid-December,
brought about largely by marked in
creases in the prices of lettuce and car
rots, was more than offset by a decline
of Al per cent in egg prices.
The cost-of-food index for Butte as
of December Is stood at 1872 per cent
of the 1935-39 average, or o. per cent
above the previous month, "a per cent
above a year ago and 42.9 per cent above
the average for 1889, when Hitler
marched into Poland.
Montana labor news., 1944-01-27
WAR LABOR BOARD
TO HOLD HEARINGS
ON WAGE BRACKETS

A four-man panel of the Regional
War Labor Board will hold meetings in
Montana this week and next to review
wage brackets set by the board for vari-
Gus labor market areas in the state.
The panel, composed of j. Glenn DON
aldson Of Denver, public representative
and panel chairman, George I. Martin of
Butte, industry representative; Norman
Sloan of Helena, AFL representative, and
John Clark Of Great Falls, CLIO repre-
sentative, will discuss the current wage
brackets with management and labor at
joint meetings of the two groups.
Several reports have been made to the
regional board that wage brackets estab-
lished by the board for labor market
areas in the state are out Of line with
current wage scales. Claims have been
made, for example, that the COMMON
labor rate for Great Falls, set by the
board at 80 cents per hour, should be
revised upward to 80 cents per hour.
The panel will hold it's first meeting at
Butte at 1000 a. m. Friday in Patriotic
hall, Silver Bow county courthouse. On
Saturday the panel will meet at $3.50
a. M. in the council chambers of the
Civic Center building, Great Falls. At
10 a. m. Monday the panel will meet in
the third floor of the Chamber of Com
merce building, Billings.
Leading representatives of industry
and labor in Montana have been sent
notices of the various meetings together
with a copy of wage brackets set for
the state. If the panel finds that GER
tain wage brackets as established are not
in conformity with scales being paid, it
will recommend that the Regional WLB
revise the brackets.
Montana labor news., 1944-01-27
Falls Girl Winner of
MILESTONE Scholarship

Winner of the 500 Milestone scholar
ship in Journalism at Montana State
University is Marilyn J.. Hillstrand,
daughter of Mr.. and Mrs. Harry W. Hill
strand of 9219 1st avenue North, Great
Falls.
The announcement Of the winner
came last Tuesday evening at a special
journalism school convention. Dan
milestone, Cut Bank Pioneer Press, had
established the scholarship last summer.
Marilyn, a sophomore, is local adver-
Using manager for the Kaimin, univer-
sity newspaper, and is campus cores
pendent for the Great Falls Tribune. She
is a member Of the Delta Gamma sorority
and last summer was reporter for the
Great Falls Leader.
Montana labor news., 1944-01-27

Heaping defeat on defeat, it adds, is
the Senate finance committees new tax
bill which makes massive gestures Of
appeasement of entrenched corporate
wealth"
Notion that corporate taxes on profits
are borne by corporation owners is dis
PEELED by the outlook, which points out
that corporations pass taxes on to o
sumers by upping prices. E.
This is precisely what has happened
since 1889" it comments. Corporate
incomes have been increased faster than
] have taxes, with the ironic consequence
that the government, which is the main
consumer today, is paying the taxes
which it has charged corporations with
paying"
Real extent Of corporation profits has
been concealed from the public, it dis
closes, because corporations have pur-
sued a shrewd policy of keeping dividends
down to levels of the late 1905"
But this is deceptive" it says, for
only about half Of total profits have been
distributed as dividends in the past three
years. The balance total Of $40 bill
lion-has been retained for future shar-
ing. If the deficit companies are ehmi-
mated, the amount of undistributed
profits for 1931-1943 is SIS billion, or
twice the total profits after taxes in 1929
an dalmost four times those of 1889"
The outlook counters mdustrY's pet
complaint that current taxes are robbing
them Of postwar security with an esti-
mate Of big business actual postwar re-
serve, piled up mainly through friendly
government regulations:
Undistributed profits, 1941-44 S22 billion
Wal plants built out of profits
of war 5 billion
Postwar refunds from excess
profits taxes together with
Understandable percentages
of government plants avail
able for purchase l6 billion
Pool Of war taxes against
which refunds can be +,
claimed 26 billion
Quoting from Treasury department
study, the outlook says: with undis-
tributed profits five times the size Of
total profits in 1889 with refunds Of
excess profits taxes that equal 50 billion,
and with refunds available on war taxes,
corporations in the aggregate have
wartime incomes sufficient to absorb
most Of the conceivable postwar losses
in the first two years after the war"
The outlook concludes its analysis
with these words: ITO them that hath,
shall be given!'
Montana labor news., 1944-01-27
LABOR EXECUTIVE
BOARD SELECTS
CONVENTION site

The Montana Federation Of Labor will
hold its 1914 convention at Butte in
August, members of the executive board
decided Sunday at their regular winter
meeting held in Butte Transfers hall.
James D. Graham, federation president,
presided.
Highlighting the session was discus
sion of postwar planning, during which
the group surveyed possible methods of
employing returning servicemen and
persons displaced from war industries
and the possible formation of a new
political party in Montana. Further dis
cussion of the latter topic will await
selection of candidates by the major
political parties, President Graham said.
Other matters talked over at the meet
ing were the adoption of a national serv-
ice act, the labor situation at the state
institutions at Boulder and Warm
Springs and violations of labor laws in
Montana.
President Graham stated that atten-
ton was given to the possibility of hold
ing a labor institute in various cities
throughout the state. He said that the
executive board is much in favor of
having prominent authorities on subjects
Of worldwide scope come to Montana
to lecture before labor groups.
In addition to President Graham mem
beers of the executive board present for
the meeting were John H. Driscoll Of
Butte, vice president; George Yeager OF
Great Falls, Perry Melton Of Kalispell,
Frank Birmingham Of Butte, Joe Doran
of Anaconda, e. H. Helterbran Of Bill
lings, T. P. Taylor Of Bozeman and Sam
Rivin Of MissouIa.
Montana labor news., 1944-01-27
O'Connell and Fox
Set UP Office
for Tax Returns

Dan j. O'Connell and Tom Fox have
opened an office at $40 Phoenix build
ing, Butte, Mont, and will specialize in
the preparation of income tax returns
and the keeping of books for small bust
ness concerns. Both have had many
years experience in this kind Of work
and are now adequately prepared to rem
der competent service to the public. Mr..
O'Connell is very well known in labor
circles, having for a number Of years
been recording secretary Of the Bartend-
ers' Union.
Mr.. Fox and Mr.. O'Connell are pre-
pared to make out every type of tax
forms, including unemployment com
pensation, social security, Withholding
tax and annual income tax reports.
Montana labor news., 1944-01-27

shipyards, mills and fields will buy War
Bonds to the limit of their ability. I be-
lieve they will take every dollar above
the cost of living essentials and put them
in Bonds.
They will give up any extra recrea-
ton they might have and use that money
for Bonds. I believe they will make an
extra effort to buy an Extra Bond during
this drive-iust as they have worked
extra hours and accepted extra duties
beyond those they thought they could
reasonably bear.
The So million workers of this nation
have sent their sons and brothers into
the front lines and have dedicated them
selves to unremitting toll until the war
is won. Now, in the Fourth War Loan
Drive, labor will again prove its deep
faith in our cause-by purchasing more
than its share Of Bonds.
Montana labor news., 1944-01-27
STANLEY BABCOCK
ELECTED HEAD OF
BUTTE WAR DADS

Stanley Babcock, former president Of
the Butte Miners Union, was elected
president of Butte Chapter No. 1 of the
American Wan Dads, at a meeting held
by the organization last Monday eve
ming at Legion hall.
other officers elected included john
W. Forsgren, treasurer; Archie Coutts,
sergeant-at-arms and the following
six vice presidents: M. Tyvand, Oscar
Hills, John Crawford. Dave Kidd, Arthur
Lewalder and Fred Root.
Montana labor news., 1944-01-27
wan constructiOn prOgram.

The letter warned of "aggravation and
discomfort among the working people in
the building trades" but made clear that
while asking remedial action the de-
partment will continue to do everything
possible to help in the war effort"
The letter, signed by heads of the ALL
department, cited the failure of govern
ment agencies to abide by decisions of
the board of review set up under the
l941 agreement and whose findings were
supposed to be binding ON both parties.
Saying that the unions had lived up to
their bargain, the letter added that un-
less the agencies do likewise I'VE of labor
feel that we should not be obligated to
abide by the terms of this agreement"
Montana labor news., 1944-01-27
MARY ANDERSON
SAYS LABOR WILL
BUY EXTRA BONDS
By MARY ANDERSON
Director WOmen's Bureau Of
U. S. Department of Labor

War is more than victory one day and
setbacks another, a Bond Drive this
month and throw your money away the
next. It is a continuing struggle against
the enemy in tho field and those eco
nomic and social forces at home that
would destroy us.
1t is sacrifice and work and blood
every minute of every hour. This Bond
Drive is a part of that unrelenting bat
tie. American labor will see it through.
For these reasons I am convinced that
the men and women in factories,
Montana labor news., 1944-01-27
Fourth War Loan Goal of
25 Million Is ILGWU Aim

NEW YORK-FP)-Eyery member of
the International Ladies Garment Work
ers' Union CAFI) has been asked to buy
a $1OO war bond during the fourth war
loan drive. The general executive board
Of the union has set SOS, OOO,O 900 as its
national quota.
Montana labor news., 1944-01-27

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - (FP) Readers
of The Nashville Tennessean recently
have been flooding the papers cores
%pondence columns with letters denounc-
ing the anti-labor, anti-Rooseyelt bait
ings of Westbrook Pegler and praising
the policies of the President.
Montana labor news., 1944-01-27
AFL BUILDING TRADES CHARGE FEDERAL
BOARDS WITH BAD FAITH in WAGE RATES

WASHINGTON.-(FP)-lThe AFL Building & Con
struction Trades department in a letter to congressional
leaders charged government agencies with using N%sufter-
feat nSl of Wor i.r far s1'' beIoy q @se a ss1 standards aLr in
violation of the 1911 sterilization a. ~A covering the
war construction program. &h
Montana labor news., 1944-01-27
DON'T FORGET

10 attend the Presidents Birthday
Dance at the Masonic Temple,
Saturday evening, January 29th.
Let's help eradicate the dreadful
disease infantile paralysis.
Silver Bow chapter of the ma
tional foundation has lessened the
suffering and aided in the restora-
ton of many a helpless child.
Montana labor news., 1944-01-27
Butte Boys With
L,eatherneck Outfit

TWO Butte Marines are now serving
with a Leatherneck unit at Dutch Har-
Dor, Alaska.
Both privates, they are Leonard M
Backstrom, Jr., son Of Mr.. and Mrs
Leonard M. Backstrom, ST., 1905 Adams
street, and Robert j.. Mcdonald, son OF
Mr.. and Mrs. Daniel j.. Mcdonald, 8O3
Silver Bow Homes,
Private Backstrom was a fire cleaner
in the local engine house until his en-
listment.
Private Mcdonald attended high school
prior to joining the service in June, 1913.
Here is a most reliable guiding light
for the fog Of total warfare: Buy more
Montana labor news., 1944-01-27
Clio CHARGES GOVERNMENT UNABLE TO HOLD
PROFITS, PEOPLE Being GREATLY DECEIVED

WASHINGTON-lFP)--'Ih governments effort to
control profits and make corporations bear their share of
the cost of the war has failed, y asserts the CIO Economic
Outlook in its january issue.
Montana labor news., 1944-01-27

If we examine the bitter winter often
sive just launched against American
labor, we will find that there is much
cause for alarm but little reason for
surprise.
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-12-10
Obituaries
STARKEY E. WROTON

Funeral services for Starkey f.
Wroton. Sc, VINO died at IL p. m.
Wednesday in his home in Rocky
Point were held at his home Fri
day at 3 p. m. Burial was IN
the family cemetery
He is survived BY his widow, one
brother, Streets Wroton, of jack
sonville, one sister, Mrs. Joe Had
not, of Dover. five children, Mrs.
Pete Flake, Marion Wroton and
Lenard Wroton, of Rocky Point,
Woodrow Wroton, of Wilmington,
and S. E. Wroton, serving with
the Army in the Pacific theatre,
and seven grandchildren.
He was a member of the Rocky
Point Presbyterian church and of
King Solomon Lodge 1873.
Honorary pallbearers were lodge
brothers. Active pallbearers were
Wilbur Harris, Earnest White, Her
bert Reaves, J. W. James and
$, D. Harris, of Rocky Point.
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-12-10
AGENCY
RECOGNIZED HERE.
CONTINUED from Page One)


selective Service system, the War
Manpower commission and the Vet
erans' administration.
The Wilmington committee con-
sists of Peter A. Reavis, OF the
United States Employment Service.
Fred E. Little and Tom Keith, Sc
lective Service agents, Rev. ]. +.
Herbert, representing the City of
Wilmington, Marsden Bellamy, at
torney, delegated by the county
commissioners, George West, Of the
Board of Education. J. R. Hollis.
of the department of public well
fare, Norwood S. Westbrook, of the
American Legion, and Mrs. J. Carl
Seymour, of its auxiliary, Mrs. En-
ma D. Howell, of the American
Red Cross. Walter j. Cartier, of
the Chamber Of Commerce, Mrs.
Esther Sweeney, of the Travellers
Aid Society and United Service Or
CARNATIONS, and B. E. Davis, CT
the Industrial Union of Marine and
Shipbuilding Workers, Congress OF
Industrial Organizations.
Details of the plan developed by
the State Veterans Service com.
mittee. in which the Wilmington
committee will play a part AND
which has been sanctioned by Gov
]. Melville Broughton as chief state
postwar veterans program, viii
be circulated to member agencies
soon
Civic organizations anxious tt
join in veterans assistance work
may apply to the Wilmington com
mittee for membership.
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-12-10

"ociated themselves from respon-
sibility for the fighting.
"Our role" Askoutsis told the
Associated Press, has been one
of reconciliation and compromise.
lever, since Greek affairs have
been complicated, and wound up
in civil war. we have stated O.,
both sides that we cannot take
part in the strife. the results of
which would be disastrous for our
country.
1--WE are now striving as media
tors with view of finding some
possible means of gotiatins."
The former papandreous minis
ter said none OF the three ever
belonged to Fam but were part
of an action committee that was
formed in the mountains during
the German occupation.
The British found little open hos
tility outside Athens A British
military mission still is with ELIAS
Guerrllas at Lama, 100 miles
northwest of Athens on the road
to Salonika. Tw British trucks
drove from Salonika to Athens
past Elias strongholds without be.
ing fired upon.
British determination to disarm
the Guerrillas as bloodlessly as
possible was slowiro the task r.
clearing Athens, but yesterday
ground forces summoned war.
planes, which straffed ELIAS posi-
tons at the foot of the Acropolis
and hilltop positions around Pira'
Gus.
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-12-10
Liberals May Restore
Peace In Athens Soon
CONTINUED from Page Onel


in Greece, disclosed the augment
ing of the ELIAS forces (the armed
deta chments of the leftwing EAM),
The bulletin added that progress
is being made despite increased
hostile activity on the part OF the
rebel forces in the deliberate dem
clifton of an important bridge in
Pireaus," port of Athens.
Within Athens British troops en-
gagged in anti-sniper patrols found
their task difficult because a ma
iority of the snipers wore civilian
clothes. the communicate declared.
Shippers shot a British ambulance
driver assisting a wounded Greek
civilian and captured the ambu-
lance.
Launch Attacks
Yesterday in the eastern suburbs
of the city ELIAS units launched
attacks supported by heavy ma
chine gun and mortar fire, the
communique added. These were
repulsed by regular Greek for
nation.
The British used tanks and fire
from light naval craft to clear the
areas further south of Port Leon
tos, but were held up by strong
ELIAS positions in buildings and
on high ground, the bulletin said.
These were sprayed with machine
gun fire in low-level air attacks.
Today, as reports of dissension
and Cancellation flew as thick as
the bullets that punctuated the
progress of the fratricidal strug-
gle, these were the main develop
ments:
/. Three of the six leftist minis
tiers who resigned from Premier
George Papandreou cabinet told
the Associated Press they were
striving as mediators with view
of finding some possible means of
negotiations -
2. The liberal section of the
left-wing Fam party, headed by
Ilian Tsirimokos, former minister
of national economy also was I'M
derstood to be breaking away firm
Fam.
3. General Stephanos Seraphis
commander-in-chief of he ELIAS
the armed force of Fam which
rebelled against Papandreou, was
reported reliably to have sent
word to Major General R. M. SEQ
bic, British commander in Greece
that he was remaining under SEQ
bie's command. Seraphis' where
abouts have remained a mystery
4. At least 20 per cent of Athens
was cleared of the ELIAS, and i
was believed that no more thar
$50 still were sniping in unclear
ed sections of the city.
Demanding Withdrawal
5. Scobie was reported insisting
that the ELIAS quit the Attica Pen
insula, which includes Athens, a!
prelude to negotiations.
The mediators were former min
lister of transport Nicolas Askout
sis, former finance minister Alex
ander Svolos, and finance under
secretary Anghelopoulos, who dis
The Wilmington morning star., 1944-12-10
CHRISTMAS BOXES
ARE PACKED HERE

The first two dozen Christmas
boxes packed by church committee
volunteers for distribution to nos
nitalized servicemen in Camp Le'
ieune, Camp Davis and the Army
sir base drew approval yesterday
from Mrs. Ida Speiden, executive
secretary of the local American
Red Cross, agency organizing the
project. o4so,d
ing items found in the boxes Mrs;
sneiden said, indicating a small
assortment of match boxes Whlcn
Red Cross workers had extfactea
from the gift packages and plleo
on her desk. Some service hospitals
frown on the non-safety variety
1T matches as equipment for bed
patients. Nv The
Pod Cross to churches together
With suggested gift-lists, were
tastef1lly stocked and packed ana
correctly left unsealed for lnspec-
ton MRS. speiden indicated that
she expected similar results 1rolll
the church auxiliaries still TO De
heard from and from the volunteer
student packers at Winston ana
New Hanover High schools.
individuals may contribute elth-
Az Gifts or money to this cause
Mrs. speiden said, through the
churches or the Red Cross.
For the safety of the Red Cross
employees wo inspect the boxes, II
was requested that boxes contain
inc either sharp implements, sucn
&C knives or razor blades, or IN
flammables like matches be marx
ed as a precautlon.