Montana labor news., 1945-01-11


armed bandits-the slot machine-preys
on the weakness Of women. and teaches
children vice. I think Ford was re-
elected by far more Women's votes than
mems. The men knew he was the choice
of permitted vice
It is vain for our Supreme Court to
decide against gambling and other forms
Of social vice. The executive is charged
with law enforcement.
There are other symptoms Of public
decay here: The Legislature is Repub-
lican. The Republican party often
serves a useful purpose-just as brakes
on an automobile, but the world is
changing. Forward is the watchword
Some men of liberal tendencies often
find themselves in that party-LaFol-
lette, Norris, Wilkie They are quickly
read out Of it. Good brakes will never
move a car. Since Taft was President,
not a liberal federal law has been enact
ed as a Republican measure. No sane
person has in recent years, thought of
our Legislature, Democrat or Republican,
as anything but a loud speaker for the
corporation lobbies.
Nationally the Republican party has
pernicious anaemia. It's total electoral
vote of four elections has not been a
majority of the college. Hoover got SO,
Landon 8, Wilkie 80, Dewey 99 making
248: necessary to elect 266 Despite
the fervent hopes of friends, highly paid
physicians, devoted nurses, the low
pulse, excitement over world events, the
patients age almost 9O3, former years
Of high living, dependency bordering
melancholia, lessen the chances Of re-
covery of the Grand Old Party Besides,
as with many aged ones, it refuses to
follow wise advice Of such friends as
Norris, LaFollette, Wilkie. In Montana,
to win, it welcomes the aid of B. K
Wheeler, who, the day before Pearl Har-
Dor. said in the Billings Gazette, I favor
settling our differences with Japan
around a peace table
Even our Jury system is breaking down.
In the federal court in Billings, the
learned Judge has sent case after case
against corporations to iuries. But in
20 years probably only one substantial
verdict there has been rendered against
a corporation In Butte the Anaconda
Company has undermined and destroyed
against express covenants not to iniure
surface Property, hundreds Of thou
sands Of dollars worth Of property One
case has been tried The verdict was
for the company. They pay for ruined
schools, dwellings, stores, churches what
their attorneys wish to pay-no more,
no less.
our clergy are breaking faith with COM
mon folks. Some years ago in Butte a
clergyman of a leading sect advertised
and preached a fulsome sermon that it
was the duty of every man to patronize
life insurance companies, q e, pay three
times what the article is worth)
There is no chance to break the cor
porate control of this colony by any
effort we can make. We cannot include
our educated, active young men and
women to stay here merely to make a
losing fight. We cannot curb the in
surance racket. Everybody knows that
the state would save SIS, 600 the year by
carrying no fire insurance or any other
kind. There are 1000 licensed insurance
agents here. They are in every chamber
of commerce. dinner club secret society,
church. They are a pressure group eA-
plotting the farmer the worker They
embrace Jury panels with propaganda
AGAINST Hugants seeking justice.
An epoch making decision was recent
Iv made by the u. S. Supreme Court
that insurance was in interstate COM
merce-that is to say, under the control
of the l. C. c.. as the railroad are. The
onlv chance to force the companies to
establish decent rates is in Washington,
not Helena.
our Governor prates about "states
rightsp The tunes led by him, and
chorused by our senior senator ana
utility employees, are composed in the
office of Electric Bond and Share the
holding company of Montana Power
and dozens Of others elsewhere. When
the Montana Power tried to seize every
water right on the Missouri from Black
Eagle dam to my ranch on the Big Hole,
Ford did not lift his voice in protest.
This water title is still open to our
state courts. If death should invade
our Supreme Court during Sam Fords
present term, the Broadwater farmers
will see a fine example of court packing
by Mr.. Teddy and Mr.. Weir.
The Montana Power, in its inaugural
address to the Legislature, opposes the
Missouri Valley Authority. The President
advises it, I am betting on the Presi-
dent.
For thirty years the Montana Power
has paid taxes on property value OF
about SO million dollars less than on
value for rate fixing The stupid voters
here scream like a stuck pig when the
federal authorities begin to squeeze out
the water
1 love the old state. My life will end
among its snowy mountains, among It's
splendid people. The only chance the
old rotten borough has is in the Mis-
souri, Valley Authority There are to be
eight Of these authorities. 1t is hardly
possible to erect them all at once Tt
will be a fantastic blunder if our people
do not try to get in to that show first.
Although she wasn't eavesdropping
songstress Helen Forrest of MISS every