The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1949-01-28
Report Of Legislative COordinating Committee

More than forty members of the legislature, labor,
farmer and veteran representatives and others at
tended the second meeting of the State Legislative
Co-ordinatng committee Monday evening, January
ID, at the vFW hall in Helena. William Pilgeram of
VFW, and committee chairman, presided.
Support of the conference voted for HB g.,
HB Sd, HB 62, HB LOG, and HB lot. Support was
also voted for bill be introduced this week. which,
if enacted, would make Silicosis compensate dis
under the Industrial Accident Board.
Discussion of the evening was led off with state
ment by Howard Goddard Init Mine-M representa-
tive, discussing the Silcosis report submitted by an
interim committee authorized by the Both Legislative
Assembly. Mr. Goddard stated that the report
essentially a "whtewash" and fraud and pointed
out that the Butte Miners Union executive board had
in strongest possible terms, denounced it in letters
to House Speaker Leo Graybill and Governor John
w. Bonner. (See Peoples Voice of January 21 for
further discussion of interim report
Following Mr. Goddard, Robert Brown, IUEIM&-
SW legislative representative explained the proposed
bill to make Silicosis compensate disease under In
dustria Accident Board and to increase monthly ben
efts. Discussion brought out that Silcosis; like Ar
senic poisoning, is definitely occupatona disease
is considered such by many states and that compensa
ton paid Sicotcs should be from levies the min
ing and smelling industry rather than the state gen
eral fund. Committee members were unanimous III
approving conference support of the proposed Sill
COSTS Please advise your legislators to sup
port this bill Not only will its passage give the victims
of this ncurable disease little better chance to meet
the cost of living, but also it will, if approved, place
the financial burden where it belongs instead of
tnuing it on Montana taxpayers generally
Fair Employment Practices
Most controversial measure of the evening was
H 81, the Fair Employment Practices proposal, by
Rep Trip (Yellowstone). While it brought out
that racial discrimination is not widespread in Mon
tana many other States various proponents of The
pointed out that Indians had been denied
certain kinds of employment because of race that
Catholics and those of several other denominations
had also been Disseminated against in parts of
the state because of their faith, etc. Sentiment of
great majority that there is no place in America
for discrimination, and although admitting there is
major job of education ahead, voted conference sup
port for HB g. Mote: Two excellent 16mm motion
Boundary Lines are available for local groups For
same please write the State Visual Library, State
Capitol Helena.)
Unemployment Compensation, Etc.
Three measures dealing with the security of work
ers HB 9, HB LOG and HB LOT, given approval
The first, by Burns (Flathead) would place
per cent tax against the wages of working to
tablsh fund for paying benefits to workers off the
job either because of illness disability not covered
by Workmens Compensation. California and Rhode
Island already have such laws and in both states they
have received general acceptance. Benefits would
approximate those paid under Unemployment Comp,
and would be handled through existing machinery of
the Unemployment Compensation Commission
HB 1O6 by Dusak (Cascade) ct al, would increase
Unemployment Comp. benefits to approximately 42
per cent of present average wage scales. When the
comp law first passed in 1887 in accordance with
federal standards, the intent that such benefits
should amount to approximately 60 per cent of the