The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1954-01-01

anu "SiS cage dlloLlHeHIS on wheat anC
the continued 80 per cent of parity
support price through 1854, instead
of support prices dropping to SO
per cent this year.
Rural hostility to Benson's two
price program on basic commodities
has caused him to reverse his position
on that program within the last week.
Also, congressional hearings held
throughout the nation this fall indi-
cate that Congressman the Admins
tratlon - will mastermind the farm
program for 1855 and 1856, and
that that program will be basically
little different than the present fed
eral program.
HIGHWAY FINANCING
Before and during the 1853 Leg
islature, THE VOICE carried great
amounts of factual material on high
way financing in Montana; now own
ers of cars and small trucks were
being forced to carry an unjust share
of our highway financing while heavy
truckers enjoyed favored tax status
practically unknown in any other
state
While the Legislature was in ses-
sion the publication urged the pass
age of the weight-mile truck tax leg
islation closely patterned after the
highly successful Oregon law, and
other sound highway revenue meas
ures which, had they been enacted,
would have brought in more than
three million dollars per year.
Despite the urgency for legislative
action to raise additional highway
funds, the legislature turned its head |
from all worthwhile revenue meas
ures and in sum total, added hardly a
dime of the millions of dollars of
new revenue needed to meet Mon
-ane's increasing highway needs.
Since the 33rd Assembly adjourn
ed, considerable other factual ma
,erial has been presented to help Mon
ana people solve the dilemma of an
Increasingly critical highway finan-
ing program.
-ABOR, WELFARE PROBLEMS
Mounting unemployment, the anti
abOr attitude of two of the three
members of the state Unemployment
compensation Commission, workmen's
compensation, Silicosis, the state fed
ration of labor convention, Taft
Hartley and the weakening of the U. ]
J. Department of Labor by the new
administration, received considerable !
'OICE coverage during 1853. Like {
use, back-to-the-dark ages welfare /
sgislation passed by the 1853 Leg s
stature did not go uncontested l
Ever since the new state admins c
'ation took over, the Unemployment 4
commission has been exercising t
)ugher and more restrictive policy t
'ward the states growing list of @
)bless. Article after article through v
ut the year pointed up how Chair
ian Wesley Castles and Member Nc a
lure of UCC are subverting the I'M /
nployment insurance program away il
ON its original purpose-helping e
lie unemployed to have at least a |,
,usistence income and thus not be- Il
ome public welfare charges. Only f
commission Member Al Root at all
mes has insisted on the laws in e
mt being upheld. r
Workmen's Compensation and Sill t;
isis came in for considerable COW t.
age during the legislature. Comp h
snefits were increased $500 per CT
eek by the legislature, as a price
lid, so it was said, by the company Sc
insurance against any more initia- IL
yes. Montana still ranks we'll in the il
wer half of the states on adequacy fl
Workmen's Comp. Silicosis pay al
ents from Public Welfare were in fl
eased by $40 per month, but the tt
,gislature continued to refuse to in
Ike any action to make Silicosis a
disease. Silicosis pay al
ents are now costing the state gen OF
al fund approximately one-half mil &C
n dollars per year. Today, Mon OF
ma is one of three states in which l!
icosis is not under Workmen's
mp. OF
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