The people's voice., 1958-09-12


first general aid to education bill in
almost 100 years; strengthened our
defenses and at the same time i'm
proved social security, health and
welfare programs.
In some of these efforts, a Demo-
cratic Congress had the Republican
leadership which under our form of
government only the President can
exercise. When President Eisenhower
could, or would, lead, we followed
him. But there were times when he
either could not, or would not. When
he moved sometimes he reminded me
of the story of the man who jumped
on his horse and rode off in all di-
rections. When that happened, Con-
gress tried to throw a net over him
and bring him back.
At the beginning of the session,
the legislative machinery moved at
top speed to accelerate the Federal
aid highway program to create more
Jobs. An emergency housing measure
whipped through to stimulate home
construction and the employment that
goes with it. We called for acceler-
ated civilian and military construc-
tion programs. AS unemployment rose
to record highs, Congress passed leg
islation to permit the states to borrow
money to extend the payment of un-
employment compensation benefits
for an additional period I'll weeks
in Montana) of half the duration
provided by state law.
This latter represented victory
dictionary coalition in Congress
over our jobless workers. The pre-
ferable alternative would have
made outright grants to the states
for a flat Is more weeks. (The Mon
tana Unemployment Compensation
Commission continues to refuse to
activate even Ike's watered-down pro-
gram-although five thousand Mon
tana workers have exhausted all bene-
fits. Many of them are reported to
be in dire want.-EDITOR).
But the sharpest blow for Mon
tana's depressed mining industry was
the death on the House floor of our
Minerals Sterilization Bill. 1t would
have authorized federal stockpiling
of enough refined copper to take up
the surplus which hangs over the
market. paid domestic producers of
lead, zinc, tungsten and flourspar the
difference between what they got for
their production on the open market
and the agreed-upon fair price, and
provided incentive payments designed
to maintain small domestic produc-
ton of beryl chromite and columbi-
um-tantalum
In this fight. we had Administra
ton support. But the President didn't
carry much weight with members of
his own party in the House. Demo
Gratis voted with us 2-to-1, Republi-
cans voted against us 2-to-1.
This fight isn't over yet. We have
now called upon the President to use
the authority and the money he has
to take up the copper surplus, which
we will need within few years as
QO1n6SIlC Q6IudIlQ COnCllluCo W ohJ
rocket. We also have asked him to !
follow the recommendation Of the
Tariff Commission for relief of the
lead-zinc mining industry.
The 85th Congress ignored Presi-
dent Eisenhower's recommendation
that we cut federal aid for construc-
ton and operation of schools in areas
affected by federal activities. Instead,
Congress made the program perma-
nent for the children of those who
both live and work on federal prop
erty. And we extended for three
years the program for children whose
parents either live or work on fed
eral property.
Although in the process the scholar
ships contained in the original bill
were lost, Congress passed the De-
fense Education Act authorizing a
4-year 5000 million program of stu
dent loans, fellowships and other aid
to improve teaching of mathematics,
science and languages, to provide for
early discovery of the talents of our
boys and girls and subsequent guild
ance and counseling.
This was the first general aid to
lo.ry +ha Morrill, a Pt