The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1960-09-09

guarantee to posterity their rightful heritage.
5. The passage of an enabling act allowing
Montana to Participate in federal monies de-
rived from the sale of migratory bird stamps.
g. And we urge more realistic approach
by the Fish and Game Department in it's
relations with all segments of the states
economy.
State Institutions and Mental Health
We believe that funds must be made avail
able to hire trained personnel and to build
badly needed additional buildings at our
state Institutions
We favor enlarging the Home for the Aged
at Lewistown to care for aged citizens now
at Warm Springs.
Additional funds must be made available
for basic mental health research, which will
provide the ultimate answer to our mental
health problems. Mental health specialists
for preventive programs should be provided
as rapidly as possible to provide clinical
services, aid community organizations, and
provide orientation and education in the
area of mental health.
We express our gratitude to the personnel
of these programs for their devoted service
to the people of the state.
Indian Problems
We recognize that all American Indians
are citizens of the United States and of the
also that the federal government has a
unique legal and moral responsibility for
the Indians, founded in the Constitution and
spelled out in treaties, statutes and court
decisions.
We pledge our best efforts for the prompt
adoption of a generous federal program TO
assist Indian tribes in the full development
of their human and natural resources
through location of industry near Indian
reservations
We pledge that we will oppose termination
and altering treaty or other federal-Indian
contractual relationships without the free
consent of the Indian RIDES concerned.
We pledge vigorous efforts toward prompt
and expeditions settlement of Indian claims
against the United States, including nego-
tiations and compromise may be in the
best interests of both parties
We pledge support of the principles of
Tribal elf-Government and oppose all acts
of the Department of the Interior tending to
weaken, undermine interfere with these
principles These principles are well defined
in the Indian Reorganization Act.
We pledge ourselves to giving Indians
equality of treatment in the administration
of the State Welfare programs.
We are justly proud of the record of the
Democratic Party in defending the Indian
peoples rights.
Education
We reaffirm the belief of this Party that
all American children are entitled to an
equal educational opportunity, and that con-
sistent with our democratic ideals, the OBJ
jective of Montana schools should be to pro
vide training which will develop every childs
capabilities to the fullest extent.
In Montana the cost. of education is now
primarily borne by the property tax, which
is being forced higher by the rising cost of
education. The state has passed an increas-
ingly larger part of it's obligation on to the
local school districts by it's failure to raise
the foundation program adequately, and in
failing to appropriate sufficient funds to-
finance its share of the cost of schools. We
recommend an increase in the foundation
program schedule to a more realistic figure
and state appropriation which will provide
full state participation in this program.
In order to provide Montana children with
quality instruction, and recognizing the diff
ficulty encountered by many small isolated
Montana communities in attracting and re-
tanning quality teachers, we believe that at
tention should be given to creating more de-
sirable employment opportunities by provid-
ing for minimum sick leave and improved
retirement benefits for Montana teachers.
We believe that competent and we'll
trained teachers are essential to the welfare
of MOntana's children and recognizing that
after 1860 Montana will be one of the ten
states requiring less than four years of col
lege for minimum elementary certification,
we recommend that the requirements for
minimum certification of new teachers in
Montana be gradually increased until they
are more comparable with the requirements
of other states So that provide Mon
tana school children with minimum educa-