Montana labor news. [volume], September 15, 1932, Image 1

About Montana labor news. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 19??-1951

Image provided by: Montana Historical Society; Helena, MT

                
Published By the Silver Bow Trades and Labor Council—Weekly—In the Interest»a^ff^agiized JLabor
Mlontdiid Labor News "
may not be sub W ^ W W WW
ject to perils of discontent.
»t •
(vy
There can be no prosperity
without justly high wages.
Earnings of working people
are the basis and index of
progress in any community.
OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE MONTANA STATE FEDERATION OF LABOR
vvy
vvy
Vol. VIII.
BUTTE, MONTANA, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 1932.
No. 27
LABOR ENTITLED TO SAME RIGHTS AS PROPERTY
STOCKS BOOM
AS JOBS SHOW
DOWN TREND
U. S. STEEL COMMON HAS MORE
THAN DOUBLED IN WALL ST.
WHILE PRODUCTION REACHES
LOWEST RATE IN HISTORY.
NEW YORK— (F.P.)— 1 The stock
market continues to boom and pro
duction continues to fall, so that all
industry is somewhat like steel, where
the price of U. S. Steel common has
more than doubled in Wall Street
while production has reached the
lowest rote in history.
U. S. Steel stock got down to
$21.26 and has boomed back to
$52.60 a share.
But steel ingot
production during August was at
the rate of 14.26 per cent of capacity,
the lowest rate on record. Because of
more working days in August than
in July there was a slight increase
in tonnage but the rate continued
the drop which has been steady for
three
Pig iron production
also fell to a new low and there
years.
were just a fifth as many furnaces
in operation as there were in 1929.
August pig iron tonnage for the last
three years has been: 1930, 2,526,500;
1931, 1,280,626; 1932, 630,676.
During early September steel pro
duction increased slightly, getting
to about 14% per cent of capacity.
But no figures have been shown
which justify the increase of prac
tically 150 per cent in the stock
price.
The Labor Bureau in its Pacts for
Workers, points out that what is
here shown to be true in steel is
also true generally, it says, in part:
"For some time now the country
lias been flooded with reports of
plants that have reopened or that
have increased their working forces.
Through July at least, this expansion
movement finds no confirmation in
the general statistics of industry.
Obviously therefore, while some
plants may have expanded opera
tions and added workers, more must
have contracted their activities and
laid off employes, with the result
(Continued on Page Four)
'U
Thomas Assails Labor
Record of Roosevelt in
Chicago Radio Speech
CHICAGO—(F.P.)—The labor rec
ord of Franklin D. Roosevelt as
governor of New York was criticized
by Norman Thomas, Socialist can
didate for president, in an address
broadcast over station WCFL, owned
by the Chicago Federation of Labor.
said the So
"Hoover's record,'
eiaiist candidate, "is well known and
generally disapproved by workers.
Many of them are so busy hating
him that they swallow Roosevelt on
faith. I have nothing but respect
for Roosevelt as a gentleman. But
against him as a leader and governor
of New York I bring these charges;
"As governor of New York he did
not make any attempt to correct the
Wall Street abuses which he now
condemns; though he now speaks
for a shorter work week, he has
done nothing to change the condition
existing in the state of 200,000 work
ers who labor seven days a week;
he has refused to call a necessary
special session of the state legisla
ture to deal with unemployment;
and despite his professed belief in
regulation of public utilities he has
permitted the New York utilities to
raise rates without making any ef
fective fight in opposition."
"
MINERS DETERMINED TO MARCH
INTO FRANKLIN COUNTY AGAIN
SPRINGFIELD, ILL. — (F. P.) —
Striking miners are counting their
casualties after the bloody Franklin
county ambush, where at least 14
of their number were wounded by
machine gun fire and a hundred
beaten by clubs and rifle butts in
the hands of 500 deputized gunmen.
The marching miners feel sure
that several of their number were
killed in the racking fire which
suddenly burst upon them as their
procession of motor cars, 14 miles
long, came to a sudden turn of the
1
TAXPAYERS FAVOR
INDEPENDENT TICKET
MEETING OF REPRESENTATIVE
TAXPAYERS OF STATE WILL
NAME THIRD PARTY TICKET
Pursuant to call, the Taxpayers' League of Montana '
met at the Park hotel in Great Falls Saturday morning
and was in session all day and part of that evening. Many
prominent independent citizens were in attendance, and
the general economic and political conditions of the state
were thoroughly and ably discussed.
A committee on platform was ap
pointed: Attorney Rockwood Bown
of Billings; Attorney W. J. Paul of
Deer Lodge; Attorney W. B. Sands,
Chinook; J. T. Kelly, president of
the Montana Farmers Union; former
Lt. Gov. W. S. McCormick, president
of the State Farm Bureau; Attorney
C. F. Morris of Havre, and Attorney
Ronald Higgins of Missoula.
The meeting favored the putting
of an independent state ticket in
the field, but there was some ques
tion as to the proper manner of do
ing this, and the matter was referred
to the executive committee of the
League, with power to act and call
another convention if it was deemed
advisable. There was some little
opposition to naming an independent
ticket; with those in the "know" it
was recognized that it came from
some who are generally believed to
do some odd jobs politically for the
special interests. There was a strong
feeling among those attending and
there is quite generally throughout
the state, that an independent ticket
would be successful in the election.
The platform adopted embraced
in part the following:
A resolution demanding a substan
tial reduction in the charges for
electricity, telephones and natural
gas, and demanding that the same
valuation be used for assessment
and rate-making purposes for public
utility corporations.
Also, one favors the enactment of
an income tax law to replace the
present property tax; license taxes
for hydro-electric power, natural gas,
telephones and telegraph; fixing the
legal rate of interest at 8 per cent;
reduction of taxable value of real
estate from 30 per cent to 16 per
cent; extension of the present three
years to five years as the period
in which property may be subject to
tax deeds, and an amendment to
the constitution permitting munici
palities to engage in retail sales of
gasoline, motor oils and in the op
eration of light, heat and power
plants.
On motion made by Hon. W. S.
McCormick of Kalispell, the conven
tion voted that a demand be made on
the attorney general that he take
necessary and appropriate legal ac
tion to prevent the fixing by agree
ment between oil companies of the
price to be charged to consumers
for gasoline and motor oils. It was
also agreed that the railroad com
mission be required to institute ac
tion for a reduction of intrastate
freight rates, the tariff schedules in
Montana being exorbitant and unjus
tified.
Want Independent Candidates.
Dissatisfaction with many of the
candidates for state offices nom
inated by the major parties in the
(Continued on Page Four)
road where machine guns were post
ed every six feet. Men and women
slumped down to the floor of their
cars, others fled into the fields. The
road soon became a jammed mass
of glass-shattered autos, bleeding
miners, raving deputies who slugged
at every fleeing figure. Autos were
tipped over into the ditch, and many
set in flames. Miners who came
back to reclaim their machines were
beaten savagely. Scores of men and
women, wounded or clubbed, were
(Continued on Pag* Four)
CONDITIONS AT
HOOVER DAM
HELD UNFAIR
LAS VEGAS CENTRAL LABOR
UNION INDICTS "SIX COM
PANIES" FOR LOW WAGES,
LONG HOURS, HIGH CHARGES.
LAS VEGAS, NEV.—The Building
Trades Committee of the Central La
bor Union of Clark county presented
a stinging indictment of the anti
labor practices applied by the Six
Companies and sub-contractors in
the construction work on Hoover
dam to the U. S. senate committee
on irrigation and reclamation which
investigated work conditions on th
ing government irrigation project.
"Labor at Hoover dam has no voice
in the settling of wages, hours of
labor, working conditions, safety, or
living conditions," declared the Build
ing Trades Committee's brief.
Exempt From Wage Rate Law.
"Last year local labor unions at
tempted to have the Baeon-Davis
prevailing wage law apply to the
Boulder canyon project and Boulder
City.
"An investigation by the concilia
tion division of the U. S. department
of labor found that the Baeon-Davis
Act did not become a law until two
days after the Six Companies had
signed the contract. It was also
held that government reservations
are not covered by the prevailing
rate of wage law.
"The result of these two findings
was a general lowering of wages
and working conditions.
"An arbitrary scale of wages was
imposed on skilled mechanics 25 to
50 per cent lower than the prevail
(Continued on Page Four)
TIMELY AND UNTIMELY OBSERVATIONS
(By ADAM COALDIGGER.)
Junkers and Bankers
It's been some time since I've tried
to settle the troubles of the world
at large. I say "tried" advisedly,
because all the good advice I ever
gave to the world was ail for the
cat. Just the same, if the world
had listened to me instead of the
damphools who've been running it
in the last thirty years, the world
would be a heap better off.
A fine example of the dehorned
cattle to whom an irresponsible prov
idence has entrusted the destiny of
mankind is just now given by Ger
many. After the war, the kulturvolk
had a golden opportunity of getting
rid of its junkers. Ropes were still
plentiful, and but few of the trees
had been sawed down during the hos
tilities. So if eventually, why not
now? But "Ruhe ist des Burgers
erste Pflicht" (tranquility is the
first duty of the citizen), as Lands
man Schiller says. Hence, instead
of elevating these junkers in the
only proper manner, and declaring
their estates state property, they
left them securely at said estates,
with the result that the junkers are
back on the job. I
The present headpiece of the most
brainless outfit that ever governed
a country is von Papen. Just what
kind of an intellect is concealed in
♦—
Labor Radio Program
Presented oved a nation-wide
network of the Columbia Broad
casting System, Sundays, 1:00
1:30, beginning Sept. 4, 1932.
Sunday, Sept. 18—Technological
Unemployment, James Maloney,
president, Glass Bottle Blowers
association.
Sunday, Sept. 26—Labor and
International Relations, Daniel To
bin, president International
Brotherhood of Teamsters.
Sunday, Oct. 2—L a b o r and
News, Chester Wright, editor In
ternational Labor News Service.
Sunday, Oct. 9—Collective Bar
gaining, Charles P. Howard, pres
ident International Typographical
union.
Sunday, Oct. 16.—Labor and Ju
dicial Reform, James Wilson,
president Pattern Makers League
of North America.
Sunday, Oct. 23—Labor and Im
migration, Thomas Flaherty, sec
retary National Federation of
Post Office Clerks.
Sunday, Oct. 30—Labor and the
Negro, Philip Randolph, president
Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Por
ters.
Sunday, Nov. 6—Labor Legis
lation, Paul Scharrenberg, secre
tary California State Federation
of Labor.
Each address will be followed
by a question period under the di
rection of Spencer Miller, Jr., sec
retary of the Workers Education
Bureau of America.
Time of broadcasts — Eastern
standard time.
Labor Prisoner Held
for Murder "Framed"'
On Sept. 26, 1922, a scab was killed
in the railroad shop crafts strike in
San Francisco. Two labor militants,
John J. Cornelison and Claude Mer
ritt, were arrested a month later,
charged with the murder. Both were
known enemies of the bosses. Both
had been active on the picket lines
in the shipyards strike of 1919-20.
Cornelison is still in the Califor
nia state prison at San Quentin,
where Tom Mooney has been kept
for so many years. He is in for
life, framed for murder.
that personality was proven when,
as the chief of the German spy sys
tem in the United States, he car
ried trunk loads of "ultra"-confiden
tial correspondence around with him.
Yes, believe it or not, he even took a
few tons of that confidential litera
ture on the English steamer on
which he had received permission to
travel hack to Germany after hav
ing been ousted by Washington.
The English, of course, went through
von Papen's bales of confidential
papers, ard what they mined out
of them was a-plenty.
Now Papen is chancellor of the
German republic, and as such the
head of the government of which
Junker Paul Hindenburg is the fig
urehead.
'Ls foreign trade was intensified by
Versailles peace treaty (God save
the mark) which robbed Germany of
its co.onies and of great stretches
of territory containing such import
ant raw materials as coal and iron.
Like the troubles of the world at
large, so also those of Germany are
economic. Unable to feed sixty-four
million people on a piece of real
estate considerably smaller than
Texas, Germany was compellel to
export large quantities of manufac
tured goods in exchange for food
and raw material. The necessity of
(Continued on Page Four)
JAMES MAURER SAYS CONDITIONS
OF WORKERS A DISGRACE
ACCUSES MAJOR POLITICAL PARTIES OF
INCREASING UNEMPLOYMENT
"Every man has a right to a living for himself and his
family. If he is not allowed to earn it, he has a right to
it anyway.
"When we Socialists are asked what we want to do
about the ten or twelve million people who have not been
permitted to earn a living, our first answer is that we
want to feed and clothe and house them,
society that has unemployed them by permitting this
crazy economic system to continue, it is society that
should pay the bill. That means the government, and
since the load of unemployment relief is too big for the
local governments, the federal government will have to
help. If it could lay out ten times that much to get us
killed in a rich man's war, we don't think that five billion
dollars is too much to keep us alive
Since it is
now.
"The next thing we want to do is'*
to put some punch in this talk about
public works. The Republocrats have
talked a lot about public works, but
as a matter of fact if you take fed
eral, state, and local governments all
together, they have been cutting
down their improvement programs
drastically during this depression,
just like private capitalists.
"Most of our working families live
in houses that are positively indecent
in a rich country like this. You can't
talk about public works and mean it
without talking about clearing these
cities of their disease-breeding slums,
and building decent homes for work
ing people as they have done in
Socialist Vienna and as they are
doing in Russia. If private business
won't employ people at a good wage,
it is the duty of the government to
expand business to give them em
ployment. We can build roads and
we can plant new forests, but the
biggest business that we can build
the quickest is the housing business.
It will give jobs to the largest num
ber of people, in which private cap
italism has failed the worst. We
want Congress to appropriate five
billion dollars for such public works
"When the hungry are being fed
and while the public works program
is under way, we Socialists want to
get a nation-wide system of unem
ployment compensation into opera
tion.
"Corporations protect property in
comes by piling up reserves out of
which dividends and interest are paid
even when the machinery stands idle.
We want our economic system as a
whole to protect labor incomes in
the same way. It will take away
some of the protection of the prop
erty incomes, but we don't mind
that; we think that labor incomes
are more important.
"Since working people don't get the
full product of their labor anyhow,
the cost of this unemployment com
pensation should be borne not by
the workers but by the employers
and by the government. The gov
ernment's share should be raised
from income and inheritance taxes,
not just as a means of meeting the
hill hut deliberately in order to re
duce the inequality between the rich
and the poor.
"Those are the three main answers
to the question of what the Socialist
party would do immediately about
unemployment, but we also think
that now would be a good time to
reduce the number of unemployed
by securing the six-hour day and
the five-day week without a reduc
tion in wages, by abolishing child
labor, and by taking all the workers
(Continued on Page Four)
TREATMENT OF AMERICAN
WOMAN WORKER DESCRIBED
(By Federated Press)
"Two out of every nine persons
on paid jobs in the United States
are women. And two out of every
nine women in the population now
work for a living," writes Grace
Hutchins, author of Labor and Silk
and an officer of the Labor Re
search Association, in a pamphlet,
"Women Who Work," just issued
by International Pamphlets as No.
27 in its scries.
This new pamphlet, a companion
pamphlet of the author's "Youth in
-
Socialists of Butte
Name Candidates
For the Legislature
The Socialist party of Butte and
Silver Bow county held an enthusi
astic meeting at their headquarters
in the old Peoples church on Harri
son avenue last Wednesday, Sept. 7.
The meeting was called by E. K.
Duncan, chairman of the County
Central Committee, as a county con
vention for the,-nomination of county
candidates in the coming general
election. This action has been under
discussion for some time and it
decided that the Socialist party would
not attempt at this time to enter
the popularity contest for county of
fices, but would confine their at
tention to the election of a legisla
tive ticket.
The finances and general condition
of the state are getting in such shape
that it is time that some group in
terested in the general social wel
fare took hold and straightened
things out. The Socialist party and
(Continued on Page Four)
was
Striking Farmers of
Iowa and Nebraska
Adopt Program
SIOUX CITY—(F.P.)—The strik
ing farmers of Iowa and Nebraska
not only carried on their fight after
the leaders had called for a truce
pending a meeting of midwestern
governors which will change the
farm picture if it is put over.
Not ^only do the farmers want an
embargo on the shipment of farm
products which are to be sold below
the cost of production. They also
want government action along the
lines approved by the U. S. House
of Representatives last spring by
which deflation and hoarding will
be offset by an increase in the
amount of currency till 1926 prices
are achieved.
Meanwhile the farmers want a
two-year moratorium on all mort
gages and real estate loans, a two
year extension of the redemption
right on any mortgages already fore
closed, a three-year moratorium on
federal seed and feed loans.
That the farmers are ready to
fight the sheriffs and their deputies
to gain the right to exist has been
made abundantly clear by several
scraps put up on the picket lines.
Armed deputies, facing unfrightened
farmers near Sioux City, laid down
their arms and the sheriff suggested
that the scab trucks go back home.
They went.
Industry," tells briefly—in 32 pages
—but with the latest authoritative
figures, the story of the treatment
of the woman worker in American
offices, homes and factories. It de
scribes under separate headings the
Negro women workers, the women
in war industries, the firing of the
women, "old at 30," the current dis
crimination against married women—
all the more flagrant during the
crisis—and the long hours permitted
in many states despite the present
(Continued on Page Four)