Montana labor news. [volume], December 01, 1932, Page Page Four, Image 4

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

Image provided by: Montana Historical Society; Helena, MT

                
Fire, Bonds, Automobile, Life, Liability,
Accident and Health
SOUND, LOWER RATES
MILLER INSURANCE AGENCY
INSURANCE AND BONDS
127 WEST PARK ST.
TELEPHONE 5676
RED LODGE
CANNING CO.
RED LODGE, MONT.
Packers of
Montana's Finest
Peas and Beans
ASK YOUR LOCAL GROCER
FOR THEM
BUSINESS
NEEDS YOU!
r RAINED
If Yi
Are THOKOK.III.V
I N KOI,I, NOW
For Hie Fall Heme
Just Starting
«ter
Write for
Outlining
: :i
'counting
t h t*
10,000
log!
ses of over
ir graduates
11
d
of
Fully
14 fully
ntliniug o
[•credited courses.
Accredited
< ■
Both Day and Night
School C'lat
Kut dm Within
Ream
Butte Business College
RICE & SCOTT
Proprietors
A LEADING SCHOOL FOR 42 YEARS
ri>
[»WKley
Block
ttll
REPAIR NOW!
Lumber, shingles, wailboard
and paint are not costly at
present: in fact they are priced
to appeal to reduced incomes
—at
Hughes Lumber Co.
855 South Washington St.
Dial 3197
Necessary Repairs Made Now
Is True Economy
t
MERRILL MORTUARIES
»
"Scrvii
Above All"
i
213 NORTH MONTANA ST.
PHONE 3239
DALY-SHEA, Undcriakers
105 S. Idaho St.
Phone 3981
I
Meet Your Friends
AT THE
I
LOCKWOOD
34 West Broadway
Butte
I
Fountain Lunches
I
DINNERS
♦ »»»4 ♦♦♦ ♦♦♦♦♦♦
* SUMMERS BRAKE SERVICE :
112 EAST GALENA ST.
PHONE 3791
Guaranteed Re-Lining and
Adjusting
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦>
gAFEWAY STORE»
Operating Twenty-nine Retail Gro
cery Stores in the State of Montana
Office Phone 2-3243
J C. AMBROSETTI
WOOD AND COAL
Teaming and Contracting
Office: 675 S. Montana St. Botte
NOTARY PUBLIC
Charles F. Juttner, 116 N. Main St.
GRAND HOTEL
Newly Renovated
Strictly Modern
124 West Broadway
Butte, Montana
H. W. BOULTER. Prop.
CREAMERY CAFE
19 W. Broadway
Try Our Merchants Lunch
40 Cents
11 . M. to 8 P. M.
AGITATE
EDUCATE
ORGANIZE
Shorter Work Week and
Work Day Are Necessary
[Continued from Page One]
ment gathered figures showing ac
tual man hours worked in 26,000
firms, covering 103 industries," the
council said.
"The actual hours of work done
by the average employed worker was
41.1 per week. This figure covers
2,440,000 workers, or slightly over
one-tenth of all industrial wage and
salaried workers at work in May
in the United States.
Not Even 30 Hours' Work for All.
"Assuming that the Labor Depart
ment survey represents the situa
tion in industry generally, clearly
the actual amount of work to be
done in the United States will not
furnish employment for all who want
work at even 30 hours a week.
"In May, 1932, there were roughly
11,000,000 unemployed and 23,000,
000 wage and salaried workers at
work outside of agriculture.
"An average week of 41 hours
worked by 23,000,000 persons repre
sents a total of 943,000,000 man
hours' work to be done per week.
28 Hours Is Limit.
"If this work is to furnish em
ployment for all, the 34,000,000 who
want work will have less than 28
hours each per week. These are
rough figures, but they indicate the
problem we have to face.
"When this is the situation, is it
wise to run our industries on even a
41-hour schedule and keep 11,000,000
without work and without income?
"In some industries, hours still
average over 60 a week—oil pro
ducing and hotels—and hundreds of
individual plants employing thou
sands are working a CO-hour week
and more in other industries.
"To reduce these extremes would
create employment for thousands,
and this should be a first move. But
the 48 and even the 44-hour week
are outgrown schedules now, and we
must recognize that a change is es
sential."
Employers Refuse Shorter Hours.
Definitely placing the responsibility
for a large portion of our unemploy
ment squarely on those who own and
control industry by their refusal to
reduce the length of the work day
and work week in accordance with
the increased output of the workers
under the revolutionary amount of
labor displacing machinery intro
duced since 1919, the council de
clared ;
Large Increase in Output.
"In the period from 1919 to 1929
labor saving machinery and devices
made sweeping reductions in human
labor needed in industry, but work
hours were not adjusted. Factories
turned out 42 per cent more product
with 241,000 fewer workers; railroads
carried more freight, but dropped
362,000 workers; coal mines laid off
122,000; agriculture, 800,000.
"With industry operating at peak
activity in 1929, 2,400,000 were un
employed. In factories, work-time
needed for the same work was re
duced from 62 to 34 hours a week
by technical improvements in this
decade, but the actual work week
declined only from 62 to 50 hours.
"The average work week in all
industry was about 49 hours. If the
unemployed had been put to work
there would not have been over 46
hours a week for each worker.
Union Hour Standards.
"Trade union standards averaged
44.8 hours a week at that time.
Since 1929, depression has forced
still greater use of labor saving de
vices. The return of normal times
could not provide even 44 hours'
work a week for all now.
"The five-day, 40-hour week and
the six-hour day with a 36-hour
week represent standards applicable
to normal times at present. But in
the emergency of this fall and win
ter, hours must be reduced even
below this standard to provide work
for the unemployed and prevent star
vation."
There Is No Santa Claus
[Continued from Page One]
cott first started against certain
chain stores in Butte, it was re
ported on good authority that the
Relief Committee had promised these
merchants enough orders to compen
sate their loss through the boycott.
It is the plan of the Corporation and
its subsidiaries to use this fund to
destroy every working condition that
made Butte one of the best working
Hoover Police Army
Triumphs Over Children
•d from Page One]
of public buildings in the neighbor
hood of the executive mansion, or
boldly exposing itself to the peril
of the children's possible approach,
on the sidewalks. Motorcycle police
raced back and forth to outlying
stations, bringing news of the ad
vance of nearly 75 youngsters from
Baltimore. Shock troops on motor
cycles met the delegation at the
District line and escorted it to its
hall. From there, after lunch, the
cavalcade followed two taxicabs in
which six children and two adults—
Dr. Emil Conason and Miss Ger
trude Haessler of New York, social
worker—started to the White House,
carrying their petition for hunger
relief for the children of the desti
tute unemployed.
A crowd of possibly 2,000 sight
seers, drawn to the park opposite
the White House by advance pub
licity on the part of Police Super
intendent Brown as to the danger of
overthrow of public order, had wait
ed impatiently for an hour before
the taxicabs came in sight. Motor
cops were driving on either side, and
policemen afoot came rushing from
their hiding places. When the first
tr.xi tried to turn in at the gate of
the White House enclosure, a motor
cycle was run across its path, and
a dozen police grabbed Dr. Conason
as he jumped out. At first he was
cold he was not under arrest, but
when he announced that he had a
petition for Hoover and tried to walk
through the gate, he was pulled over
to a patrol box. ,
Miss Haessler, hearing Conason
protest in vain that he had a con-^
stitutional right to present a peti
tion, got out of the second taxi and
tried to come to his defense. Po
lice seized her. She fell on the
sidewalk and refused to get up. Po
lice picked her up and carried her
to the curb, to await the patrol
wagon. The six children got into
the wagon after the prisoner's, but
were taken out by the police, who
ordered them sent to a receiving
home. Miss Haessler pleaded that
she be not , separated from her
charges, and Mrs. Pauline Gipnick
took charge of them. The bluecoats,
however, were not satisfied with
this disposal of the dangerous 11
year-olds, three of whom were girls.
They arrested Mrs. Gipnick and sent
the children to the House of Deten
tion. A few hours later they re
leased them to the "misery march"
committee in order that they might
be returned to their homes.
Satisfied with a fine day's work,
the 160 police gradually calmed and
cooled down. The sightseers went
back to their dinners. The news
papermen got copies of the petition
from the committee, which directed
a return drive to Baltimore at night,
after a rally in their hall in the
Negro quarter. President Hoover
and his holiday guests inside the
big executive mansion were exultant
ly reported in the local papers to
have been "undisturbed" by the
"riot."
Next morning Miss Haessler and
Mrs. Gipnick were fined $10 each
and sentence was suspended, in po
lice court, on the charge of disorder
ly conduct. Dr. Conason was re
leased on $25 bail for later trial.
The Negro taxi driver, accused of
running past red lights while under
police escort, was held for trial Nov.
29. Three women and one man who
had been arrested the day before
Thanksgiving for soliciting contribu
tions for the "misery march" of the
children, were released on personal
bonds. Theodore Richards, Negro,
arrested on a disorderly charge dur
ing the scramble at the White House
gate, had still to be arraigned.
Police higher-ups disclosed that a
squad of 40 men had been secretly
practicing for more than a week
before Thanksgiving the hurling of
gas bombs and other tactics of mob
quelling. Other police branches had
been gathering data on the Com
munist-led hunger marchers now con
verging on the capital from the west
and northwest. This demonstration
by the children was looked upon as
a perilous forerunner of another in
vasion such as that of the National
Hunger March of one year ago—
when all went peacefully and not
even a marcher was arrested or
hurt.
But, unlike last year, President
Hoover is today the victim of a
haunting timidity. The 160 police
reflected his present state of mind
toward worker delegations.
towns in the United States.
The Corporation also lets it be
known by divers methods that if
wages are reduced they will be able
to employ more men on the hill.
This is another false promise, for
men will not be put to work on the
hill for the very simple reason that
there is no profit in copper. The
Anaconda Company has curtailed la
bor as much as 80 per cent in many i
of its Chilean camps. The cost of i
Union Will Deal With
Employers Individually
fuge One]
tools of the corporations, rather than
boards of arbitration, the unions
present at the meeting voted unani
mously to refuse to deal with any of
these associations in the future. The
unions prefer to deal with the indi
vidual employers in order that there
might be a closer spirit of harmony
between employer and employe. The
unions showed a sympathy for the
small business man, and they stated
that if they could be shown, con
clusively, that reductions in wages
and increased hours of employment
would make for better business con
ditions and relieve unemployment in
Butte they would gladly accept the
cuts and new terms. The secretary
of the Employers' Association admit
ted to a committee that this woul(J
not be the case and that such ac
ceptance would rather increase the
already depressing condition. This
was an admission that the sole pur
pose was to destroy unionism and
reduce the position of Butte workers
to that of peons.
UNION SOLIDARITY IS
AGREED UPON.
The solidarity of the labor move
ment was shown in the unanimous
vote of the meeting in declaring that
a place of business unfair to one
union would automatically become
unfair to ALL unions. It was fur
ther agreed that in case of such
united action, that no one group
would return to the job until all
unions were reinstated. It was
agreed that this was the only course
open to the workers if they were to
succeed in their struggle for sur
vival.
It was told that the Relief Chest
was being used as a tool for the
employers and would no doubt be
used to combat the unions in their
struggle for a living, or might we
say existence, wage. It was also ex
plained that this was being done
with funds given the relief committee
by the government, or in other words
government money was being used
to enslave free American citizens,
who believe in the constitutional
right of life, liberty and the pursuit
of happiness as well as the right of
the freedom to express their opinions
of exploiting, corporations. If this
use of relief money continues, the
matter will be taken up through
our senators and congressmen.
The meeting adjourned with this
pledge of solidarity, and the workers
left the hall, closer bound in fellow
ship than they have been for years.
I i »»U llimed fro
Butte Clerks Protest
Reduction in Wages
[Continued from Page One]
perpetual servitude. When the clerks
dealt directly with the employer, the
employer respected agreement" and a
gentleman's word meant something.
Under the present system a contract
is a scrap of paper and an unwrit
ten agreement is merely a means of
making no agreement.
Two years and three months ago
the clerks were promised that if the
Saturday holiday was straightened
out that the half-holiday in the sum
mer would never be taken away
from the clerks. The difficulty was
settled and the clerks felt assured
that they would at least have the
half-holiday during the summer
months. The contract presented by
the Employers' Association calls for
the abolition of the summer half
holiday and also Commercial day,
Columbus day and Washington's
birthday. This is not only a viola
tion of the gentleman's agreement
but means longer hours at less pay
when the economic world is talking
of a 39-hour work week.
PUBLIC SHOUUD BACK CLERKS.
It behooves the public, business
and professional men, as well as
workers to support the clerks in
this struggle. If the present wage
cuts go into effect it will reduce
the purchasing power of the Butte
public 20 per cent. With the pur
chasing power as low as it is, every
professional and business man will
be affected. If these workers are j
cut it will be only a matter of weeks
until every office worker in the city '
of Butte will be forced to take an- ;
other cut, as well as teachers and
other professional workers. Since |
producing this copper is about 7 |
cents per pound. If they can't make
a profit from 7-cent copper, how are !
they going to produce ore in Butte?
It is true that if they can bring the j
wage scale of Butte workers down j
to the level of the South American, I
they might be able to produce more
copper. The South American miner
is paid from 75 cents to $1.60 per 1
day. If Butte workers want to sink
to such a standard of living, all well
and good. If not, remember there
is no Santa Claus and help the or
ganized workers of Silver Bow county !
protest the use of government funds !
to force American citizens into a :
state of peonage.
Volstead Act Change
Asked at A. F. L. Meet
Page One]
council's report to the annual con
vention of the Federation here.
The council expressed the convic
tion that the amendment would not
only help temperance, but would also
provide work for thousands of the
jobless.
"Conventions of the American Fed
eration of Labor have repeatedly
declared the opposition of the Ameri
can Federation of Labor to the Vol
stead Act," the report declared.
"These conventions recommended that
the Volstead Act be amended so as to
provide for the manufacture of beer
containing 2.76 per cent alcohol by
weight.
"This action of the American Fed
eration of Labor can be properly in
terpreted as a genuine desire on the
part of the membership of the Amer
ican Federation of Labor to promote
the cause of temperance, and, in addi
tion, through the rehabilitation of
the brewing and related industries,
create work opportunities for thou
sands of idle people.
"During the recent session of Con
gress a number of measures were
introduced providing for modifica
tion of the Volstead Act. Unfor
tunately, no favorable vote was tak
en, but an increasing number of
members of Congress voted in favor
of a modification of the Volstead
Act.
[Cuntli
8d fl
"It must be clearly evident to all
classes of people that public opinion
has greatly changed upon this ques
tion.
One of the major political
parties incorporated in its platform
a declaration in favor of immediate
modification of the -Volstead Act.
"The indications are that favorable
action providing for a modification
of the Volstead Act as recommended
by the American Federation of La
bor will be taken at the short ses
sion of Congress which meets on |
December 6.
"All that has transpired in con
nection with this important social
question justifies the position as
sumed by the American Federation
of Labor in early demanding the
modification of the Volstead Act.
"It is the definite purpose of the
American Federation of Labor to
continue its efforts to bring about I
a modification of the Volstead Act
providing for the manufacture and
sale of wholesome beer containing
some of these have been cut as much
as 50 per cent already, a further
cut will mean the difference between
existence and starvation. This is
not merely a fight of union workers.
It is a fight of all manual and brain
workers and a fight of the indepen
dent merchant against huge corpora
tion and chain store encroachment.
The public has little to lose and
much to gain in this struggle, so
let it get behind the workers of
Silver Bow county, for there can
never be prosperity for Butte unless
the standards of the Silver Bow
workers are maintained.
m
Sam
Gompers
I
World Leader
CIGARS
6 c
Absolutely
UNION-MADE
Made by the
Union Cigar Factory,
Butte
P
L. S. Cohn
Distributor for the
State of Montana
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UNFAIR
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TO ORGANIZED LABOR
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INLAND PRODUCTS COMPANY
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Manufacturers of the Following Products:
Spitz Sandwich Spread
Thousand Island Dressings
Spitz Soda Fountain Syrups
Spitz Candied Cherrie
Soft Drinks
Nite Club Ginger Ale
Bohemian Club Beer
Acme Creme Beer
Inland Special Beer
i
Spitz Vinegar
Spitz Pickles
Spitz Sauerkraut
Spitz Apple Butter
Spitz .Icily
Spitz Catsup
Spitz Mincemeat
Spitz Mayonnaise
Spitz Extracts
s
*
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<< DO NOT PATRONIZE ►*
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Sees End of Capitalism
CHICAGO—(F.P.)—"The red light /
flashed on capitalist traffic in 1911 ,
with the Chinese revolution and has'
been gleaming ever since, through
the Balkan wars, the World war, the
Russian revolution, the various abor
tive European revolutions, the fight
ing in the near East, the struggle in
India, the war in Manchuria and the
world-wide capitalist depression,"
summed up Scott Nearing, radical
economist, speaking to an overflow
audience at Temple Sinai, Chicago.
"Capitalism is outworn like an
old pair of shoes," Nearing conclud
ed. "Instead of patching and repatch
ing we ought to throw it into the
ash can and get a new pair, manu
factured on Communist lines."
2.75 per cent alcohol by weight at
the earliest possible date.
"The executive council will present
an earnest appeal and a strong de
mand to the members of Congress
when the short session convenes on
Dec. 6 to pass the necessary legis
lation providing for a modification
of the Volstead Act without delay
and at the earliest possible date."
The
WINTER GARDEN
BALLROOM
NOW OPEN
. . . for Booking Your Socials
for the Coming Season.
Union Crafts and Fraternal
Societies should arrange for
their dates.
First Come—First Served
g
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1
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EATRE
PH OWE
2 4318
IF THE PICTURE'S GOOD
YOU WILL SEE IT AT
THE PARK
10c
20c
Independently Owned and
Operated
Parkway Luncheonette
LIGHT LUNCHES, DINNERS
ICE CREAM
Silex Coffee
58 WEST PARK STREET
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AAA I
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I for Christmas Cards see !
! OATES & ROBERTS !
; G'RINTERSI ;
! 120 East Broadway—-BUTTE !
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UNFAIR LIST OF
THE CENTRAL
COUNCIL
Grand Central Market, 117 East Park St.
Now York Bargain Store, 119 B. Park St
Yellowstone Garage.
AH A Hen-A Products.
The Eaton Metal Products Co., of Billings
—By the Cascade Trades and Labor As
sembly.
Hennlngson Engineering Co., of Omaha,
Neb.
Majestic Radio and Household Appliances.
Flour and products of Royal Milling
., by Great Falls Central Council.
Beauty Shop-Mrs. R. R. Barrett, 1873
Garrison Avenue.
Beauty Shop—Mrs. Chas. J. Duffy, 1805
Garrison Avenue.
Lewis Beauty School,
MeCarroll Beauty School,
Mabel MacDonald and Beauty Shop, 20«
West Second St.
Beauty Shop.
Eclipse Stores.
Whitehouse Market, 134 West
Mr. Burr, handyman.
Crystal Cleaners. 233 East Park St.
Elite Cleaners, 423 S. Main St.
Chas. Jarveln, 402 East Broadway.
Mrs. Bowman, 315 S. Washington.
Nord berg-Rowe Eng
Montana St.
. Sophie Doyle, 0 West Mercury.
Fills
1'urk St.
'•'■ring Co., 1008 S.
«
... „ „ ' F.V I IS IIAltitEK siloes
o Arizona, a S, Arizona.
S'il 1 "■ 343 b. Arizona, nos. Arizona.
58 E. Galena. 425 E. I
8 E. Park.
k (Barber College).
». Wldelcheff, «21 S. Arizona.
rk.
551 S. Arizona.
IÜ1 S. Arizona.
204 E. I
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