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Show THE lobbyist to advise the law-makers*. Gus and Stan have been on the job with lavish entertainment and fulsome advice. ‘There are reports—impossible of immediate confirmation The Legislature (Continued from page 7) Legislature from a record-breaking all-time high for futility and incompetence. House Bill No. 1, by Cowles—now a law— will do much to protect the independence and integrity of future legislatures. A halt has been called on executive gifts of political pie to plant legislators. Under prevailing conditions that means a great deal. Of major importance is the move by both houses to survey the financial structure of the State between sessions in an effort to bring the spending of taxpayers’ money under legislative control. The joint budget committee should be a permanent affair, and should extend its activities to a study of general legislative needs. To date the old folks have been left out in the cold. The Sorenson bill to increase pension grants has so far been left in cold storage in the Senate ice box. About all that ean now be attended to is legislation on essential appropriations. Organized labor endorsed two measures, both of which will probably die in the Senate sifting committee, which has an anti-labor complexion. One bill proposed to increase death and disability compensation from $16 to $20 a week. The second bill contemplated an extension of unemployment benefits to 26 weeks. The Governor has not been the only expert “Two years ago Excellency proclaimed that he would fire any State official caught lobyying. But that was while the opposition held This year he seems to sic ’em on. the offices. His There has been much adverse comment over the lobbying activities of Ed Watson and other They seemed to take too literally key officials. the Governor’s advice to work for administration measures and support all nominations for office that require Senate confirmation. orsalesman—has Leonard Brennan—liquor ganized a formidable lobby in behalf of Jeanette Indeed, the lady is reported to have the Garner. strongest lobby in the State working for her conMuch of it comes from women’s orfirmation. ganizatons who apparently feel honored to have one of their sex a full-fledged Booze Commissioner. SEARCHLIGHT —that $50,000 has been spent in behalf labor bills and other predatory of anti- measures. A Correction ‘The Searchlight is in receipt of the following letter from Mr. W. J. O’Connor, manager of the American Smelting & Refining Company. The letter is self-explanatory. “Dear Mr. Jensen: “This refers to an article in your February 19 issue pertaining to the work at our Garfield Plant in getting out copper production. “We appreciate very much your laudatory article, but there is a misstatement in it that we should like to correct. Never at any time have men worked on our plant without being paid, and while Mr. Madill of the union did offer to try to recruit a crew of voluntary workers for Sunday work, in order to get the plant cleaned up, this was never done. “Therefore I should very much appreciate it if in your next issue you would insert a correction on this error. The Garfield are Union and the Production Committee cooperating with us one hundred per cent, and we think they are entitled to all the However, we praise you have given them. feel that it would put us in a very bad light we were working our men if people thought without paying them. (Signed) “W. J. OCONNOR.” The Searchlight received its information from the State Industrial Council—CIO, which had received a report, now known to be erroneous, that the Union proposal to recruit a voluntary Sunday crew had been carried through. We are glad to print the correction. However, the fact that the Union and its officials were willing to do voluntary Sunday work in the interest of greater production backs up the claim of this publication that Utah labor is highly responsive to war production needs, and is actuated by patriotic motives of a high order. |