St. Paul daily globe., 1885-03-07
MONTANA COPPER MINES.
Meeting Held in st. Paul to Consider the
Adyisability Of Lowering Miners
Wanac


Trouble has been experienced of late in
the Butte copper mines of Montana, in re-
gard to the wages paid furnace men and
laoorers. 4 reduction was made in their
pay but the miners would not hear of it, and
the old wages were restored. To see what
was best to be done and make future ar
rangemeuts, Mr.. A. Lewisohn. president,
and Mr.. s. Raunheim, vice president, Of
the Montana Copper company arrived
in the city yesterday from New York and had
a meeting with their Montana general man
ager, NJ J. Mayer. Nothing was decided on,
but they think favorably of opening some
more mines in the territory providing salts
factory arrangements can be made in regard
to wages.
Mr.. Raunheim, when interviewed by a
GLOBE reporter said: ''In 1879 and 1880,
when the Butte mines were first opened, the
Northern Pacific road was not completed
within distance Of 2S0 miles
from the mines, and all the merchandise and
neeessaries for mining camp bad to be
carted from the terminus of the Northern
Pacific bv OK and cart to Butte at great ex-
pense. Everything at that time was high,
and
THE WAGES OF THE woRKMEN
had to be according. Good prices were paid
for copper, and there was big demand in
the market for it, which equaIized every
thing, making the mines quite valuable to
us - After the Northern Pacific was completed
everything of daily need was lessened con-
siderably In price. Furnace men were re-
ceiving $3.50 per Dag aud mining men S3.5O
per day for ten hours work, and paid IS per
week for their board, but as the price of
everything was lessened, they could afford to
work for much less, and lately We made
proposition TO the managers OF other mines
TO reduce wages ID per cent, which they all
agreed to except the Anaconda mine mana
ger, who would not join US in the action.
.sOf course, unless the reduction was gen.
erai we could not do anything about it but
keep on paying the old wages. In the last
year or two the price OF copper has fallen
from 24JS cents to l015 cents. or course
we could shut down our mines, but If the
price of copper falls to 81 cents the Butte
mines will nave to ne shut down, for there is
no help for Butte unless gen
eral reduction in wages is made.
We have about 225 men employed aud keep
IL caleiniug furnaces, blast furnace and
concentrating mills iu operation.
GIN FREIGHT CHARGES
We have nothing to omplain Of; don't
think the Northern Pacific company could
possibly make reduction in their rates, for
taey are as low now as they possibly could
ne to par profit 70 the company.
ID. MI tod eho
Union Pacific bad monopoly.
and they knew it. and charged
exsrhitant rates. and as long as they had
the power thsv tucked it oD. The present
anomalous condition Of the copper market is
due to the rnisnanagemento on the part Of the
largest copper producers in this country. aud
extends Itself also to the European markets.
Mr. Raunheim makes g statement Of the
production in the United States for 1888 Of
liz. 900. 600 pounds and 40. 900, 900 in 1884.
an increase OF 20 rer cent. and be estimates
tnsi the production for 1855 will amount TO
I5s. .oU0, 900 pounds. an increase OF "a per
cent
TIE HOME CoSsCMPTIoS
10 1888 was 71.e00.O 900 pounds against
20, oo1. 900 pounds sent to Europe In 1884
the be1ne roasgm ptiou was 10000, 600 and
the European export amounted 10 T5,OOO,-
COO. Mr. Rauuheim esti mates the bone
cousurn Dt;un at 50. 900. 600 and the foreign
Il IS. O01, 900 pounds next season. In Mou-
taua the urrstuctigu was q. 500. 900 AMI
81. 500 Oc0 prands for 1888 and 1885, and
ihe estimate for 1855. z6, ,0o0. 900 pounds
Toe increased production cUrTssponded
exactly with the export 10 Europe, and =
subsequent decline in prices OF both sides Of
the Atlantic leaves tie stock in reserve a.
aost intact
Tie ABOVE named gsntlsnea win leave FOR