The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-03-12

wages are, in an unfavorable way,
unlike those paid by other roads oper-
ating in Montana, the compilation
would be worth while, but this newspa-
per's understanding is that the Great
Northern's Montana scale is at no
variance with that of the other roads
i'm the state. 1t was asserted about a
fortnight ago, in company of rail-
road men, that on the strictly proper
basis of estimated mileage. wages on
the Great Northern were really shade
better, for some of the employees, than
on other roads centering in Butte. The
Standard does not know whether this
is true or not.
The strike that occurred at the time
when the Great Northern built it's
Butte high line was exciting for a sea-
son, and brief. 1t was not easy to get
at the correction of the wages then
proposed; there were contracts and
sub-contracts. and thus 1t was not as
simple a matter as otherwise it would
have been to reach the owners of the
road. The wages question, as far as
the Great Northern is concerned, pre-
scented itself III much more tangible
form in May of 1894, several weeks
ahead of the great A. X. T.. strike. AT
that time, the Great Northern manage
ment ordered cut of wages all along
the line. The thing didn't work. AS
soon as the order was issued the Stand
ard sought to convince The Great North
81 N hat
to bring wages in Butte to the st. Paul
standard The strike on the road ex-
tended from end to end of it, For
weeks not a wheel turned. The sym
pathy of the public was clearly with
the strikers. They won; they were en-
titled to win; and the experience of
those weeks unquestionably left
wholesome and lasting Impression on
Great Northern headquarters at ST.
Paul.
The postal card asks if j. ]. Hill did
not proclaim himself goldbug about
two years ago. In reply, the Standard
has no memory of any proclamations
made by Mr.. Hill, two years ago. 1t is
certain, however that he was a gold
bug as long as five or SIX years ago
and as recently as six weeks ago. He
has always advocated what the Stand
ard believes to be an irrelevant sophis-
try in urging that If this country were
settled on the gold standard that
would result in bringing into this west
ern part of the United States millions
OF Dutch, English and German savings
for investment. Our understanding is
that Mr.. Hill, vigorously opposed to
Bryan, was in favor of Mckinley two
years ago. Unfortunately the Stand
ard cannot name a man prominently
identified with the Northern Pacific or
the Great Northern or the Union Paci-
fic who is known as silver's friend.
Explain these matters satisfactor-
ily," says the postal card, TO the peo-
pie of Montana. then you can talk
about sending the mails over the Great
Northern line. But the Standard
hasn't talked one word about sending
the mails over that line. They go over
that line already: they have been GO
ing that way for years. every pound of
them; there is simply no other way for
them to GO.
The Standard said distinctly, when it
brought the matter up, that its mention
of change concerned the postal
route to Great Falls, westward to the
Flathead cities and eastward to the
states boundaries" with reference to
the transfer at Butte That means, in
other words. that the mail shall go di-
rect from Anaconda to the Great
Northern's Montana territory direct
instead of having TO transfer at Butte,
as at present. Since our postal-card
correspondent has Mr.. I'LL unpleasant
ly before his two eyes. let the Stand
ards suggestion be put in this way:
We propose that the Anaconda mail
for Northern Montana be not sent TO
Butte over the Montana Union, a road
in which, as a part OF the Northern
Pacific, Mr.. Hill is universally believed
TO have a personal interest. but that
the Anaconda mail take Il direct route
from here by way of the Butte, Ana
conda and Pacitic-a road in which Mr..
Hill is known not to have right, title
or interest to the extent of two bits
And this we propose not at all with
reference to making things whit bet
ter or worse for Mr.. Hill. but because
the change would indisputably be a
good thing for Anaconda.
The Standard is perfectly willing TO
reveal what may be construed to illus
trate merely its own selfish interest in
service. This newspaper has a large
patronage in Northern Montana The
part of il that goes by postal service |
amounts To a mass of mail matter
every month. This part of the Stand
ards daily circulation goes before day
break to Butte and lies there for hours.
L. L. l..