The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-01-21
IN THE SENATE.
Senator onnolly's Attack on the Ana
conda Company Miscarries.
Enanial FOL, "a

senator Connolly's Attack on the Ana
conda Company Miscarries.
Special Dispatch to the Standard.
Helena, Jan. 2O.-The morning SEES
sion of the senate was taken up al
most exclusively by the consideration
of Senator Connolly's assignment of
wages bill in committee of the whole
Senator Norris in the chair This bill
was printed in the Standard of Thurs
day morning. Senator Myers sharply
criticised the bill on the ground that in
stead of being benefit it would work
injustice both to employers and men,
especially in logging and mining camps,
II Workingmen were not permitted to
assign their wages before they were
due in order to procure the necessaries
of life. The bill permitted the assign
ment of wages only for debts actually
existing at the time of the assignment,
and then an assignment could be made
only at the expense of notary fees and
recording the documents with the coun-
ty clerk, an expense certain to fall not
on the employer, but the working
man.
Senator Connolly said the bill was in
tended to abolish the evils of the Ana
conda company's system of holding out
the checks of its employees. When an
employe in Anaconda went to get his
check, he was told it was at the Cop
per City Commercial companys store.
He had to go there to get it, whether
he was in debt to that store or not.
and If he hadn't run up a bill of goods
there during the month, 1t was sug-
gested to him that he had better do so
next month if he knew what was good
for him. The bill was intended to give
all the merchants of Butte and Ana
conda an equal show with the Ana
conda company stores.
Senator Eggleston denied that any
such state of facts existed in Ana
conda as Senator Connolly described.
workingman could, If he desired. run
bill at the Copper City store and his
check was used as security. Nobody
was compelled to trade with the Cop
per City. There We're 20 or more GRO
Gerry stores in Anaconda, all doing a
thriving business. The senator did not
recall the failure of any Anaconda gro
Gerry during the past five years. So far
from all the checks being sent to the
Copper City. he wished the senator's
could see the long lines of employees on
pay day drawing their pay in actual
cash at the bank. The charges that in
timidation and coercion were practiced
upon the employees of the Anaconda
company and the peo~le of Anaconda
generally We're absolutely false A
mans wages were his property. and he
If he saw fit.
Senator Courtney made a brief and
eloquent speech declaring that in his
Judgment the bill would defeat it's own
purpose and thrust burdens and hard
ships upon the workingmen.
Senator Hoffman thought such law
would be a ~reat mistake as applied to
mining camps distant from towns.
Senator Anderson said he was in svm-
pathy with the intent of the bill. but he
feared 1t would not correct any abuses.
Hannah took practically the same
ground, but he thought the company
store was wrong in principle and ought,
If possible, to be abolished
Senator Connolly said the state of
New Jersey had just such law for
years and it worked well. Myers mo-
ton to report the bill back adversely
was carried without division.
The committee favorably reported
Whiteside's bill relating to the admis-
sion of soldiers in tn" war with Spain
to the Soldiers Home. Favorable ac-