The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-12-20
SHALL THERE Be WAR?


against the East! Good wages and short
hours against small wages and long
hours. Victory for Montana with fxea
high price for copper or for Michigan
with a fluctuating low price!
That is one view to take OF the cope:
situation and it appeals to the state priue
and patriotism of every man in Montana
For two years the men who control the
Amalgamated mines of this district nave
sought by every legitimate means IN
their power to maintain the price OF
copper at 16 cents. For their own IN
terest, the labor interest and the state
interest a high and steady price for cop
per was necessary: so they bought all
that was offered as long as they could
see way out. The success or their
po,icy was assured until a great trade
depression in England and Germany re-
duced the foreign copper demand more
than so per cent. The fact that the
Amalgamated people had been holding
an umbrella over their rivals in business
and enabling some to survive who other
wise would have become bankrupt, did
not weaken their determination to up
hold the market price Of "copper" The
Amalgamated people even went so tar
as to reduce their own dividend from
to per cent in order to prepare for
emersencies that might arise; but when
the foreign demand so largely fell away
they were compelled to suggest to the
other producers a policy of curtaliment
in production, each company assuming
it's share of the burden. Had the sug-
gestion been adopted, the effect on Butte
payrolls would have been much less serl-
Gus. Probably two-thirds of the men
now idle would have been kept at work
But the suggestion of proportionaFe
curtailment was ignored by all outside
producers, the Calumet & Hecla, In par
ticular, continuing under full headWay
Foreign producers likewise refused to
curtail. 1t seemed to be the impression
that the Amalgamated people were sc
anxious to keep up the price of copper
that they would pay 16 cents pound for
the output of the entire world for all
time to come. So the Calumet & Hecla
and the rest kept turning out the red
metal regardless Of every consideration
of business equity and ultimate SELF
protection. Naturally, Amalgamated
stock went down, for sane men could SEE
that one company could not foreve
carry the worlds surplus and buy and
store all that was produced. Not only
did the stock suffer, but the company
itself became the object of vile abus
and misrepresentation, for no othe
reason apparently than because tn
Amalgamated people asked it's rivals 7
aid in lifting the burdens from Butt
and in protecting one community from
the necessity of carrying the whole load
But the enemies of this district were no
open to reason. They cared nothing TO
Butte OR Butte's mining, labor and busi
ness interests, and united in pursuing
policy having for it's object the closin
of most of the copper mines of this dis
trict.
Should Butte surrender or fight-tha
became the question. The answer wa
that Butte never surrenders. If it is t
Hoe a case of the survival Of the fittes
I
every man and woman in Montana al
involved in the promised war. They wi
declare for Montana, not for Michiga
and Spain!
High copper meant prosperity for MOI
tana, but since the Calumet & Hecla ar
the Rio Tinto and other rival produce
have insisted on hogging all the prof
oh; =, ,l,n 1o+ -
the consequences. The advocates
cheap copper will probably gather son
valuable information within the ne
year. Butte does not desire cheap co
per, but, if it be inevitable, the But
mining companies can face the result
with comparative equanimity.
If this copper war really opens
should bring together and solidify all t
legitimate industrial enterprises in Mo
tana. If we do not hang together
shall hang separately, as Ben Frank
observed on a memorable occasion.
man in Montana is so rich or so pc
that he is not personally interested
this coming contest. 1t is no time
petty squa'bbles and jealousies. 7
issue is not personal or political
sectional. The community which d
tributes $5O,o00,0OO year among
people of Montana is facing a cri
brought about by the various agenc
OF unfair and selfish men, yet it ia
that crisis With courage and confiden
-
The business men and real estate no