The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-08-06
W0RklNGMfN'S MONEY.

The statement of the condition of the
First National bank printed in the Inter
Mountain last week, showed local de-
posts amounting to $2,1s2,744. There are
four other banks in the city whose CONF
bined deposits may be safely estimated
at 5000. O0O making over $s,00o.00O in all.
The great bulk of this money belongs to
the miners. mechanics and other work
ingmen of Butte. which is greatly to their
credit in a double sense. tor it shows
them to be men of frugal habits, with
wise care for the future.
But the question naturally arises:
Why should the workingmen of Butte
allow $500 900 of their hard-earned
money to lie idle in the banks? It
brings them no interest. though slowly
increasing from month to month by the
addition Of their surplus earnings. It is
absolutely safe, but il earns nothing and
provides no comforts. Many of the de-
positors have families and still live in
rented houses. Others would like to
establish homes and raise families, but
yet they hesitate. Many more, having
homes and families would like to invest
their means in the building Of houses to
rent, or in the purchase of land in the
farming sections or in investments in
live stock or other legitimate money
making ventures.
Seldom, however, do the workingmen
withdraw their money from the local
banking institutions. They all seem to
be apprehensive concerning the tenure
OF their employment. They seem de-
sirous Of being ready at moments no.
tice to pack up and leave. to seek work
elsewhere, and the result is that this
city is not growing one-half as rapidly
as it should grow, the toilers and wage
earners are not as happy and contented
as they should be, and the money tina:
should be in circulation and bringing
either profits or comforts to its pos
SCISSORS is tied up in banks, where it
gradually increases according to the
saving capacity Of the depositors.
The reason for this unrest and lack
of confidence is plain to the view of all
intelligent observers, and to none more
than to the workingmen themselves.
That reason is found in the constant
threats and constant effort making in
this community to 'tie up" great mining
enterprises; to close down great mills
and smelters; to deprive men of the pos
session of their own property and place
1t in the hands of incompetents; to
harass and Cypress the great interests
Of capital on flimsy and vicious pretexts;
to drive out of the state the men who
have with their money come here to
develop it's resources under the protec-
ton of it's laws, and asking only a
square deal; to make it impossible for
such men to do business here or employ
workingmen or guarantee constant
work; to drag them into the courts on
technical and ridiculous complaints in
the hope of smashing stock values and
paralyzing seven-eighths Of the mining
activity of the district.
Is it any wonder that under such cir
cumstances the thousands of thrifty
workingmen of this region are uneasy
uncertain and apprehensive? That they
know not what to expect? That they
fear every time they climb the hill tc
find the mines where they work closed
by injunction or in the hands of re-
ceivers, or ordered shut down in utter
despair of successful operation undel
constant attack and Misrepresentation
How can any man be contented when
he realizes that any shift may be his
last. and that any day he may need
his few dollars in the bank to enabl:
him to move to some other state, where
capital and labor receive equal consid
Grafton, where property rights are re
spected. where men who are willing I,
open mines are safe from persecution a
public enemies, and where those will:n
to work for them need have no MS
gtvings as to the steadiness of their en-
ployment3