The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-07-30
NO COPPER trust IN MONTANA

certain of the Butte copper companies
as trusts are simply advertising them
selves as fools. There is no copper trust
among the producers OF ,llis country A
trust is monopoly. a combination in
restraint of trade, an organized effort to
prevent competition and put up the price
of commodity.
This being true, we repeat, there is no
copper trust, either il Montana or any
other state Of the Union. among the pro-
ducers.
Is there any monopoly of ownership
among the copper mines of Butte? Of
the 1000 patented mineral claims IN
Butte, Of which probably one-half are
on the copper side Of the district, does
any man or any company own titles TO
the exclusion of any other men or cons
panies? Are there not thousands of cop
per claims owned promiscuously among
the people? Are not at least 5000 ci.i-
zens of Butte interested to some extent
in copper mining properties in this vicin-
lty? Where, then, is the monopoly?
AS to any restraint of trade or re.
straint of mining operations, what sane
man will assert any such thing to be in
existence? Can not any man owning a
copper mine work it, and send his ore
where he pleases for trea tment, and par
ticipate in the benefits of an open mar
ket? Where, then, is there any restraint
of trade?
Who will contend, further. that there
is in this district any attempt on the
part of any man or any corporation to
prevent competition? Is not Mr.. w. a.
Clark making copper? Is not Mr.. Heinze
making copper? Is not the Amalganlatei
making copper? Is not the Boston &
Montana making copper? Is not Mr..
George Casey daily buying copper ore
from any man having copper ore to sell?
Is not Mr. Franklin Farrell making ar
rangements to build a copper plant:
Can not any other man, having the
ground and the money, build plant and
turn out the red metal if he has the ore
required? Where, then, is there any pre-
vention of competition or any attempt
to prevent it?
AS to any conspiracy to keep up the
price of copper in order that the COM
panies may make a profit, employ an
increased number of men and pay them
good wages, what man in a copper town
would object to such conspiracy if Ii
existed? The fact is, however, that if
there is in this country any conspiracy"
to keep up the price of copper, the
guilty concern must be the Metal Sellers
company operating in New York, which
by regulatin sales of copper nefariously
dividends and wages and build smelters
for the encoura cement of silver, gold
and lead mining, and helps them at
times to pay big prices for undeveloped
ground to prospectors and other poor
men who are looking for stake. II,
therefore, there is in the copper world
any concern possessing a single trust
characteristic it is the Metal Sellers
company of New York, not any company
doing business in Montana. There is no
copper trust in this state never was one
and never will be one. We challenge
any sane, sober and honest newspaper
to prove the contrary Every intelligent
there is no copper trust. The only trust
doing business in this state is the Amer
lean lead trust, which owns the East
Helena smelter. Governor Toole was
formerly one of it's able counsel. 1t is
the means of giving work and wages to
many thousands of honest miners in the
silyer-lead districts of Idaho and Mon
tana and anv i-fruSt raforpoorc u,,,r>
should try to close it down and deprive
those miners of employment would wish
themselves in some other business before
they could finish their unselfish labors.
-
Having shown that there is no copper
eastern enemies of Butte who persist
emily assert the contrary must be
visionary cranks or corrupt knaves, the
Inter Mountain would like to inquire
what would happen to Butte. if there
We're Il great trust operating here on a
large scale, and if it should be closed
down Or put into the hands of some in
competent receiver? What would happen
il some concern employing seven-eghth,
Of the l:.bor of this district v ere to be
forced cut of business? What would
happen il such a concern were really
guilty Of keeping up the price Of copper
by a trust arrangement, If its de-
struc.ion should be followed by a drop
OF five or six cents pound in the price
of copper? How would that affect bust
ness and wages and short hours of labor
and &c general happiness and content
ment C the people? Who wants it te