Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1901-01-23
AN EIGHT HOUR DAY IN
The ANACONDA MINES
THE ANACONDA COPPER COMPANY WILL PUT 1T INTO EFFECT
FEB. I AND THE OTHER MI MES OF THE DISTRICT WILL
FOLLOW

The Anaconda Copper Mining company
will inaugurate the eight-hour work
day system in all of it's mines on Feb
ruary /, regardless of whether the legis-
lature will pass an eight-hour bill or
not.
While the announcement has not been
officially made, President William Seal
lon today confirmed the report, saying
that the company had had the matter
under consideration for a long time
past, and, in fact, had decided to adopt
it some time ago, but it was only with
In the past week that it was decided to
put 1t into effect on the LIST Of February.
The action of the company in adopting
the system is devoid of all political sig
nificance, and will probably be followed
by all the other mining companies in
the camp.
While it is understood that the Boston
and Montana company will introduce the
eight=hour system in all of it's mines,
Mr.. Batterman will not be interviewed
on the subject and today declined to
answer any questions in relation to it.
There is but little question that the Bos-
ton and Montana company will adopt
the system in the near future. but may
u
moment that the Anaconda company
does.
1t is understood that the Butte & Bos-
ton. the Colorado and the Parrot COM
panies will also adopt the system as soon
as practicable, but no announcement has
been made to that effect. Like the Ros-
ton 4 Montana. these companies may
not be ready to introduce the system on
the first of the month, but Butte is des-
tined to become an eight-hour camp
whether the Legislature passes the eight
hour measure or not.
The schedule to be established in the
Anaconda properties will be as follows.
afler February 1: One shift will go on II
o'clock In the morning and quit at 4: 30
O'Clock in the afternoon. The night shift
VIII go on at O'Clock in the evening,
Half an hour will be allowed on
each shift for lunch. The men will be
lowered and raised on their own time.
There is general satisfaction expressed
on the streets over the action Of the
Anaconda company in establishing the
eight-hour system in it's mines and the
merchants are loud in their praise.
All of them expected such action on the
part of the company whether the legis-
Iature passed the eight-hOur law or not
and while the news that the system
has been adopted is not surprise to
them they are none the less satisfied.
They believe that it will be of inestima-
BILE value to the city and in a measure
raise the standard of the mc;1 who are
working in the mines. They are inclined
To think that the men will also do the
same amount Of work in eight hours that
they are doing in nine and ten hours
SO that the output of the mines will not
be decreased.
Some of the citizens believe that IT
will be only a matter of time when the
hours of the smetermen will also be
reduced.
Judge Sullivan in expressing his SEN
timents on the matter this morning
said that he was more than pleased but
it was just what he eXpeced. His only
regret is that the smeltermen cannot
have their hours reduced at the same
time. This is something he is looking
forward to and expects to celebrate the
event in the near future.
Following are a few of the sentiments