Idaho Springs siftings., 1902-07-05
SHELTER
TRUST IS
ATTACKED.
A Office
Opens War Against
the OctuPus.

We believe that with the proper aid and assist
ance from the mining of the state the attorney
generals office will be able to make it interesting
for the consolidation of interests known as the
American Smelling and Refining company. In
order to do this however, the Office must have the
corporation of the mining men, and if there is
something servieable in the mine managers
association now is the time for it to step in from
all parts of the state and aid in the accumulation
of evidence against the trust.
Assistant Attorney General George NJ. Post,
who has been one of the original movers IN the
fight against the monopoly, is the president of the
Argus Mines and Tunnel company, operating in
this district He is practical mining man and
realizes the blighting influence of the trust upon
the productive propositions of the state. In an in
ter,iew in Denver with Siftings representative
last Monday he said:
81 hardly ahinI there is anyone interested in
mining who will dispute the need of some method
for destroying the smelter trust. From Cripple
Creek my old home in Georgetown and every part
of the state comes the complaint that miners who
are not in position to curb the trust and deal with
If in some manner, are being compelled to submit
to the most unjust system of extorton and discrim-
nation. There is no reason why such CONDITION
of affairs should exist. There is no reason why, IN
a great state like Colorado where mining is one OF
the most important and probably the most lmpor-
tat industry that it should be curailed and hedged
in bv such restrictions. There ought to be an open
field for development and the man who owns and
operates small producing property is as much en-
titled to the right to dispose of his product III
an open market as the who owns the most
formidable proposition in the state. There IS no
reason why every mining man should not be on an
equal footing: ... to-
,riven the matter thorough and careful attention
and believe they will be able to accomplish some
thing that will revert to the interests OF the mine
operators of the state
There is no reason why the local mine managers
association should not meet at once and have
committee from its membership or an attorney
,rceen when the case is called before the supreme
cronrt on Saturday morning, July S. Some good
might be accomplished by such procedure ana II
t1e association Jealous it should be it will
lend material assistance to the Attorney General
from this district, -
upon which the quo warranto proceedings nave
been instituted:
Tn the complaint, which is quite voluminous,
t, charge is made that the defendants, the Omaha
and Grant Smelling and Refining company, the
Globe Smelling and Refining company, the FueDio t,
Smelling and Refining company, the Bimetallic
Smelling company, the Colorado Smelling COM
oarv and the Philadelphia Smelling and Refining
COMPANY excepting the American Smelling and
Refining company, ''did during the months OF jan
,,orv February and March, 1899, engage IN an un-
ia1fnl combination and conspiracy among them
selves and with another for the deliberate Pur-
ose of DESTROYING the diversity OF interest and mo
lives of competition which had heretofore existed
,opo them in the business of smelling and ref1n-
ing gold and silver ores and IN order TO ei1ectuay
co1sInu1ate their said unlawful conspiracy and
Continuation and to thereby oppress and 1nJure the
eon1e of the state of Colorado by the formation OF
PnppnonIv the said defendants conceived the plan,
ard caused to be created new corporation FOR the
axpress purpose of having said new corporation