Columbia courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1902-1905, 1903-11-06
MONTANA STILL N A GLOOM
COMMITTEE OF MEDIATION DID
NOT FATHoM TROUBLE.
Could Not Devise Any Plan Looking
to Settlement-Wat a Great Dis
appointment-committee's PROPOSE
tion to Both Sides Is Kept Secret
by Agreement.

butlS, VhOhl., 4Novs ut
tee of mediation, acting at the request
of the chamber of commerce Of Great
Falls and with the consent of the rep
resentatives of the United Copper
company and the Amalgamated Cop
per company, after q session lasting
two days, came to conclusion Sat
urday afternoon that 1t could not fnd
any solution Of the Butte shutdown
situation, gave out a brief statement
to the public and adjourned sine die.
The statement issued and signed by
the members Of the committee IL
given herewith:
Butte. Mont. Oct. 81, 1903.-Her-
bert Strain, President Great Falls
Business Mems Association-Sir: We,
the undersigned members Of the med
iation committee, entered upon the
discharge of our duties realizing the
magnitude and difficulty of our task.
Nevertheless, we have labored assid-
uously to accomplish the purpose Of
our appointment.
1--WE have failed to obtain resump-
ton of work by the Amalgamated
Copper company, and have been un-
able to devise any plan looking to
that end which did not involve the
mutual consent of the parties inter
ested.
I'VE regret this exceedingly and
hope that some common ground may
yet be found by the parties themselves
upon which they can stand.
~. J. HILL.
"W. A. CLARK,
u. X. TOOLE,
paris GIBSON"
There is great disappointment at
the failure Of the committee to come
to some agreement with the parties in
interest. The nature Of the PROPOSE
tion suggested by the committee 10
unknown to the public, as the MEM
bers Of the committee were pledged
to secrecy during the conference.
Some speculation was INDUCED in
as to whether or not Governor Toole
would call an extra session OF the
legislature as requested by the labor
Organizations, but the governor would
not volunteer any information as to
what he intended to do in the prem.
ises.
Aside from the proceedings of the
mediation committee the most impor-
ant development in the situation was
the meeting of the committee appoint
ed by the trades and labor assembly
mass meeting and Governor Toole,
which was held at the Thornton ho-
tel.
Governor Toole was handed the res
olutions passed at the mass meeting
and which were In the nature Of an
appeal to have the governor call an
extra session Of the legislature for
the purpose of enacting some legis-
lat.on that would relieve the Butte
situation.
All of the fires in the great Washoe
smelters at Anaconda are drawn and
the works are now in charge of near
ly 100 watchmen, divided into three
shifts each. Nearly all Of the en-
ployes Of the power house at the
works are retained, and, with the ex-
ception Of the watchmen, are now
the only persons employed there,
where a week ago over 1900 men
found employment. The furnaces
were kept going for several days after
the mill closed down, as 1t was neces-
sary to make extensive cleanups
around the converter.
Acting under orders from Mayor
Patrick Mullins, the chief Of police
today served notice on the proprietors
of all gambling houses, poker games
and slot machines that they must
cease doing business, commencing at
midnight. The order of the mayor
went even further and extended to all
the houses Of prostitution within the
city limits.