Bisbee daily review., 1905-03-02

IprOniDlJ ln6 use or SlOTS OEuSIos punch-outs, boletos and the like, in payment of wages. Mir. Neville of- fered an amendment to the effect that the committee report be converted into a favorable one, and proceeded to support his amendment in a vigorous manner.
 "The central feature of the Judges i defense of his bill consisted of de- scription of the condition which main tains and is permitted by the pres ent law, in the City of Douglas, where he resides. There. according to the Cochise legislator, the Copper Queen Company, which employs from 1,200 to 1,5OO men in the smelters, has all lines of business almost completely under it's control. Nothing was said about the sort of wages paid these employees, but good deal was said of the manner in which they are paid. On pay day the employees line up in the Copper Queen Store-where, dur ing the month, they are expected to make all their purchases-and receive the balance due them, after the store account is deducted, in store orders, or punch-outs, which are not redeem able in cash, but are supposed to be good for the purchase of any sort or merchandise, anywhere in the city. But the Judge insisted that even for that purpose they are not worth their full face value, as the Copper Queen Company makes it a practice to dis count these orders ten per cent when they are turned in by merchants other than the Copper Queen store. And in other ways he also related, the Cop per Queen Company sought to compel Ithe purchase of supplies from their store-for instance, by serving nouce upon the butchers that only such or ders as might be given directly upon them by the company would be hon ored, after which the Mexican em- Iployes who delight in fresh meat are allowed to purchase but twenty-five cents worth of fresh meat per day, thus creating demand for bacon, ham and other cured meats such as the Copper Queen Store handles"
 The above is a verbatim reproduc- ton from the Phoenix Enterprise
 quoting the remarks of the senior member from Cochise county on the day of the passage of the anti-due bill or punch-out law.
 If there is any section of the terri tory where such a practice is in
 vogue, the bill will serve it's purpose,
 but so far as Cochise county is con-
 cerned. and this statement is made
 after consulting with the leading mer- chants, both at Bisbee and at Doug
 las, the bill will not affect in the ; least the business of the merchants,
 great or small, in this locality.
 It is possible that the senior mem- ! Der of Cochise has been misinform- l ed; that he has accepted the state } ment of some person as final without
 going to the trouble to investigate the
 matter personally.
 If, op the other hand, the gentleman from Cochise made the statements ac- ]. credited to him on his own personal ; responsibility, he is guilty of the
 grossest misrepresentation of the 
 army of employees in Cochise county . and in order that Cochise county mer chants may be placed in the proper light before the territory, and more n particularly the mercantile depart
 ment of the Copper Queen Co.,, which z. was cited as a horrible example, the l. Review feels called upon to set the t gentleman from Cochise alright regard $ ing the conditions in his own county . which at times he has been placed 1T # the position of being woefully igno s rant of.
 h In the course of his remarks, referr T ing to the Copper Queen Store a Douglas, the gentleman is quoted al # saying:
 ,t "On pay days the employees line uI d in the Copper Queen Store-wher' S during the month they are expected t'
 make all their purchases-and receive s the balance due them, after the stor'
 account is deducted, in store orders pr or punch-outs, which are not redeem
 able in cash, but are supposed to b u- good for the purchase of any sort o e. merchandise anywhere in the city" g. Such a statement is absolutely ir . correct. Tie Copper Queen stor sy today, or at any time in its history lg has never used any store orders o n- punch-outs. The employees of tn
 Copper Queen Company receive thei
 pay in checks on the local banks, bot
 here and at Douglas, at the end of tn L. month. If the employe of the con Id- lpany has traded at the Copper Quee ne Store during the month, the amour .a iof his store account Is deducted, an "a. the balance always paid in cash. Tn