The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-08-10
BINGHAM CAMP
HAS TROUBLES
Boston Con. Lays Off 800
Miners Owing to Car
Shortage.
POOR OUTLOOK OF FUTURE
OTHER MINES MAY HAVE SAME
PROBLEMS TO SOLVE.
POOR OUTLOOK OF FUTURE

From the way things are moving, the
miners of Bingham will not have to de-
mand an increase in wages and declare
strike In order to get a lay off. The
management of the Boston Consolidated
was compelled yesterday morning to give
900 or the 500 employees at the mines their
Time, and there is no assurance given that
another draft will not be made at thar
companys property while others are likely
to become involved. 1t is not a question
OF wages or hours this time. The trou-
Die is that the Rio Grande Western Rail-
road company is unable to meet the de-
mands OF the companies for cars I'm which
10 ship their ores.
Can Not Get Cars.
"A short time ago" said Acting Man
sger Townsend. who is directing affairs
curing the vacation absence of Manager
Lafayette 1ianchett. we were shipping
az average % twenty fiftv-ton cari6ads
or sulphidc ores a day to the smelter
which is under contract To handle the out
put of the mines. We were finally in
formed by the smelling company that it
would be unable To use that much until
tie plant was enlarged and we agreed IN
a compromise of fifteen cars a dav The
railroad company has not been able to
meet that requirement, and on some days
We would get only three, four or maybe a
halt-dozen cars When you have a crew
OF men mining for fifteen cars and can
only send out two or three, there is lit
Tie use in keeping the men at work That
Is the condition at the Boston Console
dated Thursday we did not get a single
car, and Mines Manager L. S. Gates was
greeted TO trim his force by laying off
$40 men.
other Troubles.
But that is not all of our trouble We
nave sent eight or ten cars of porphyrv /
ore 10 the new milling plant al Garfield /
and we can now find use for a number Of 1
cars every day in this traffic as the mill 4
bins are all completed and it is desirable /
10 nave them filled before the plant is ,
placed In commission. But we can not /
get the cars for that service. and what /
VIII happen when the plant goes into
commission and $500 tons a daV will he 4
necessary to keep the mill going do not |
Know. In addition we are running on a
hand-to-mouth' basis as far as fuel is
concerned, and there is no prOSpeCt of re-
lief in that line, either. This is the time
or the year when We should like to accu-
mulate stock of coal for the time when
1t is sure to be harder still to get, but it
Is not forthcoming. When the situation
changes we shall be glad to re-employ the
men laid off: When that will be the case
l have not the remOtest idea"
Utah Copper in Same Boat.
What is true as respects the Boston
Consolidated, Manager d. c. lacking of
the utah Copper company admits is prac-
NlNdAAg lltt case WITH mis- COMPANY. though
he states that the railroad company is
bending every nerve TO keep him supplied |
with cars at the present time. Right
now, however, with only a quarter of the
company mammoth mill in operation it /
is found necessary to draw on the reserves |
OF ore in the bins to make ends meet To
place the entire plant in operation is go
ing TO simply swami the railroad and IL I
that happens it will be necessary to close
down the mines and the mill until the sit
uaton IS relieved That would throw
nearly a thousand more men out of work
Inc SITUATION looks gloomy. to say the
least for there is nothing to indicate from
what source relief can come at the pres
ent time or in the near future.
Railroad Officials to Blame.
It is said that the railroad. company has
orders out for several hundred new cars
tnat We're to have been delivered during
June and July, but none have been re
celNed. and there is no assurance as to
Wnen they can be supplied BY the man ,
utacturers- A claim is made BY men up
on the situation that the higher and older
OFFICIALS OF the railroad companies operet-
ing IN this region have not awakened to a ;
fuil sense Of the requirements
Some OF the big men in the railroad |
companies, said one operator during the
afternoon, have notion that these de- !
nands of the big operating mining ana
smelling companies is all buncombe: they
don't believe that the mines are capable ,
Or producing such vast quantities Of ORC J
and they don't believe that we have mills !
ana smelters to treat them. They con-
slider that demand for more cars and
better transportation facilities is based
On a desire to work some stock market ,
leaL The growth of the mining Industry
and the general growth of the west is al
together beyond their comprehension
The active officials, the men who have :
he traffic TO handle. fully appreciate the
situation. but the men at the top. some
# whom are thirty years behind the
lines have not the least conception of
what is needed