Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-12-17
Highland Boys Owners Submit
A Counter Proposition to
The Committee.
DEADLOCK MAY YET OCCUR.
Unless Both Sides Get Together
On a Bonus Before January
q Plant viii Close.
Smeltcr Willing 10 Pay Only 60 Per
Cent Of sum Demanded. Giving
Reasons Why.

An end is not yet come In the smelter
smoke situation. The move Of the
Highland Boy owners M New York
which &c was thought would be the
final action of the long battle. has been
made, and there SIS stIu room for con-
tinued argument
Today the Utah Consolidated man
ager In Salt Lake j. 3. Risque re-
ceived his expected answer from New
York on the proposition recently sub
mitted by the Farmers alliance of salt
Lake valley. 10y which the smolter v.aa
To be allowed 20 operate for another
year I'm consideration for a cash bonus.
inat the answer was not what was
expected and was not satisfactory WINS
admitted by Acting Chairman O. T.
Miller Of the Farmers executive conn
mlttee. Chairman Miller wlu call hfs
committee together at once and submit
the proposition
When asked 20 state wherein the
smelter people asked for alterations I'm
the Original proposition, Chairman
Miller stated that he did not care TO
discuss the exact figures until thew
mad been passed upon. He said how
ever. that the statement In the press
that the farmers had asked $3.50 600 az
the smelters objected to the clause re-
curing them 90 assume all response
oility for damages, in case Of indlvid-
ual suits. Mr. Miller said that they had
accepted this clause. and made no COM
plant about it, as it would be folly for
the farmers to assume any responsible
itv iu preventing the dliug of individual
suits, should anyone feel disposed 10 NE
one.
QUESTION OF MONEY.
"The matter" he said 'is entirely
one of finances. on account Of present
conditions IN the copper market, aud
the hard times generally the smelter
people ask n decided reduction in the
amount we ask"
| what do you think the committee
/ VIII do with this counter propositlonT"
/ was asked.
WOULD BUY PRIVILEGE
The reason for the present PROPOSE
| ton is that after the circuit court OF
appeals settled the smelter suits, the
dae Of Jan. 4 was fixed as the time
when he shelters must close, except IA
the event that the plaintiffs in the case
go into the federal court ana ask for
modification of the decree. Atty. Wal
demaT Van Colt. representing the
Highland Boy smelter, then asked the
farmers committee how much they
would ask for the smelter as the price
for allowing IL TO operate one more
year. we want to buy the privilege
To operate, was the way that Mr. Van
Colt Is quoted as expressing himself
AS the result of this request the exc
cutiVo committee summoned all the
plaintiffs into a mass assembly, and
there received authority TO name ilg-
ure high enough to be acceptable"
$40 PER ACRE
In arriving at IT'S figure the execu-
tive committee listed the land under
The smoke belt, and asked $40 per acre
for the land represented. This totaled
about $4,000 which determined the
hual liking Of the amount.
The Highland Boy owners are now
preparing TO build In Iooeie county,
but their plant viii not be completed
for another year
Il have not seen any Of the meme
bers" said Mr. Miller. but / am IN
cliued 20 believe that they VIII stay by
their original proposition, ana elLnef
force an acceptance on those terms. or
allow the smelter 20 close without TAX
ing action 70 prevent a. When ne
matter FIRST came up. We told the smell
ter officials distinctly that our propo-
sltlon was an ultimatum, and thar We
had figured n down 10 the least pos
slblc figure we would accept 90 not
see how the committee members VIII
vary from that position, unles sentt-
ment differs from what I suspect II Is
PROBABLE FIGURES.
The money question Is understood 20
consist OF "a demand on the part OF the
farmers that the hmelters pay them
$50. 900 as a bonus for the privilege OF
running next year. with $4,000 addi-
tIounl 10 reimburse them for attorneys
foes spent up 90 date Ia conducting the
legal battle. and ln the general eXpens-
es OF carrying ~ on
Tho smelttrs lu answering seek re-
ductiou 20 100000, according Go uuoil-
sla1 Information received by the News
which neither side wished 20 confirm
at this uma. The reason given iu ask
ing me reduction was that the present
conner market win not justify them in
paving more than This sum. II ls un-
darst10d that sWcltgr sentiment Is fixed
uuuu a determination tQ close down
unIea5 the farmers accept their latest
rra0osIti0n. as they feel they cannot
rperata successfully under present mar
nd conditions. with $4,000 bonus 70
us.t