The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1907-03-15

yond this we knew nothing. Not unt
arrival here can any one realize that In
the scale Of operations aud character
Of work, this district is on a par with
the best mining regions of the world.
"Of late years, as the discoveries
have grown ever greater, and more
companies have entered the district,
the prosperity caused by purchases of
land and payroll disbursements has
stimulated the Lead Belt into what
western man would call the beginning
of boom. The Federal Company is
one Of the latest arrivals in the family
Of operators here, but nevertheless it
looks forward 10 long life and its share
of prosperity.
again, in western districts we
have long since been forced to learn
the necessity for getting together as
you are doing in this Commercial Club
Of Pennington, Singly men are help
less; IN combination, by an organiza-
ton like this, have seen them work
miracles in removing obstacles, stmu-
lating business aud making mo ney for
everyone in the community.
Another truth, so emphasized by all
Of my observations and experiences in
mining regions is, that no enterprise
can be permanently success full except
with the cooperation and good will! of
its neighbors and the entire community
OF which it is part. We have long
since passed the day when men or or
CARNATIONS Of men can live to them
selves alone. Whether we like il or
not, we are in the strictest sense the
parts of AN organized community, in
which each one must recognize his re-
lations to the others. This is the broad
view Of the modern world, and no set
Of men more keenly realize it than
those who guide the policies of the
Federal Lead Company. This"enter-
prise is here it your midst, it is here
to stay, and We are necessarily one of
you, and part of the community in
every sense, sharing your duties and
your responsibilities.
alt may not be amiss to say some
thing of the plans of the Federal Lead
Company. You are all aware that
this district is one of low-grade de-
posits, in large but scattered bodies.
II requires the use of capital on large
scale to find these bodies by diamond
drill probing, and TO mine, transport,
mill and smelt the product. With the
aid of large capital and under past
conditions the lead business has been
successful and permanent. But con-
ditions are changing; we are enjoying
an unprecedented price for lead and
prosperity which is based upon this
price. The Federal Lead Company,
in common with the other companies
of the district, has recognized the duty
of sharing this prosperity with It's en-
ployes, and wages in the Lead Belt
have been lifted by successive steps to
a level much above anything known in
its past history. This is a good thing
and benefits the whole community.
"But it is the business OF the men
who steer commercial ventures to look
ahead and keep their ships off the
rocks. There is an old maxim that it is
easy to raise wages, but hard to lower
them. The wage level of district is
not something made by the will of any
one man or set OF men. It is fixed by
the cost Of production and the average
future price OF lead AS matter of
fact, the wisest of men do not know how
long this unprecedented lead price will
continue; but sane man will not base
his business upon any other assumption
than that this price is temporary, and
sooner or later must fall to the average
OF past years. So an employer always
has before him the anxious question,
whether in trying to accommodate every
body, he is not so over loading his ship
that the first storm will sink her.
$50, for this and other obvious rea-
sons, the Federal Lead Company is try
ing to make its enterprise safe and long
lived, able to weather the storms of ad-
versity and hard times. 1t is doing
what the older companies have long
since done. 1t is pouring out money
for development, railroad extensions,
mills and improvements of all kinds,
putting back into betterments many
times the profits taken out by opera
tons.
II cannot conceive anything more
important to this community than the
success of the mining companies of the
district, and, representing the youngest
OF these companies, wish to say the
policy of the Federal Lead Company is
and clear to ALL and for the common
good. Its welfare is bound up with that
of its employees and of this community
around it. We bring you nothing but
good-we ask nothing but your friend
ship and cooperation"