The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1910-03-17
Asks Permanent Injunction Against Anaconda
Copper Mining Company.
WICKtRSHAM ORDERS ACTION TAKEN IN MATTER
Bill in Equity Filed in the Federal Court Helena Praying
That the Company Be Compelled to Operate Its
Smelter So to End the Alleged De-
strllcton of Surrounding Forests

Washington March l6.-satisficd that the present methods
Of operating its smclcs by the Anaconda Copper Mining
company only destructive of the surrounding natural
forests unnecessary. Attorney General Wckesam today
caused bill in equity TO be filed at Helena Mont against the
company The bill asks for permanent injunction 20 compel
the company operate its plant at Anaconda in such man.
end the destruction
The company resisted the demand of the government that
the methods Of smelling be changed and other concn
ons has represented that II would cost millions OF dollars to
make the alterations The attorney general however,
that suit will be pressed vigorously unless he
hopes the company will cooperate TO terminate existing
conditions.
At the department of justice the statement the
suit not filed until every possible friendly means were
exhausted
Efforts secure of injuries from the smeers
under before the close of President oosevets ad
minsration and the mining companies were then notified
that suits would he brought unless definite action taken
stop the wholesale destruction of forests by the distribution
ulphurc arscncal fumes wide Instead of
attempting remedy the situation the companies il is
declared represented Mr. Roosevelt that they could operate
their plants in no other manner than that in use
President Roosevelt ordered full investigation and took
personal interest in the hearings The claims by the Anaconda
company il is declared were not new hut were with
those made in other suits under which similar injuries
stopped being by the government against the Noun
Copper company in California and the other by the state
of Georgia against the Ducktown Tenn. company.
In each of these it claimed adverse action would
closing of mines and smerrs and the discharge Of
thousands of nuncons however, granted in both
instances but neither mines por snees closed Instead
the companies converted the harmless fumes into valuable
product and many additional men were given work
the Montana smeters the contention made
that they could not the fumes into acid had been done
in California and Tennessee because of their wholly different
character \ full investigation of this claim by leading
perts satisfied the government of the feasibility of
ing fumes at Anaconda into acid and that there large
phosphate deposits near that may be used with the acid in the
manufacture Of fertilizers.
Butte, March 16.-( (specal,-At the office of the
Analgamacd Copper company this afternoon it said that
the only had y the officers of that
contained in brief dispatch received from Helena today The
action the result of the proceedings instituted at the direction
Roosevelt after certain from the
interested in the socalle "smoke case which year
ago decided in favor of the company by Judge William H.
Hunt of the United States court The present action must
take the usual such suits and for that the
Injunction being enforced is all imminent.