The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1913-09-04
Mullan. Idaho, September

If there is one thing more than an
other which every dweller under tn
American flag has right to expec
and enjoy it is personal liberty---"tll,
liberty of a private individual Is beins
master of his own time and actions
as far as may be consistent with tn
laws of God and his country" l wisl
to submit to the readers of The Miner
the following question: Are not the
methods employed by the Federal Min
ing and Smelling company and by tn,
United Stores company in conjunction
whereby trade and collections ar,
guaranteed by the wages of the mine
Workers-are not these methods, ask
an interference with personal liberty
and are they not in restraint of trade.
as forbidden by federal statute, tbs
Sherman antitrust law?
The United Stores company. as IS
well known, conducts boarding house
and mercantile business In Mace and
Burke, another In Mullan and store
in Wallace, acquired last year by pur-
chase from James A. Allen. In the
former towns the monopoly of trade is
practically complete, while in Wallace
some competition EXISTS.
The Federal Mining & Smelling
company is ostensibly engaged in the
mining and milling Of lead ores, but
the mercantile and hotel business of
the United Stores company is appar-
emily of great importance, as is evil
denced by the keen interest shown by
the Federal officials in their success.
How Conditions Could Be Improved.
How much more contented and pros
porous would be our little Coeur
d'Alene towns if the profits derived
from handling food, household sup
plies and clothing could be retained at
home, to aid in the support and up
building of the district, instead of be-
ing transferred directly to the pockets
of outside parties having no other
than mercenary interests.
1t seems almost incredible that so
great concern as the American
Smelling and Refining company, com
monty called the smelter trust, whose
interests extend from Alaska to Pata-
gonia, should so apply its influence to
this little corner of Idaho as to exact
tribute from each working man who
purchases for himself and his family
the necessities of life. But such is the
case. The power is applied in New
York. Is conveyed through the vari-
Gus branches of the Federal Mining e.
Smelling company and the United
Stores company and is finally COM
municated to the miners and mill en-
ployes subtle, almost silent, in It's
action, but carrying sufficient voltage
to insure submission in most cases.
Sample Of Consistency.
In April of this year, at meeting
of the Boise commercial club during
the week of Home Industry celebra-
ton President and Manager H. /
Day in a speech before that body
advocated the policy of buy
ing at home and at all times giving
Idaho products the preference. Con-
sistency is certainly a Jewel for the
same man gives his official sanction to
on mercantile monopoly in
Shoshone county, organized in Wash
ington for doing business here, and
its total profits outside
the borders of Idaho.
Mining Company Not Beneficiary.
The Federal Mining company is In
no way compensated for assisting n
for the United Stores. An
order given a merchant by workman
if turned into the Federal office. is sent
to the United Stores and there per
cent is charged for it's collections.
If workman desires to draw money
or his wages before payday, he does
not apply at the Federal office. but at
the store where he Is charged com
mission Of 5 per cent on the loan of
his own money and of 10 per cent on
sums less than $40, even though pay
udy pC OiiiS q lCW udyo IL
will thus be seen, that man paying
per cent interest for Today ad-
vance on his earnings, is paying inter-
est equivalent to 1SO per cent per year
No Interest for the Miner.
It is probably not necessary to ex-
plain here that any given payroll made
up on any given date. represents wage
armed during the preceding month
For instance, man beginning work
for the Federal M. & S. company
on August 1 and continuing the same
receives no wages until September Is
and then for the month of August on
y, thus the Federal Mining company
has had the use, without interest Of
his first days earnings for A day
and so on up to his 30th days earn
ngs for Is days. In the meantime his
credit is made good with the UniteN
Stores. company But If he wishes tc
lraw a few dollars for urgent need be-
fore payday, he Is charged heavy
as herein elsewhere re