The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1914-03-14
RENT IN BUTTE
is INTOLERABLE
Cost of Living in Western, Camp
Is Cause of Grave Concern

The cost Of living in Butte. Montana
the fedora uncontrolled city to which
asitators have often pointed as the
haven OF the workingman, has 81
mounted that the problem has become
enc Of grave concern. despite vases
that are paid in the camp. Amons
other thincs that are complained %:
and one for which relief is an immedi-
ate necessity is the matter OF rents,
which il is admitted. is intolerable.
In an effort 10 bring about a reduc-
tion In the cost of living, the work
inGmen OF Butte are uniting with the
business, according 10 the following
from Butte Post:
Within a few days a committee rep
resenting the Butte Miners union, the
strongest union i'm the west, and an
other representing the Butte Chamber
of Commerce, will come together L.
discuss some practicable way of deal
ing locally with the hish-cost- uf-livinS
question. This plan was determined
upon at "a meeting OF the Butte cham
her last night after conference with
a committee from the Miners union.
The hope was expressed last night
that something effective might he aC-
complished in the way of relief for 4
situation that admittedly is becoming
more serious. While wages apparently
have reached the limit under present
conditions. the cost Of living appears
To Doe steadily mounting. What can lac
done about it? That is the question
asked 10y the Miners union represeu-
tatives Of the business men last night
W lille the answer is not immediatcly
forthcoming, it is proposed 10 go to the
bottom Of the subject, with view ia
a plan that will offer some
thing better than resolutions or the
1ries and that from the plan will
spring a movement helpful to the en-
ire community.
Miners In Earnest.
Chairman Duffy told the business |
men last night that the miners felt |
hat something should be done To re-
luce the cost of living i'm Butte He
'aid that i'm respect to living costs the
situation was going from bad 10 worse.
seven years ago the subject WIS
'rOaChed before the Butte Business
Mems association of which the late u
!. Hennessy was president The min
'rs, he said, were assured that the
aiSe in wages would not mean an in
rcase in the cost of living. ON the
ontrarv, he said prices immediately
we're advanced. The restaurants were
mong the first % take advantage Of
he miners and then the business men
md the property owners profted by
he raise i'm wages. Nh Duffy said that
ndcr the agreement the miners re-
eived the advance in wages seven or
light months only. After the wages
we're automatically dropped To the old
Gale however. the old prices were not
estorcd. As a matter of fact, every
hange since, he said, had been to adj.
ance prices. Rents were higher ana
llnoSl lnlolcrdDlc.
Want Remedy.
Merchants and business men al
'ays keep prices up. Flour is sold
heaper in other places than Butte
18th its three transcontincntal rail-
Dads. Men in Anaconda at SO a day
an do better than the miner in Butte
I $3.50. They 20 out and compete
18th Spokane ana other places, where
wing Is cheaper than here, and Yet
eep the prices up i'm Butte. Go up on
ne hill and YOU will see hundreds ~
zen rustlinL for jobs. More and moro
Zen are coming in. The poor fund IS
'pleted. The condition of the miners
as better 10 years aco than it is now.
hen they could afford TO lay off a
ty now and then; now they have TO
ork as steadily as they can in order
, live. We ask YOU to try to remedy ;
'mc Of these things. Bring down the {
rice Of commodities 10 a reasonable, s
lSis. There is no inducement to raise !
family here Men coming off shift i
the early morning see the little fc,-
ws who have To sell papers To help
lc family out"
William o. Bricn told the business \
on that the cost of living was great
in Butte now than it was Il years /
go, while the WAGES Of the miners arc \
c same. He said tina, i'm order to !
axe ends meet. miners were now I
'mpolled 10 work every day, whereas ]
rmerly they could take shift OF /
w and then. :
AS to Rents. &
James n. Rove, referring TO tn
atemcnt that rents had been advanc- {
To a point beyond reason, said that 5
le returns on Investments Of that ,
were even less than they |
rmerly were. He said that the costs {
material and labor had been ad =
inccd 20 such a degree that property {
"ners did not get more than a far {
turn on their Investments. although I
many instances they were collecting {
Icreased rents. He cited instances - \
low that even in the cases where t
'nts appeared to he high, because or {
INes. assurances and incidental ex- !
anScs, all Increased over former ,
Ears, the rate of return was less than {
per cent. $
Alderman Merry said that the min I
~ had hmm i,,,.-..l ....... .