The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1918-12-27

been granted the privilege of an in
crease in passenger fares-which il
is collecting. Both these transporta-
tion lines are owned by the st. Joe
Lead Co. So it will be readily seen
that the control of these great min
ing companies is constantly reaching
out their tenacles for every penny
that can be possibly raked in, appar-
emily absolutely regardless of what
tomorrow may bring forth.
What can such short-sighted policy
hope for the morrow to bring? Their
workmen must be fed, If they are to
work. We have it from no less an
authority than Hon. Frank P. Walsh,
member of the War Board, who has
made close investigation into condi-
tions in the lead belt, that it requires
72k cents an hour, for an 8-hour
day, and 6 work days week, to keep
an ordinary sized family in common
necessities of life, in that district
Now the work days have been reduced
to five week, and already there are
rumors of direct wage reduction
But of all the wage reductions in that
district, who has ever heard of any
reduction being made in the pay of the
high salaried employees of those COM
panies, or of the services" of the
many whose one big act is scooping
in their pay check, being dispensed
with? If there was real need of ere
trenchment and reform" in the man
agement of such companies, would it
not appear to be more real if the
high salaries were scaled somewhat
and the services of many dispensed
with entirely.
1t appears to the writer that the
present management of those COM
panies are Sowing to the winds"
which must return to their own great
loss, We say these things because we
feel-we know-they are true. The
Times management holds no i'll feel
ing for the mine owners. They
should be truly wonderful asset to
the people and affairs of this county
and if the "Fuller Bluffs" and "Fuller
Bulls" were squeezed out of their
management and control they would
be--as the Good Lord intended they
should be--a benediction, rather than
a handicap, to this community. All
good citizens are pleased to see them
make good dividends on their invest
ment and development. To all of that
they are entitled. But The Times does
regret, and object, most strenuously
when they appear to be attempting to
boil profits out of the blood of their
workmen and families, whose labor
makes it possible for them to earn
honest dividends.
Then, again, besides those who are
doubtless drawing fat salaries in the
offices Of these companies, with prac-
tically no work attached thereto
there are scores of attorneys who are
drawing large yearly retainers for
the purpose of attending to the legal
affairs of the several companies. That
many of these attorneys are 1swork-
ing" hard needs no proof. They will
admit that fact. In fact, in the local
field are attorneys who can annihilate
several celluloids in the course Of a
few hours "working"-practically a
collar an hour. Of course such work
must be well paid for. That they
keep busy demonstrating to the com
panieS that they "are cheap at the
price" is again illustrated by the fact
that the companies have gone into a
pool" and refused to pay their tax
es for the current year. Such taxes in
this county will aggregate something
like 100000, and the county will be
compelled to go into court to force
them to pay. Such proceedings are
expensive, especially to the companies,
but their lawyers must give such
demonstrations to show that they are
o:.rning their pay. Then, too, when
i comes to matters of this kind, there
lc never any appearance of "econo-
mizing" on the part of the companies.
But, back to the original PROPOSE
ton: When the company managers at
tempt to increase their dividends, in
a reconstruction period such as is the
present one, by attempting to decrease
the earnings of their workingmen
while the prices of life's necessities
remain at the high water mark, they
are attempting to juggle fire and dy-
Mantle. 1t is dangerous game
which any one capable of handling a
large business will readily see. Bet
ter be content with reduced profits for
awhile-even loss-until the cost of
living is reduced. Then the working.
men will not object to a proportionate
reduction in wages. The workers in
the lead district are in no mood to toll
crate the pressing down of unbeara-
BILE hardship upon them by an aggre-
cation of Fuller Bulls" and "Fuller