The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1918-08-09
JUDGE B0URQUIN
SCORES PR0FITEERS.
SAYS I WANT WEALTH WOBBLIES' HAVE GREAT
ADVANCE OVER THE OTHER KIND

retain from contemplated some tim,
re1und enough to average s2.7O pe,
ION mine run. 1t likewise submit,
SAID representatives. statement tha
Offenders like defendant have hee,
given opportunity to refund, that onl
"hen refund has not been made ha,
there been prosecution for the crime
and complains it was given no sucr
opportunity.
now defendant could secure such
prices, if other operators sold at fixed
prices, is a mystery. 1t may be, how.
ever, that the others knew of that
feature of the law which exem, /.
from Its provisions contracts made
prior to prices fixed, and forehanded-
ly provided themselves with such con-
tracts, an easy way to defeat its
purpose.
According to defendants figures,
In the two months of its offending it
sold 11,152 tons of coal.
AT fixed prices it would have lost
sl,3SS, and at its prices its profit is
S7,l57.-- Apparently defendant per-
formed its patriotic duty at the con-
sumer's expense and for a good round
prOflt-assmuing it's costs include
capital invested i'm the mine. As a
matter of fact, defendant deliberately
went on strike" for living wage
and profit. 1t struck against the coal
consumers, the government and the
law, and therein committed Gas did
its manager) many felOnies. Fortu-
nately for defendant simple realities
are not always appreciated. And
corporation employing labor and not
labor in corporation employ, it was
not able to take what it wanted, to
win its strike quietly and without
conspicuous parades, assemblies
speeches-without being subject to
villification for a Socialist, Nonparti-
san, l. w. w. and ro-German-with-
out being even threatened with any
direct action.
Let those who about the time of
defendants offending (if not now)
were free in denunciation of labor's
efforts efforts cOnstained by con-
stantly mounting cost of the necessi-
ties of life and largely due to con-
duct like defendant's) to advance
wages in proportion to rise in living
expenses, ponder these facts and
more equitably apportion their CEN
sure.
Defendant at least is further for
tunate in that it can not be subjected
to Imprisonment. lit may be its un-
lawful profits are not SO great as to
earn defendant a place amongst those
recently cited by the president as
given over to "unrestrained selfish
ness" and that justice requires it be
given now the opportunity it COM
plains was not given it heretofore.
In money Offenses, restitution is
the essence of justice. To imprison
the offender, to heavily mulct him in
fines for the public treasury, is cold
comfort to his victims in that it too
often defeats their just expectations
of restitution or reimbursement, by
the offenders time and
his resources.
Accordingly the sentence and
of the court is that de-
fendant be and hereby is fined in
the amount of $4,000 upon each
Of the four counts in the indictment,
with leave if so advised to move for
a stay pending restitution within the
term; and restitution made, the
court may be further moved to modl-
fv the sentence and Judgment be-
cause thereof.
July 20, 1918. BoURQUIN, J.
Butte Bulletin.