The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1919-03-13
WILL REDUCE WAGES
SUNDAY, MARCH IS
Mining Companies
Post Notices at
Mines
ACTION Is ANTICIPATED
Employees Will Accept New
Rate--Companies Forced
to Reduce Wages
ACTION is ANTICIPATED

MdFCIl 10, Tic WdSSS Va oiA SAAA
ployes Of mining companies OF
the Occur dAlene district will
be reduced 81 per day That Is to say,
instead of receiving bonus of $1.75
per day which was paid during the
war and has been maintained up to
this time, the bonus will be rs cents
per day, making miners wages $4.25
per day instead Of $5.25. Notice to
this effect was posted at all the mines
last Saturday. The reduction in wages
was fully anticipated by employees,
and up to this time there is no evil
dence Of a disposition to reject the
reduced rate. Employees apparently
recognize the difficulties under which
the mining companies are now oper-
ating, and that it Is necessary to ac-
cept the reduction, or force suspen-
sion of mining operations altogether
1t is a condition and not theory that
confronts the employees as well as the
mining companies. The demand for
lead is far below production even with
the output curtailed, and the surplus
carried by the smelters is steadily in
creasing Upwards of 5000 tons OF
pig lead is now stored at the Bunker
Hill smelter awaiting orders, and
this situation is duplicated at all 9TH
er lead smelters. 1t is known that.
owing to the low price of the metal as
compared with the high cost of min
ing, the presence of silver i'm Occur
dAlene ores is the chief factor in
keeping the mines running up to this
time But even this favorable condi-
tion is not sufficient to enable some OF
the mines to earn a profit. Although
wages have been reduced in many OF
the mining districts of the west,
Coeur dAlene OBJ efators have been
lcath to make the reduction, hoping
that the cost of living would come
down to point that would make the
cut less burdensome to their en-
ployes. However, it appears that the
reduction in wages can he no longer
delayed, and that further operations
must depend upon it's acceptance by
their employees.
High Cost Of Living.
There is no disposition to minimize
the unfortunate effect of reducing
wages upon employees, particularly
men with families. The cost OF gro
ceries, meat, clothing, drygoods. hard
ware, fuel, rents, in fact everything in
the way of household necessities, re-
mains on war basis, and some are
even higher than during the war. The
question of high living costs is ma
tlon- wide and is due to influences
that can not be controlled by local
communities. There is no evidence
that profiteering prevails among the
Coeur dAlene business men. On the
contrary. business men of the district
since the armistice was signed have
been in the same position as the min
ing companies and which now con-
fronts the wage Garner. They have
been forced tosreduce their forces ana
cut expenses in order to make ends
meet. The high prices we pay no
doubt represents an inordinate prof1t
to some one, but 1t Is not the retail
dealer. 1t is possible that there are
isolated cases Of profteering in the
district. In Butte, following the re-
duction OF wages by the mining COM
panies, committee was appointed by
a mass meeting for the purpose Of in
vestigating the high cost of living and
If possible bring pressure to bear to
reduce 1t. The committee found some
cases of profiteering, but as rule
they found high prices due to wide
spread conditions beyond the control
of local business men, who were TAX
ing no unfair profit 1t might be well
TO make such an investigation here,
but il is doubtful IL any material
benefit would be derived. Unfortun-
ately the only solution seems to be In
the general readjustment of business
to a peace basis which must eventual
ly come.
Mining Companies Give Notice.
Formal notices of the reduction Of
wages were posted by the various
mining companies last Saturday. Ac-
cording to the sliding scale based up
on the average price of lead for the
preceding month, the bonus this month
would be only 25 cents, or $S.75 pei
day. The rate adopted $4.25 per day
is therefore so cents above the sliding
scale. The notices posted by three