The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1919-01-24
CONDITIONS in LEAD
BELT AGAIN CRITICAL
If Serious Trouble in That District is
to be Avoided, There Must Be I'm
proved Company Management

week, without previous notice, which
leaves practically 1900 out of employ
ment, at this most critical time of the
year, when their families must be fed
and clothed--or perish.
Now, the facts are that there is a
profit to the lead companies with the
price of lead even less than it is at
present, and the only reason The
Times can see for such drastic action
by them is that they have been spoiled
by the immense "war profits" they
have been so long enjoying. In years
past mining has been industriously
carried on in that field with lead sell
ing at q cents pound, and less.
The Times understands that the
company influence has even been at
tempting to raise the issue that the
school buildings and schools in that
district are far better than they should
be, with the evident purpose Of Sc
curing a reduction in their tax rate,
which they have refused to pay for
1918. 1t is true there are fine schools
in the lead belt. But that fact should
be d matter of congratulation on the
part of the companies, rather than a
subject for censure by them. Are they
afraid that with better educational
facilities they will be unable to secure
in the future a proper amount of
workmen to bring them in their pres
ent profits?
As The Times views the lead belt
situation, and we cannot believe that
this paper is in the least biased
against the lead companies, either the
Government will have to take hand
in Strengthening out matters there or
else serious trouble is likely to result,
as the present management Of those
companies is not big and broad enough
to build for tomorrow. They seem
to be content so long as they can con-
tinue to rake in the pennies today.
Really big men are required to conduct
big business. That fact will again be
proved out in the management of the
great mining corporations in the lead
belt.
The above conclusions have been
reached by the writer only after get
ting expressions from scores of others,
who have long been familiar with af-
fairs and conditions in the lead belt,
so that the foregoing may be taken
more as a community expression, than
the Individual views of any person. AS
proof of this, we quote prominent
Leadwood citizen in regard to the
present conditions in that mining
community:
81 want to give you little insight
as to what the st. Joe Lead Co. is
trying to pull off in Leadwood. We
have the best lead mines here that the
st. Joe Co. owns, and the men have the
strongest union here of any town in
the lead belt; also the company owns
more property here than at any other
town in the lead belt. At the begin
ming of the war the Company had far
more at STAKE than the workingmen
did. The Government guaranteed the
Company an eXtortionate price on
their product for the duration of the
war. The men in this community
vert over the top in all four Liberty
Loans; they bought more War Saw
ings Stamps here than at any other
town In the county, except Farming
ton; they went over the top in both
drives for the Red Cross; they went
over in the Y. M. c. A., as well as the
United War Work.
"A great many miners have bought
homes of the Company, in payment
for which a certain amount is held
back from their wages each month,
and if single payment is missed,
then the property reverts back to the
This property was all pur-
chased at price far in excess of its
true value, after the tenants had paid
in rent more than enough to pay for
the Improvements.
But before the men marched off to
war they were given to understand
that on their return their jobs would
be waiting for them. The boys went
forth and won the war; some lost
their lives; others are returning home
crippled for life; while still others re-
main whole and in fit condition to re-
turn to their former work in the mines
and mills, only to find them closed
down, with no work in sight; families
are being broken up by the men who
are able being forced from their
homes, in this mid-winter season, in
attempts to find work.
"Of course no workmeh could have
much money laid away, at the present
high cost Of living, and they are COM
pelled to sell their Liberty Bonds and
War Savings Stamps for whatever
they can get for them. And such con-
ditions have been brought about abso-
lutely without cause that / can see,
unless it is for the purpose Of crush
ing organized labor; it may also con-
tain a blow at the present admins
tration.
LEAD is still above the average
price; yet the company recently post
ed notices, without a moments notice
to the men, that the mines and mill
would be closed that night, until fur
ther notice. / think this going strong
er that the deposed Kaiser would have
gone; there is even less humanity here
demonstrated than occasionally seeked
through his campaign of frightful-
ness"
asr, xrn,