The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1919-04-24
UTAH MINERS AND HIGH COST
OF LIVING.

their employees and of supplies which
they purchase in the course of theil
business To this end they have is
sued a letter TO the business men OF
Salt Lake City and of the various mi
ming camps adjacent to the mines
and shelters, in which they point out
the disappearance of the market fol
copper and lead following the arms
tice and the present low prices OF
those metals. The sudden slump in
the prices threw a great burden upon
mining and smelling companies, fore
ing some to suspend and all to curtail
production and necessitating a cut OF
from rs cents to 81 per day in wages
But while these curtailments and re-
duction Of wages have been made, the
cost of living and all mining supplies
have remained on a war basis and in
some instances higher. The compan-
les have therefore determined to in
vestigate the situation first hand, and
if general relief can not be obtained
1t is clearly intimated that further
suspensions may be necessary. Ac-
companying the letter Is a price list
In which information Is asked regard
ing prices paid for food in 1915, 1915
rice, sugar, butter, peas, string beans
tomatoes, eggs, ham, bacon, pork
beans, etc. Concluding the letter tc
the business men, the operators say:
The only two items OF expense
over which the metal mine owner
has any control are payroll and
supply accounts, and he must
look to these for relief If he is to
continue his operations.
Wages have come down. Other
costs must come down or the
mines will close, and if the mines
close the smelters close.
We have been unable to ascer-
tain that those who furnish sup
plies to us and necessaries of life
to our employees are making eff
forts to reduce the cost Of these
,N1t Tfa1A ntt Ill
this line is taken at once, and
substantial reductions are made,
many more mining properties will
close down in the near future.
This would cause great distress
to our men and their families
and injury to the commercial and
manufacturing interests of the
state as well as to the mining in
dustry.
We have determined to act in
the matter ourselves, rather than
to remain acquiescent and see our
own business crippled with con-
sequent bad effect on the state as
a whole.
Our preliminary inquiries dis
close that costs of supplies and
necessares in Salt Lake City and
the mining camps are as high to-
day as they were last July. We
propose to extend our inquiries
as far as possible and to take
such action as will best serve our
welfare and that of our employees.
Your cooperation is invited to
solve a situation which, If not
corrected in the immediate future,
will seriously injure your bust
ness as. we'll as ours.
We are collecting data from all
sources. and ask you to assist by
supplying us the information re-
quested on the accompanying
blank, together with anything else
you believe would be of value in
the premises.
The mining industry has borne
all Of the present burden 1t can
stand. Others interested must
assume part of the load unless
they are prepared to sacrifice at
least a considerable portion of
the benefits they have derived
through mining activity and
through the patronage of those
who gain their livelihood from
mining in this state.
The letter is signed by: liner Petit
general manager Bingham Mines
and Eagle and Blue Bell Mi
ming company, chairman: c. e. Allen,
of Mines. U. s. Smelling,
and Mining company; Fred
Cowans, general manager Utah Con-
Mining company; c. f. Jen-
nings, assistant purchasing agent
Utah Copper company; f. j. West
colt, secretary Silver King Coalition
Mines company and ]. B. Whitehill
ore purchasing agent International
company.