The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1919-01-24

Inc condition OF affalrS IN the St.
Francois county lead belt are again
taking on a serious attitude. Just
how serious the present trouble may
be it is impossible at this time to
more than make guess, and this is
entirely too serious a matter to be
Guessed" at. The present conditions,
however, are reminder that this is
about the time of year when trouble
in the lead belt usually becomes most
serious--in the dead of winter. How
ever, the present season has not yet
presented to the workmen of that dis
trict the rigorous horrors that can pre-
sent themselves with zero weather to
workingman out of employment. To
such extent, at least, the season is
still favorable to the workmen.
While The Times management lays
claim to no unusual power of discern
ment, we do know that when a thing
appears to be plain to us, we are nev-
er backward about stating our posi-
tion when occasion arises. Therefore
we are going to present somewhat
brief sketch of the lead belt situation,
as it appeals to us. Such facts (if
they are not facts we shall be pleased
to be corrected) will be presented
wholly without camoufage, in as con-
crete form as possible, so that their
meaning will in no way be clouded. 1t
is the desire of The Times, in so do
ing, that such presentment will enable
anyone to come to just conclusion,
at least in regard to a few of the is
sues which appear to The Times to be
involved in the more or less chaotic
conditions in the lead belt.
In the first place, during the past
three and half years, while the price
of lead has been soaring to abnormal
heights owing to the unusual condi-
tions brought about by the great war,
the lead companies have taken out of
the bowels of st. Francois county the
stupendous amount of $150,O00,000
worth of pig lead, in round numbers,
leaving in its stead nothing but vast
caverns in the earth. Before going
further, it would be well to try and
digest that statement $150,000,00
of lead from this county in three and
a half years.
While the lead companies were
cleaning up such enormous profits on
lead, it required about two years
time before single bonus was added
to the wage Of the workingman. Even
then such "bonuses" were hardly suf-
ficient to make even a dent in the in
creased profits of the lead companies.
But the moment the price of lead de-
clined, at the close of hostilities, there
was an immediate closing down and
of the lines about the work
men throughout that district. And,
again it chances to be the mid-winter
season when this Tightening down"
takes place.
1t is already known to all, who have
any knowledge Of that mining field,
that the great corporations operating
there have Virtually d "strangle-
hold" on that entire district. They own
practically all the lands throughout
that district, leasing the surface fights
to the thousands of inhabitants for
building purposes, so that should the
towns "go dead, as they must with
the shutting down of the mines, all
buildings would revert to th% COM
panies, while the real homebuilder
would get nothing for his investment:
The surface lease money alone col
lected by these companies in the
course of year will amount to an
enormous sum, which The Times is un-
able to even approximate. Not only
this; the residents, and especially all
of the mine owners, are
forced to pay tribute to those great
for everything they con-
sumo and wear, with the single ex-
ception of air, which is still free in
that community. The companies get
their toll from practically every point
Of contact with the people throughout
that district.
They also own the steam and cleo
tric railways, and in that way get
their bit for every pound of freight
every package of express
they carry, for every passenger hauled
in fact for every letter that goes in
to that district the mine owners get
their stipend. So that it really is not
at all difficult for them to keep their
employees as "clean" as they may de-
sire. And there appears to be little
reason to doubt that they believe in
keeping their workmen "pretty clean"
In the past year or so freight rates
have been increased, as have express
and passenger rates, and only recently
the electric line, owned by the st. Jo-
seph Lead Company, received permis-
sion to increase the price Of commu-
tation tickets between Pennington
and Flat River from IS to $3.50, thus
trimming" hundreds Of their work.
men who live in Pennington on this
necessary ride to and from their work.
And now that the price Of lead has
dropped to about $5.55, the lead COM
panies appear to have little taste for
such moderate profits, after their long
enjoyment of war profits, and perhaps
have concluded to squeeze" the work
ingman for an additional "profit."
Their first move to bring about such
an accomplishment was to reduce the
days from seven to five per
week.
That was apparently accomplished,
L