The copper era and Morenci leader., 1920-12-17
statement By Norman Carmichael

MT Carmichael stated that he had called the Committees together to ex- plain to them the circumstances lead ing up to the notices which had been posted at the various time offices that morning, announcing reduction in wages and salaries.
 The conditions in the copper indus try. which, ever since the war stopped had been very bad, had during the past few months become, much worse.
 When the war stopped. the govern naents of the United States, Great Britain. France anl Italy had large stocks of copper on hand ready to be turned into munitions and other war supplies; this amounted to, approxim- ately, a billion pounds.
 In addition, about as much more copper lay scattered over the battle fields in France. which the French peasants have been gathering up ever since and selling, and there are still several hundred million pounds of this second hand copper which has not yet been used up.
 The copper companies in this coun- try, before the war, exported about forty percent of their copper to Eur ope, but on account of what is stated above practically very little has been exported since the war stopped.
 To meet these conditions. the cop per companies curtailed their produc- ton to about what they thought would find a ready market, and this Company shut down it's mines at Metcait and has only been operating it's No. 6 Con- centrator at two shifts per day; shut at instead of operating two furnaces at the shelter has only bsen .Derating one.
 This did not meet the. situation. as the price. which was 22Lse. at the elose of the war, has continued to 6-op ever sin. until it is now bet ween 13 and IA cts. which is below the .'ost Of producciI Y it while the markets will not absorb the amount of copper that is being made even on the reduced basis.
 This Company, if times were good. has the plant to make 60,000.00 lbs. Of copper per year, but during the last year has only made 35,00O,00 lbs, and it has now on hand, unsold. a stock of about 25,000.00O lbs, or about eight months production.
 All this time the cost of production has been at the highest point; the cost of wages and the cost of supplies have kept the cost of copper higher than the selling Drj q and the only reason for continuing to operate was to enable the Company to keep to gether it's organization and to provide means of livlihood for those who had nowhere else to go for work, hoping all the time that conditions would i'm proy e.
 Instead of improving, conditions have become worse during the last two or three months, and it has now become absolutely necessary to secure a lower cost by every means possible for which account the present reduc tion in wages is absolutely essential
 ? he cost of living is stIll F'gh, bu is coming down, and every effort is being made to get the price of com modities down, but MT. Carmichae pointed out that the wages to, be pai6 on the reduced scale are still higher than the present price of copper calls for and the bonus of $1.0O per day tt underground and 75c to surface men that has been paid to help meet tht high cost of living, will continue untt further notice.
 Mir. Carmichael said that he hoped the grievance committees would ex