The Winslow mail., 1923-01-19

Representative J. w. Mayes of Pima
County is the man who introduced
the measure in the state legislature
covering some of the problems which
have become an acute issue in the
mining camps of the state of Arizona.
representative Mayes has introduced
a bill which prohibits mining COM
panies from engaging in the mercan-
tile business, and another which pro-
hibits them from making deductions
from the pay checks of employees for
merchandise and other goods, but ex-
cepts deductions made for hospital
and medical services furnished by the
mining companies or their subsidia-
ries
Mr.. Mayes comes from the Ajo dis
trict, where "the company store" and
its system of holding out on the pay
checks of it's employees for merchan-
disc sold to them, threatens to put the
independent merchants out of busi-
takes the position that the company
store is not entitled to any special
privileges in conducting its mercan-
tile business, and in view of the large
capital back of them should ask no
odds in competition with the smaller,
Independent merchant. A struggling
"a oHi tn in
which is evidently receiving the
opposition of the mining company
operating at Ajo, is receiving some
very discriminatory treatment at the
hands of the copper company, accord
ing to the statement of Mr. Mayes.
In an interview with a Winslow Mail
reporter, in discussing the reasons for
the legislation which he sponsors,
Representative Mayes, said: Il have
never attempted before to explain to
anyone the evils. of the so-called
company store, which sometimes
sails under the misnomer of a "co-
operative store.
part of the people of the state have
beard something of the manifold evils
Yhich the company store system of
merchandising in large mining camps
jnvOlved. But there are many per-
sons who are comparatively recent
arrivals in the state, or who live in
agricultural communities where the
problem is not acute, who have little
Information on the subject"
THE main objection to the compa-
ny store is one that should damn it
in the eyes of all fair-minded red
blooded, liberty-loving people. And
that is that of it's very nature and
special privileges it invariably estab-
ljshes a monopoly. When people
have learned how the company store
or so-called cooperative store"
which is frequently referred to in the
really does create monopoly on the
mercantile business; then no further
condemnation will be necessary Dem
ccracy is unalterably opposed to such
monopolies"
Many persons unfamiliar with min
ing camp conditions fail to understand
how the company store can create a
monopoly Of business, in view of the
fact that there are other independent
merchants in business in the camp
and that resort may be had, they
think to purchasing from catalogue
houses or the purchase from outside
merchants through the parcels post
Such persons who have never lived
IN a mining camp have no realiza-
tjon of the methods used in many
cases to cause employees of the COM
panies to trade at the company stores
They do not understand, and can
scarcely believe when told, the meth
DDS of the company 'lieutenants" in
one way and another to induce en-
ployees to trade at the company
store. The Independent employee
who persists in trading elsewhere
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