Montana labor news., 1932-05-12

The Editors Scratch Pad
A few suggestions to our Government, re the balancing
OF the budget. These cuts could be made and few tears
would be shed by the great masses of the citizens of our
land. We also think that these economies are far SUI
perlor to the present plan of wage cuts.
The first year when the citizens training camps were
organized they were advertised as vacations with I'm
Gle Sam paying the bill" The highest military authori-
ties regard them as of no strategic or military value. They
are entirely inadequate to provide officers. They might
be spared.
We spent twelve million dollars a year on the Reserve
OFFICERS Training Corps, or nearly four thousand per
officer produced. That's the price of a mighty good
college education. They are coming pretty high for the
quality of training they receive.
Our two aircraft carriers are so vulnerable that they
are sunk" every time we have naval manoeuvers. Their
defense or naval value is therefore nil. But they cost
eight million dollars a year. This is hardly a year to
buy zero for eight million dollars.
Admiral Sims says that the only place for our battle
ship fleet in time of war would be as far up the Mis-
sissippi as they can go. We have fifteen of these bat
tleships and each of them cost two hundred and fifty
million dollars during its life time, or a total of three
billion seven hundred and fifty million dollars for the
fleet. Another zero that comes most powerfully high.
Speaking of economy, it seems as though we ought to
be able to have it if we really want it at all.
And while we are at it let us get the low down on some
more copper figures and facts.
Copper companies are beginning to boast of the re-
suits IN dollars and cents of an intensive drive of i'm
provement and economies including, of course, speed
up and wage-cutting as the chief elements in the drive,
says the Labor Research Assn.
Nevada Consolidated Copper Co. reduced its cost of
making copper from 8.88 cents a pound in the first
quarter of 1881 to IA cents a pound in the last quarter
of 1881. II it were operating at capacity, the cost would
be only cents a pound. Utah Copper Go. has still lower
costs, averaging $50 cents a pound during 1881. utah
Copper controls Nevada Consolidated and is itself con-
trolled by Morgan's Kennescott Copper Corp
Anaconda Copper Mining Co. reports that at Butte the
costs are the lowest In the history of the camp. "Oper-
ating at only 40 per cent of capacity last year, with av-
erage copper price s 1-3 cents a pound, Anaconda was
able to make an operating profit of more than $2,750,
.000."
The closing of copper plants continues. Phelps Dodge
Corp. (Arizona) will close for an indefinite period it's
plants at Ajo from April "a and at Morenci from July /.
1t will continue production only at its Bisbee properties.
Anaconda Copper Mining Co. has operated at 20 per
cent of capacity since April l. According to the Wall
Street Journal, "Wbat the copper industry needs is a
complete shutdown Of all output for six months, and
Anaconda is willing to take this step, if other producers
will do likewise"
Workers meantime report that for those who still have
any job at all, copper wages have been cut from about
$3.50 to 1915 a day.
A tariff on copper is demanded by governors of cop
per mining states and officials of companies mining
copper only in this country. Even with normal con-
sumption under capitalism, the copper mines and smell
tiers have a world surplus capacity of nearly 1000, OOO-
900 pounds a year-almost as great as the total capacity
of all the copper works in the United States. Mines
in South America and Africa are producing copper
much more cheaply than mines in the United States.
Most of the imports of copper in the past have come
from American-owned mines in other countries-the raw
copper being imported for refining and then most of it
going out of the country again. New refineries abroad
are already drawing away much of the raw copper for
merly imported for refining in the United States, but
American producers (ed by Phelps Dodge Corp pre-
dict an increase Of imports from the low-cost fields in
competition for the American market.