Montana labor news., 1932-04-28
UTAH CITIZENS URGE COPPER
PROTECTION

TKUlEIllUN
SALT LAKE CITY-Two thousand names representing approximately
100000 voters in the state are attached to a petition to the Utah congress
sonal delegation at Washington, urging that the copper mining industry in
the United States be given full protection from foreign competition. Plans
are under way to have the lengthy document taken to Washington by Harry
S. Joseph, Salt Lake City mining engineer and political leader. Joseph
stated that congressional delegations from Idaho, Montana, Arizona, Cali
fOrnia, Oregon, Wyoming, Washington, Tennessee, Michigan, Nevada, New
Mexico, Colorado and Minnesota also will be urged to favor protective legis-
ahon by their respective constituents.
Reports Support.
Joseph, who has canvassed the state in behalf of satisfactory congress
sional legislation during the last two months, reported that he has obtained
support of the movement from practically every field of endeavor in the
state. He mentioned the names of Heber j. Grant, DR.. Richard R. Lyman,
DR.. Joseph F. Merrill, former Gov. Charles H. Mabey, Dan B. Shields, Ernest
Bamberger and !, R Marshall as indicative II the high caliOer of mi
viduals interested.
In addition to the support of city, county and state officials, including
Gov. George H. Dern, chambers of commerce, civic clubs and fraternal or
CARNATIONS, Joseph stated that outstanding representatives of the following
organizations have aligned themselves in favor of giving domestic copper
adequate protection:
Utah Cattle and Horse Growers association, Utah Lumbermens ass@a-
ton, Utah State Farm Bureau federation, the Utah State Federation of
Labor, the Utah Manufacturers association, the Utah State Woolgrowers
association, the Utah Gamers association, the American Legion and the
Salt Lake Executives association. In addition. Mr.. Joseph stated that he
had obtained the support of 800 individual members of the Salt Lake Cham
Der of Commerce to a copper tariff IS well as the unanimous support of
the Salt Lake Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, of which he is
exalted ruler.
Mr. Joseph stated that the question at issue in the tariff discussions is:
Are we going to compel the American copper miner to continue a life and
death struggle n competition with labor in Africa and South America? All
that copper is asking for, and all. Jet those dependent upon it seek, is
for the right to share in the traditional tariff policy of the United States"
Raw Copper Unprotected.
Copper in manufactured FORMS" Mr.. Joseph continued, Ts protected by
a tariff but raw copper has no such protection. Tariff protection also is
granted to lead, zinc aluminium, iron and steel, and since one-half of the
total operating costs in the United States is represented by labor we feel
that an adequate tariff is necessary"
The petition which Joseph will take to Washington, follows:
while economic depression has bighted commerce and industry through
out the United States, the domestic copper mining industry is suffering from
double adversely. To the general condition of economic stagnation, copper
mining has the added burden of meeting a competition unprecedented for
magnitude and RIGHTEOUSNESS. Conditions of unemployment in the nation
are serious but distress among copper miners and their dependents is
critical.
twenty-five hundred families Or about 10000 persons, are destitute at
Butte, Montana, looking to charity for food clothing, shelter and medical
attention; about 1900 are in the same condition in the copper mining
communities of Arizona, and in Salt Lake county there re $4,000 persons
whose immediate needs are a public problem. A fund of 100000 is being
raised at Salt Lake City for the benefit of the unemployed, Situations are
similar in other mining districts.
at is obvious t, those of US who live in copper mining states, and who
are familiar with present social, political and economic conditions, that an
emergency of sufficient magnitude is existent that ought to be given special
attention of congress.
Can Work Out Salvation.
Distress in the copper mining industry among its workers and those
apart from other problems and issues Conditions are paramount to the
Belgian devastation, japanese earthquake and other calamties to which
Americans have contributed millions for relief, but unlike sufferers from
those foreign catasnophes, the American copper miner a and will work
out his W salvation if relieved of the oppression of competition of imports
of duty-free, fOreign-mined copper. The American copper miner wants
work, not charity.
at is patent that the closing of copper mines is causing not only copper
miners great distress, but that deporabe conditions have been brought about
and other industries, in the supporting of schools, hospitals, churches, other
institutions of public welfare, menacng public health and safety and threat
enhng tic undermine III social systems and political governments.
Remedy in Protection.
"The remedy for all these dangerous conditions lies in protecting the
copper mining industry of the United States from the uncontrolled compe-
tton given in our wv country by the cheap labor copper of foreign coun-
tries. The expeditions and feasible method of control may be had by proper
and immediate tariff Legislation. We earnestly urge you % exert yourself
to the utmost to secure adequate tariff protection for our copper miners,
so that the present emergency may be passed without riskng a complete
breakdown of that which we. have built up during the half century past +"
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