Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1932-04-21
Governors Join
In StresSing Need
For Copper Tariff

PHOENIX, Ariz, April 19.-In petit
ton unique in the history of the United
States, the governors of IL states nave
Joined forces in pressing President
Hoover to advocate the immediate leg
islation of traiff on copper The docu-
ment, now on its way to the White
House urges full protection of the
American copper-mining industry
against competition of duty-free I'M
ports of foreign copper. The governors
charge that the domestic industry is
in extreme distress as result of stag
mating effects of cheap-labor metal
brought in from Africa and South
America. They call attention to the
present unprecedented unemployment
among domestic copper mine workers
and describe conditions in copper min
ing communicates approaching des-
olation. The petition Sears. the sigma
lures of the governors of Arizona, Ne
vada, New Mexico, California, Wash
ington,, Oregon, Utah, Tennessee, Mich
igan, Idaho, Wyoming and Montana, the
principal copper producing states of the
union
Governor Hunt, whose name heads
the list, said he is informed that never
before have the chief executives OF as
many states made such an appeal to
the president for the relief of an in
dustry.
"The signing of the petition shows
United States this industry is" Gov
ernor Hunt said. "The industry is so
important because it is essential to the
welfare of tens of thousands of our
citizens. 1t is necessary to all Arr
IONA, to the whole of number of other
states and revenue for the federal gov
munities.
Our copper miners are in dire need.
Steadily increasing oppression is not
only crushing our copper miners, but
it is also bearing down almost as heav-
lily on the rest of the people Of these
IL states. We must save our copper
miner In saving him we save all;
therefore, we must carry on until we
win. We cannot accept defeat he
stated
Features of Petition.
The petition warns the president
that billions of dollars invested in this
country in copper mining and associ-
ated industries are on the verge of be-
ing wiped out and that copper mining
communities are being steadily de-
populated. An impending calamity is
upon one of the nations basic in
dustries it recites.
1T is impossible for American mine
workers to compete with low wage
foreign labor Living conditions in the
United States cannot be on the same
level with those of the primitive peo-
pies Of Central Africa and the west
coast Of South America it states.
Producers of copper in foreign
lands have every advantage. They can
sell their copper at half the price of
domestic copper and realize greater
profit" it claims
| Among those directly harmed by the
conditions of the domestic mining in
dustry are listed farmers, railroads,
producers of lumber and fuel oil, man.
ufacturers of machinery, tools, mine
equipment, materials and supplies,
home and office furnishings, wearing
/, apparel, foodstuffs, and automobiles.
Taxes for towns, cities, counties and
states and reevnue for the federal gov
eminent have been largely diminished
by the initiative condition Of copper
mining in the United States is empha-
sized
Attention is called that cooper is an
essential part Of almost all war machin-
| cry and munitions.
with the disappearance of copper
mining in the United States, the de-
| Tense of the nation would be materiallv
weakened. Once the copper mines of
| the country are closed, our army, navy,
and air forces would be placed at the
mercy Of foreign copper producers
The petition concludes with the fol-
lowing paragraphs:
History shows that lasting prosperity
in the copper mining industry in the
United States occurs together with ade-
quate tariff protection whether or not
this country exported small or large
amounts of the metal Tariffs which
prevented excessive copper imports
have benefited domestic copper min
ing. Low prices for domestic copper
have always followed increased impor-
tations Of the metal
In consideration of the foregoing
facts, we respectfully urge that you
apprise Congress of the plight of our
copper mining industry and recon-
mend the immediate levying of such
imposts as shall prevent excessive i'm
portations of foreign copper.