Montana labor news., 1934-10-11
DRIFTS AND RAISES
(This column contributed by Butte
Miners Union No. -

said 1T would have to be the Rich
est hill on earth to survive the mis-
management that has existed all these
years, has been exploited Of its min
eral wealth to the extent Of between
ESQ million and $500 million dollars
in the past fifty years. Most OF the
net amount Of this wealth has gone in
to the Golfers of the A. c. M. Co OF
ficers and stockholders.
1t is of very rare occurance to lind
a group Of men connected with an in
stitution or business that has had as
lucrative a history as that of the A. G.
Nj Co., and who has been as consist
emily ungrateful and indifferent to the
city or community that has been res
ponsible for the production OF that
wealth, as the officers of this great
corporation.
The richest hill on earth has been
exploited and ravished of its riches -
ruthlessly and remorselessly - with
out any thought Of any permanent re-
turn of any kind to the people of
Butte or the commonwealth of Mon
tana by this great octopus of wealth.
There is not a public park or a child
ren's playground worthy Of the name,
within the city limits and the city gov
eminent is practically bankrupt Largely
because of the domination in city af-
fairs by this same corporation over a
long period Of years.
+ + =
This mining business is in a class by
itself, because as the business is carri-
ed on it means the progressive destruc-
ton OF the property. In this respect,
it is unlike most other business enter
prises.
The merchant does not destroy his
business or the building in which his
business is done. The farmer harvests
a crop in the fall, but he Immediately
takes steps to plant another crop in
the spring, and this routine may be
followed for fifty or one thousand
years, and at the end of that time -
if certain rules have been followed -
the land is probably more productive
than when it wa first planted. This
doesn't hold true in the mining game.
When the mineral wealth has been
taken out Of a mine, nothing of value
remains. 1t means the absolute des-
t~ruction of that which made this ground
valuable. This wealth is forever lost
to the people. 1t is a permanent, II
reparable loss and cannot be replaced.
Therefore, during the comparative short
life of a mining property, the people
should benefit to the fullest possible
extent from its exploitation. First, the
people directly engaged in the pro-
duction OF this wealth; and, Second,
all the people of the State.
We are old-fashioned enough to be-
lieve in the maxim: "The greatest
good to the greatest number" We
further believe in this connection, that
when an individual or group of indivi-
duals acquire title to a portion of the
public domain that cannot be used and
exploited privately and individually,
but must be and is being used and ex-
plotted collectively the wealth thus
collectively produced should have the
status of collective ownership and that
the acquisition of title should be mere
ly of a directory nature and should
not carry any idea Of monopoly with
it. OF course this plan would mean
merely a co-partnership of capitalists
and producers, which might help a little
A much better plan would be to kick
the capitalists out of the picture and
take over these natural resources as
we'll as the machinery of production
and distribution and produce for use
instead Of profit. This may seem like
a tall order to many of us who haven't
studied the subject very deeply. Sure
ly we are not ready to admit that we
are less progressive or f~orward-look-
ing than the people Of our sister re-
public to the south. Yet this is the
very program the Mexican govern
ment is putting into operation at this
moment. This is not being done by a
Democrat or Republican government
in Mexico. 1t is a Labor government,
called by some a Socialist government.
In fact some people are rude enough
to call it a left-wing Socialist outfit.
Whatever its exact status may be, the
fact still remains, that it is revolution
izing the economic life of the country.
If our government was travelling along
similar lines, right now, the mine own
ers and officials, the oil well owners
and officials, the gas owners and Of
ficials as we'll as the owners and Of
ficials of practically all other natural
resources would be packing their trunks
and removing themselves off the job
and off the backs Of the common peo-
pie. Uncle Sam will take this step
voluntarily or otherwise - just as soon
as a sufficient number of the people,
by their ballots signify hat they want
the job done. It can be done now by
ballots later on it may require bullets
but the job must be done. The pre-
sent intolerable conditions cannot,
must not and shall not continue. That
way means Slavery.
Resolutions on industrial unionism
have not yet reached the floor of the
A. F. of l.. Convention but are in the
background to plague the b%ureaucrats.
Knowing that a powerful drive will be
made for an industrial union policy,
John P. Frey of the Metal Trades