The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1945-02-02
BY LoWNDEs MAURY

The New Republic announces that
the check off of ration cards for Mon
tana residents shows that there are
ninety thousand less people in the
state than when the war began. Only
about forty-five thousand departures
can be traced to inductions in the
Armed Services.
Why have the other forty-five thou
sand, ten per cent of our entire popu-
lation, departed, never to return, I'M
less, until the arrogant company over
lords and their blind allies, the big
cattle and sheep men, and their po-
litical tools, the Chambers of Com
merce, professional gamblers, Keno
pickpockets, and other promoters of
vice, change their modus operandi in
the Colonial set-up.
There are only about $500 miners
working on ore in Butte. The ACM
could use, and would probably en-
ploy If available, above 5000. With
out writing a brief for the mining
company, say that when lower rents,
lower prices for abundant better dairy
products, and other staple foods are
considered, actual wages are as high
in Butte as on the coast Fatal acct
dents seem no higher in the mines
here than in the industrial plants
there. The government wishes men
to work in the strategic metals mines
in preference to many other plants.
There is a west wide unpublished
boycott of laborers against the Ana
conda company. 1t springs from ha-
tired of that concerns 80 year policy
1t is not organized. 1t is effective
This dislike pervades the mining fra
ternity in Arizona, Green Cananea,
Nevada, as well as in this colony.
This silent hatred exists with thous-
ands of young folks born and raised
here The inertia of the company to
cooperate with civic welfare minded
people once living here has taken the
form of active hostility to the good or
happiness of Butte.
When l came here fifty years ago,
Butte was a large as Spokane-not |
for behind Denver or Seattle. Today
alternate vacancies exist on Broad !
way from Main to Wyoming streets;
the $250,00000 Thornton Hotel has, |
for 10 years, been a pigeon roost. A
section 700 5000 feet with resi- |
dences, schools, churches, hospitals |
costing millions, has been undermined,
against express contracts not to do
so, and the outraged owners because
our juries dare not go against the
accept just what the COM
pany lawyers arrogantly pass out as
if it were charity.
There is one park for children, two
and one-half miles from town, opened
Thursdays in summer. This exists
probably as a covenant resembling
legacy from the heirs of W. A. Clark.
For thirty years the company's pro-
gram in Butte has not been "Rule or
ruin; it has been "Rule and ruin"
By asserting title to the Missouri
river; by manipulating the state gov
from governor down to JAM
or, so that for tax assessment the
valuation is so million dollars less
han for rate assessment; by oppos-
ng the Missouri Valley Authority; the
win of the Anaconda clearly shows
hat the policy toward Butte of the
Anaconda is the policy toward the
entire colony of the power company.
Twenty-Five years ago there were
many public spirited men of all
classes in Butte-now there are none
lere outside of the labor unions that
lare speak up.
All students agreed that the con- I
of city and county govern {
nent had caused growth and welfare
n Denver, in San Francisco and else g
there. The movement here was so !
trong the company did not oppose 1t t
penly. OF course, the company could I
lave carried it through the election 4
" only word to its henchmen. But i
nder consolidation some outside min a
ng property would have paid city b
axes. The company secretly OPP f
osed it. t.
Public gambling, by impoverished t
impairs their freedom to con- d
ract, lowers their standard of living.