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Show THE SEARCHLIGHT More (opper Arrogance Never in the history of Utah has the over‘bearing, arrogant greed of Utah Copper Company been more ecallously displayed than in its recent blitz against the proposed Salt Lake County Water Conservancy District. The long struggle of County residents to improve their culinary water supply was 1mpudently brushed aside by the Copper Barons because they might have to divert a few dimes from Kennecott’s bursting treasury to help defray the costs of decent drinking water for the people of southern Salt Lake County, many ot whom are Copper employees. Apparently an ample, sanitary supply of water for County residents—like adequate wage secales—is a matter of secondary importance in the Copper domain, and must. not be permitted to reduce the net take of insatiable IXennecott. A little over two years ago residents of the southern part of Salt Lake County, after a series of meeting's held in fifteen communities, including the Bingham area, decided to organize a water district for the purpose of particr pating in the Deer Creek project. ‘They patterned their organization on the lines of the Salt Lake Metropolitan Water District. They planned to serve the County areas, giving those communities a healthful and adequate water supply. The backers of the new district obtained the support of County officials in the preparation of petitions to the district court. They had limited funds and the work was done largely by volunteers. It took them over a year to obtain signatures to their petitions. During all of that time they had no apparent opposi“The current net profit of Utah Copper Company is running at about 30 millions a year. That means that approximately $6,000 in net profits are earned for the Company by every Copper worker in the Copper empire. But even with that sum of money the Company felt it just couldn't afford to share in the purchase of a little good drinking water. **The attitude of Utah Copper may spring from the nature of its product. Copper is the principal alloy of brass. BRASS or BRAZEN is defined by Webster’s dictionary as “Impudent’, or “Shameless”. The definition seems appropriate. tion. When the project was on the verge of success, the financial overlords of the County, led by Utah Copper Company, turned thumbs down on the proposal. They had discovered that a district were organized to provide some ot their employees with better drinking water— the first requisite of healthful living—Utah Copper would have to share in the expense like other taxpayers. Mr. G. C. of Utah Copper met with the An ultimatum was issued sponsors of the project. **that unless the district project was voluntarily abandoned, it would be killed. It was not dropped. Thereupon porations Earl some of Utah’s proceeded to absentee-owned crucify cor- it. They flirted with the idea of using the Legislature to destroy the new project, but were unable to get their program under way in time. Thereafter the Copper moguls recruited a committee of farmers to act as a front. It was amply financed by the Copper clique. Indeed, Ralph T. Stewart, attorney, who dodgers tax for the appeared on March 15th, testified in court that $13,000 already had been spent in opposing organization of the district. Radio, newspaper, and leaflet advertising was used extensively to mislead and betuddle the people. The Stewart testimony was given to induce the Court to set a $6000 bond. Proponents of the district were unable to post a bond of that size. The project was destroyed. ‘The public welfare took another beating at the hands of Corporation Copper. Utah money and cor poration rule triumphed again, as it has triumphed for four decades in the Beehive State. Onee again Utah Copper demonstrated that moneyless, unorganized citizens are no match for it. BOSTON When That Mulock labor splurges, or decrees laws He spends has About as But when He thinks To deck it shall miss; cash in wildest sprees, loose as this. comes it’s ’em TECHNIQUE? not twenty to helper pay, amiss, cents a day, Andtightenuplikethis. |