Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-12-20
Meeting of the Retail Mer-
chants.
A CONSTITUTION ADOPTED,
List of the People Who Have Joined
the MOvement-What Was
Discussed.

lords. Mr.. Myron f. Tarble and Mr.
Jesse H. Butler, who had been appointed
temporary chairman and secretary re
spectively, occupied seats on the dali
at the end Of the hall, and the proceed
ings were opened with the reading of tht
report Of the Committee on Permanent
Organization and Constitution, which be
gan as follows:
'Your Committee on Permanent Organiza
ton herewith submit constitution for the or
ganization of this association and respectfully
recommend that action upon Its adoption bt
names are now in the hands Of the Secre' srS
be considered members OF this as Ociaton
subject however, to the favorable report OF q
on Membership"
THE CONSTITUTION.
The constitution referred to was then
read by Mr.. Tarble and included the fol-
lowing points of interest:
The object OF the organization shall be
to cooperate in promoting the best in
terests of the merchants, manufacturers
and all industrial classes of Los Angeles.
The membership shall be limited to
those engaged in mercantile, manufac.
turing, mechanical and professional in
~dustries.
On concluding the report Mr.. Tarble
announced that the committee had left
the question of fees to be dealt with in
the bylaws and then asked the pleasure
of the meeting regarding the report,
whereupon Mr.. F. E. Brown moved that
it be adopted, a proposition which was
seconded by Mr.. J. H. Richardson and
carried unanimously.
Mr.. Tarble said that it had been
deemed advisable to postpone the ap-
poiutment OF permanent officials until
March, 80 as to give the members of the
organization an opportunity to get we'll
acquainted with each other, and also be-
cause the month of March signalizes the
opening of the spring and summer busi-
ness, and most of the leases 60 into effect
on the 1st of May.
Mr.. Ralph E. Hoyt said that at present
the most important work was to get a
set OF bylaws and arrange an order of
business, so he moved q postponement
of the subject of the election of officers
and the proposition was seconded and
carried.
Mr.. Niles Pease suggested the advisa-
bility of meeting in the evening instead
of during business hours, and on the
statement being made that it is hard to
get AN available hall for the purpose, Mr..
Hoyt said that the Union League rooms
could be obtained. As no one knew for
certain whether they would be disen-
gagged this week, it was moved by Mr.. F.
Il. Brown that the committee ascertain
when they were vacant, and advertise q
call for a meeting at the earliest possible
date in all the morning papers.
Mr.. J. H. Butler moved that the Com
mittee on Constitution which had been
discharged be re-appointed as Commit
tee on Bylaws and also to obtain place
for the next meeting, and on being put to
the meeting the proposal was at once
carried.
Mr.. Tarble asked that Mr.. Hoyt's name
be added to the committee, and this sug-
gestion was received with favor and
adopted.
THE FEES.
The question of the amount of mem.
bership fee was next in order, and the
subject proved to be a very knotty one.
Mr.. Hoyt thought that the charge should
by five dollars, as a good deal OF work
was necessary to make the organization
a power in the community, besides which
thew we're liable to become involved in
The subject was dropped for few
minutes while q question as to the
selection of members was settled, and q
committee of five for this purpose was
appointed, Messrs. J. F. Butler, F. E.
Brown, J. Cowan, E. Peet and M. Seigel
being the gentlemen selected.
Continuing the question of fees, Mr..
Butler thought that the amount should
not be fixed too high, and Mr.. Brown
suggested the paying of monthly dues.
A good many propositions we're made on
either side, and then Mr.. Butler arose
and made very telling speech. He said
that the powers of the organization de-
pended on it's numbers. and that the fee
should not be fixed too high, as it would
keep a good many people out. The
landlords would laugh at a few, he
said, but they would have to listen
to host. "The old argument of
supply and demand scarcely applies
here" said Mr.. Butler. "There are
twice as many mechanics in Los Angeles
as can get work, and yet they get good
deal more pay than their fellow workers
in any other part of the United States.
The same remark applies to masons and
all the other craftsmen, and what is the
explanation for it? Simply because
bQ0y nave OISdu1Acu lOT mutudl pIOltC-
ton and have fixed their own rate of
pay, and it cannot be belittled. Why
cannot we stick together as we'll as the
workingmen and set down our foot on
the extortionate rents that are thrown
on us by the landlords? am paying
$1.5O day for six-foot front, which is
not much deeper, and in the same build
ing a year ago eighteen or twenty feet
frontage was rented for $25 q month,
and to-day it is $125. All it requires.to
stop all this is combination-the mer-
camille classes claim to be intelligent,
but they do not stick up for themselves
as we'll as q lot of hod-carriers. I do not
think that We will have to meet any very
heavy expenses, and do not anticipate
any litigation, for we will act courteously
and wisely. therefore suggest that the
fee be less than IS, though am quite
willing to pay that amount or more if it
is the will of the majority"
Mr.. Grayson suggested that the fee be
$3.50, and speaking of rents said that he
was paving 1900 month for twenty-five
feet in the Breed block.
Mr.. Hoyt favored the reduction Of the
fee to 50, and Mr.. Tarble said that the
work Of the organization would expose
good many evils. He said that under
the present rentage he would not advise
any friend or relation Of his to come to
- y~s.n1 n1~>nr s<&~t