The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-08-25
The Big Combine Closes
the Golden Gate.
SIXTY MEN DISCHARGED.
Horace Davis Establishment for
Sale or Rent.
1T MAY GRIND FLOUR NO MORE.
Now Fully Half of the FIGURING Mills
Are Closed by the All-Pow-
erful Combination.

Ivy oAo CiUSeu
familiar brands are virtually thing of
the past, and their old employees are idle.
Ine change was made by the big flour
combine, which includes nearly every mill
In California. 1t was against the wishes
| OF Horace Davis that his mills and bust
ness, built up through years of continuous
attention to every detail. and with tlreless
labog should be wrecked in furtherance OF
the combines plans.
Davis had succeeded in making his
| brands popular, and in establishing a
reputation for Golden Gate flour wherever
1t was sold. And with a demand that
could barely be supplied he kept the mills
running dey and night all the year round,
except on Sundays
! He also had the reputation Of paying his
men higher wages than any other flour
manufactures on the coast and no en-
ployer was more widely esteemed for gen.
erosity and kindly treatment of those
/ around him.
1t appears that Davis was enjoying
reasonable share of prosperity when the
Sperry flour combination proposed 10 take
his mills and himself into the circle that
appeared all-pOwerful. Davis entered the
combine believing it best for his interests,
as 1t was given out that prices would be
regulated and money saved by uniting.
! whether the combine has prospered the
individual mills have Jared badly and the
workingm en- still worse.
! The latest deal threw sixty men out of
employment, and as there is no prospect
of getting work in California the principal
mills, with one exception, being in
| the combine, these idle men must leave
! the Stale. Employment IN their business
/ In Eastern or Western cities is exceedingly
| difficult to get, owing to the mum bers of
men waiting for every vacancy, and it
/ looks as il the only chance for them is in
/ the Northwest and Mexico. Many OF
/ these men have families and homes in this
| city, while some are too old to travel liz
! search of work.
/ One of the sufferers. who is familiar
with the combi e's methods, gave a
! gloomy account of reduction in wages and
number of men employed since the cor
| poration settled down to business.
They have cut down wages," said he.
from So to S4. 81 to So, So to 50 30. 50 so
to 81 a day. and in addition to that they
have economical still further by making
two men do the work that was formerly
/
| Of the Golden Gate men were discharged
from time to time. until about seventy
| five we're left, and yesterday morning at
! O'Clock sixty men were let out when the
mill shutdown. Fourteen men were taken
! 10 Stock ton for work in the mills there.
"Sperry's mills will run about half time.
50 something like half the men, OF about
/ sixty In all. have been let out in Stockton.
! In Earunorc' TT,,iou -
with capacity Of 400 barrels daily. tn at
cost 100000. was bought by the combine
to get control for 5000, 600. This mill is
ont of the market with the MERGED Liver
more, Los Gatos and Golden Gate. The
Sacramento, Marysviile, Colusa ard Vic
tor Of HOLSTER are running only half
time, or Systematically, according 10 de-
maud for flour. An awful lot of men have
been discharged. 1t must be in the hun
dreds. While all this was going on, the
management threatened to discharge any
employe who opened his mouth about the
business.
They are getting flour down to sugar
basis-spOt cash. This is part of the COM
bine's play. You know sugar is sold spot
cash everywhere. IL the combine could
get full control it would make its own
terms and sail -four for cash only. With
leading brands it could dictate terms, and
to start an opposition mill would be as
ridiculous as to open a sugar refinery
against Spreckels.
Time was when the mills had buggies
out in the valleys of the State looking for
milling wheat-the best they could find
among the farmers. Now, however, you
can't see buggy anywhere and farmers
cannot get more than shipping price. The
mills won't give any more for it. Liver
pool won't pay US any more for Shipping
wheat. so there is quite difference Ia
price. Country grOcerS suffer most as they
must buy In larger lots, generally carloads,
and get no benefit of rebate if prices 60
down. Formerly they were secure in re-
gard to prices.
1T is well known that the Golden Gate
mills made the cheapest -four in this State,
as they sailed close to the wind. relying
on their brands to carry them through.
The combine had to pay rent to Davis
for the Golden Gate mills, and it is
supposed this was regarded as a bur-
den. Davis is powerless TO take action.
de is shareholder in the CON-
bine and has fallen into position
he never contemplated. BE was the bluest
man in town yesterday when his mills
were stopped running. He paid the best
wages aud treated his men best of any
miller on the coast, and suppose he sees
1t is all over with the Golden Gate mills
now. There is something behind this
action concerning the Golden Gate mills.
for old-established brands Of flour that cost
| fortunes to introduce to the public are
gradually being taken or forced out of the
/ market"