The herald., 1894-12-30
A MECHANICS PLAN.

or corner for the commonplace observa-
: tions OF "greasy mechanic and II
that spot ia discovered beg your leave
to use IL for brief space Of time. From
time immemorinl the world has been cru
fed with the ding dong OF Labor and
Cspital," and the end is not yet. Female
suffrage, prohibition and tariff have
kindly doffsd their hats to a new entity
--the A. P. A. Anything new-no mat
ter how outlandieh and unreasonable
is what poor perishing humanity
will crave, instead Of real sound rem
edial truth. We see from the pens OF such
ardent thinkers as b. 0. Flower, j. q.
CLARK aud others pathetic word pictures
OF the dire distress of the "disinherited
and slum-bs-iouled Masses" but moth
ing vet OF remedial nature has been
done TO lift this crushing incubus OF
focietary crime off undessrving heads.
Volumes have been written on cooper
alton, profit sharing and general muni-
cipnl work, but nothing practical has
yet taken form, and while l am PEN
ming these humble lines, millions of
human beings age perishing for the
want of food. clothing and shelter. Will
editorial matchmaking solve the
problem oil Drohu, alones
Is it enough to sit down in ones liter
ary sanctum, write out of ones inner
being sy IN pathetic grosns for the ex.
plotted. indits them on paper, then fold
up ones unruffied conscience and rest :?
\ IL is said. there is time TOR every~
thing" and the proper time to adjust
these great ills is on election day"
But far from anything of that kind has
transpired. as the late election elbows.
Consider the millions of tramps who
have no possible chance to use the bal
lot, and perhaps million or two more
who, by the terrors Of bossism, are
utterly unable to vote their convictions.
Think OF the myriads OF minds, totally
disqualified to think, Dy the maddening
care and industrial scramble that has
afflicted their lives for the past decade.
Agitate! educate fall hopelesaly on such
leaden ears, aud nothing short of a mir
atl Can move such heavy dough.
What then? Turn the cold shoui der
on tie world and say, "the people be
d,mned?" No! II their minds are dis
tr.c,ed beyond the power to think out
their economic salvation let us risk an
object lesson. Perhaps their visual or.
gan, ar, not SO misshapen but that they
can 500 aud ioarn TO initiate homo good.
pT0ctlCal IeBBO0 mhtsrlalizou.
The sublime indifference Of the COM
fortably housed is difficult to overcome,
and, though not generally known. they
are strong factor in the perpetuation of
industrial exploitation. 1t is to them, to
o great extent, the preacher and profes-
sor leans for support. And in the cod
ding OF the two latter classes hangs o
tale"
Defiant intellectually is what the
world needs at this hour. ''Out with
the solution of the problem" !" / hear
some hungry tramp utter. 1t is said
there are in the neighborhood of 20Oo
suffering people in Los Angeles today
not absolutely starving. but in sore straits
for work and money, with dark forbod.
ings of long, weary stretches OF winter
idleness ahead. Disguise the fact az we
may by calling attention to the building
industry and other developments, dis
tress ie quite apparent here. aud it has
come to stay unless something radical
can be done to remove it. 1t Is not nec.
essary to cover the entire economic field
to fiod why men starve. When they do,
it is sufficiently convincing that they
ought not to when the means of proven.
tion are within reach.
Without dilating any further on the
manifold phases of this. question I will
simply outline my suggestive views.
While the competitive system lasts,
snd God knows it may endure for CEN
tury yet. think there is one door open
to relieve the poverty stricken without
encumbering any person in particular.
A magnificent road. 100 or 200 feet in
width, from Los Angeles to Santa
Monica can be constructed. lined on
<.no h MI da vurSk b tka .Ix~sn k-t L.
Lat the county donate so much money
towards this enterprise, then the city,
ind the balance be made up by private
enhscrictions. Picks and shovsls, over
sllc, smocxs, tents, potatoes, pork and
perhape elice OF land here and there
can be given in lieu of money. Mr..
Hellman and his brother bankers can
step to the front with generous gilt OF
money. not to be considered as charity,
but gift to the city; likewise the bal
anco OF contributions. Some central
point cau be made tho repository for all
subHtvlptions. and soma honorable per.
son selected. without pay. to superin-
tend the distributions, whatever they
may be. Work on the road to be done
in q scientific manner, by day labor. at
cay $2 per day, with capable men to
oversee and direct the operations.
Residents Of the city should be given
the fret opportunity to work on the
road.
have no doubt thousands OF "well-
to-do people" would gladly give Pc
cuniary consideration toward this, and
IN less than week half million dol
lars could be gotten together. or its
equivalent.
The thouaands OF dollars spent an
nuallyhy the Associated Charities can
to certain extent be diverted into this
channel. The several donations thus
contributed will not only teach grand
object lessons to sister cities, but they
will, more than anything else, rebound
tn the wealth capacity OF our beautiful
city BY making II the one grand winter
resort Of the United States. The farm
eFe o. the various agricultural districts
can ikewise, by cooperating, contrib
ute iunds az above outlined for SIM
ilsr purpose, and If thin method 10 gen.
orally adopted the labor pro blem can to
arrest extent be aolvsd. at least for
some time to come.
Idle people must not be permitted to
etarve because some "unlookod- for,
economic change has been uehersd in
by industrial evolution or other causes.
Eiysian park can also be besutiiisd and
made second to none on the facs Of the
esrth BY the donation process.
n Now, Mr.. Editor, trust you will uu-
sheathe your editorial sword and strike
right and left on the above proposition