The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-01-03
Ship Owners and San Pedro.

| EDITOR HERALD In a late issue OF o
leading Los Angeles daily, a letter ap"
peared written under the non do plume
OF Citizen" endorsed by another letter
"lrcm an equally reliable source" and
headed dad state OF etfairs-ship own
ers to boycott San Pedro. This action
taken because of the persecution at the
hands OF the Sailors union at that sea-
port"
would like. briefly, to call your at
tention, and that OF the general public
who are not au courant OF events
down here. to these facts of the Gaze:
The sudden appearance of this letter,
under that scare head. would lead one
to suppose that this is something new.
whilst the fact OF the matter is, San
Pedro merchants have been practically
boycotted for the pass IL months, and
very little more remains to be done in
that line that has not already been tried.
la looking back on the history of the
case, the very people who are now, meta
phorcaliy speaking, wringing their
hands in anguish, and weeping
great big briny tears OF de.
spair, and in their extreme of
woe, are calling for help from the outside
affairs, are tho very ones who are moot
to blame for ths present condition OF
affairs, and therefore are not regarded
By those initiated into the true inward
ness of the cage as deserving OF tina. pity
which they crave Here let me state
az regards the Sailors's union. | have
not one word to say against their perfect
right to egitate and use all possible
means to obtain the beat possible return
for their labor, all my structures ore
upon the methods used by them to com.
pass this laudable end. When the big
strike occurred several months ago, and
vessels, from the sound down to San
Diego, were tied up unable to secure
crews, San Pedro in acts OF violence and
intimidation was only second to San
Fran cisco, and il you take the relative
size of the two ports, was indeed far
ahead of that of the Golden gate. After
several weeks OF agitation the strike was
over, and the men returned to work at
the best possible terms they could make
until euch time as they can see their
way to try conclusions with the owners
again with an even chance for success.
Not so at San Pedro, however. The
strike has never boen over there, and
never will be until the citizens take the
matter in hand and determine it shall
be. Whsn the only vessels in hare were
those carrying non-uniOn crews,i III sea-
man went ashore for any purpose, he |
took his life ia his bands, and several |
were brutally assaulted and almost
killed, but when any sailor was arrested |
for participating in thess fights or riots,
bail WAS always promptly forthcoming.
Tor lawyers to defend. etc, and |
chiefly from the very people who are |
now crying for sympathy and help. Mr.. |
]. W. Davis, druggist of San Pedro,
was then, and ia now, the local re presen-
tative OF the Shippers association, and !
sing handed he has had TO fight the
battle which he has now practically |
won; not one of the merchants was
brave enough to come out openly and
back him up in his endeayors to secure
the right of the owners, and |
he had to rely on himself
and trusty shotgun for all the protec-
ton he ever received. Yet now that the
owners whom he represents are using
measures the cry goes up:
Help US, or we are Lost. The old adage
holds good in this case, 'God helps !
those who help themselves" and if the
of San Pedro want to recover
their lost trade, the only way they can
do it 10 by seeing that every vessel that
comes in has full protection for her
crew, be it union or non-union, reason
able dispatch in loading and unloading,
and no more of this holding vessels at
the buoys by vexatious proceedings in
the courts of Justice. Then, and not
until then, will the ship owners resc nd |
their present orders to their captains;
~ oh ~
of ner countenance on this of late 40 |
unfortunate place. Yours truly.
AN ONLooKER.
San Pedro Ian lat