The record-union., 1895-10-21


In wages, and it cannot be otherwise.
He would call on Jabez Turner. ex-
Mayor of Sacramento, TO express his sen =
timents on this question.
JABEz TURNER'S REMARKS.
Ex-Mayor Jabsz Turner being called
upon said he thought 1t unfair to call on
him first, as he was not an entertaining
speaker. and others could present the
subject better. He wished it clearly I'M
derstood. however. that he chserfully en-
tered his protest against the proposed Is
per cent. reduction. OF course, the whole
| thing had a bad look. The thought that
two Commissioners could be elected into
the board on a demagogie platform was
rspulsivs. They occupy judicial pesi-
ton and should take their seats free from
prejudice, but they did take them bound
up by specific pledges.
| Sometimes pu blic men make mistaken
through ignorance. and these men have
| confessed that they know but little about
| the subject on which they have passed,
but have made no effort to procure fig
ures that would enlightsn them as to the
p racticability of their action.
We all know the depressed state OF the
agricultural interests and deplore it, We
are all dependent on them. but the situa-
| ton is one that cannot be avoided. We
have passed through a period Of de-
preston all over the country that We
pray may never come again.
But all have suffered. Thousands Of
men who wished to work have been I'M
able to get employment and tramped the
| roads and slept in the open air. All
through this time, however, the farmer
and his family had enough to eat and q
roof over their heads.
One of these farmers-H. M. LaRue-
has a princely domain over in Yolo
County, and a handsome residence here.
About his philanthropic feelings the
speaker had grave doubts. but he had no
doubt he would punish the railroad COM
! pany if he could. If the courts sustain
the Commissioners they will punish the
railroad company, but what will the rail-
road company be forced to do? The
laboring man is called the king pin, but
I his head is always the one that gets
knocked out first.
| The farmer will not get mill of the re-
duotion on his grain, and if things are
brought cheaper from the East it will
only prove detrimental to the State by
discouraging manufacturing here.
He had heard it whispered on tho
streets that this was to be gathering of
railroad men. Why should 1t not be,
when their interests are at stake2 Their
| interests are the same as that of the rail-
road directors, for, If the railroad is not
prospecting, they are not. Any man, he
thought, could realize what the result
will be- He hoped that no man would be
afraid TO speak freely and fully his opin-
ion on the subject. La Rue had called the
railroad employees in his hearing q set of
lickspittles. He thought. however, that
they knew how to fight their own bat
| ties.
IMPORTANT TO ALL WAGE-EARNERs.
| John 7. Shelton, Jr., was the next
speaker. He said he had been at various
times called on in public assem- blies to
speak on the topics of the day. but this
| subject was one of the greatest import
! lance to the wage-earners of the State.
! The cut in transportation rates means
that salaries must be lowered, and that
was what he did not want. He bad been
Tor eight years in the employment of the
company, having entered 1t az q boy and
worked his way up to a fair salary, and
he did not want to have it reduced now.
Mr.. SHELTON thought be could show
them where reduction would injurs
them all. There are many young men
employed by the company who have
built themselves little homes and are
paying for them by degrees. II a cut in
their salaries is made. they can no longer
make their payments. and must lose their
homes. and all they have paid on them
and their families will be broken up. He
appealed to them all TO put their shoulders
together TO the wheel and join In pro-
test to the Railroad Commissioners
against action SO prejudicial to their
future prospects, He looked at the mat
ter from q young mans point Of view.
In order to build up the city and make
it prosperous men must have good sala-
ries, and if they are cut down, be it only
little, it must hurt them.
Many people think that the railroad
company ia making too much money.
But they do not take into their calcula-
tons the many and enormous expendi-
lures the company has continually to
make in the shape of repairs upon it's
bridges, its tracks. cars, ETC., and from
which it cannot escape. nor the large
amount paid by 1t for labor.
He was the rats-luoter and gives the
rates for shipments to business men. He
I An
reduction in rates is made, they can sell
cheaper prominent business man had
that day told HIM be could not sell one
cent cheaper on account of the proposed
reduction. The railroad employees should
pull together in one big protest to the
Railroad Commissioners. They mus.
have good wages in order to prosper. and
if wages are once cut down, it will be a
long time, If ever, before they are raised
again.
MUST KEEP UP WAGES.
a. ]. Gardiner, foreman of the steam
fitting department at the railroad shops,
said he should make his speech short, but
wished it to be pointed. He regretted that
the expressions OF tonight had not been
made with more emphasis little earlier
1 in the history of California. We are apt
/ to be buncoed by legislation that is adj
verse to the interests of the Stale. He
was sorry that the pledge for reduction
had been made in the heat of political ex-
element, and had not been given more
earnest attention by LaRue. lie thought
the latter must to-day regret it when he
looked at the number of men it affected.
Is there any man running his own BUSH
ness who would advocate reducing his
receipts one-quarter, while his expenses