The record-union., 1896-04-19

pressed labor, and anyone who rises to
say that objection to tyranny is not the
same thing as to question the rightful-
/, ness of government will be hooted as a
| foe of the workingman. Conduct like
! that of the Musicians Union does inn
| measurably more harm to organized la
Dor than all it's eNtraneous enemies
| Not only those who suffer directly by
| abuse Of power, but the rational men in
the unions are angered. The stage car
| penters would be glad to be relieved OF
union protection, and so would the mu-
] sicians, who prefer to regard them
selves as artists rather than as artisans
| Mr. Bouvier of the Baldwin told me
| yesterday of how an employer can occa-
sionally make union rules work both
| ways 1--WE paid our head carpenter
$50 a week. he said, "and never had
any trouble. One day l told him to dc
a little something up in the flies that
was not strictly in the carpentering
| line. 1t embarrassed him to tell me
that he couldn't do it. Why not?'
| asked, for he was an obliging fellow.
Well he said, I've Joined the union
and it'd be against the rules All
| right I replied; and union rules go
| Hereafter your salary will be SO a
| week-that's permitted by the union
| scale
| The poor workingman Like General
| Spreckels, his sorest need is more
| brains.
Speaking of the theater reminds me of
| some things uttered about San Fran
cisco by an actor who returned here last
week after an absence of several years.
How delightful it Is to be back again,
he said to me. There is no sunshine
like California sunshine, and 1 know of
no city in the whole country that's so
pleasant as old Frisco. What a charm
ing town 1t is SO agreeably slow! Now
take New York, and Chicago is just as
bad. A Frisco friend that l met the
other day in the Hoffman House told me
that he couldn't bear New York. Every
body here he said, seems to have some
body sick at home and to be out run
ming for a DOCTOR That's the way all
through the East and middle West, but
when you get over the mountains and
strike California you feel you've come
to a land where the people know how
to live. They understand the folly of
hurry, the stupidity of too much work.
took walk along Kearney and Market
to-day and was struck by the great
number of men who seemed to be doing
nothing, and not wanting to do any
thing, sensible fellows. Before every
saloon and cigar stand there was from
half dozen to a dozen loungers, calm
pretty well dressed, with their hands in
their pockets and almost doing with
contentment. It's the climate, the
blessed climate, guess. And those who
have something to do don't rush along,
but take an interest in what's going on
around them. When I've made my pile
I'm coming out here to settle. suppose
business men, the money-spinners,
would like to have Frisco be the same
as other cities, in a fever of industry
and haste, but this slowness is beauti-
full to me. It's just poetic, and better
place for man to sit down and end
his days doesn't exist on the continent,
unless it may be in the Spanish part Of
it. Frisco is lovely. The Eastern man,
I suppose, gets the idea when he comes
here out Of the clatter and clink, that
somebody important is dead, but there's
nothing funereal about the repose when
you understand it and get used to it.
And it's good show town, too, 1 don't
know where the money can come from
but they are the kind Of people who'd
rather go hungry than not be amused
the same as the old Greeks and modern
Mexicans. I'm simply charmed"
But if the artist is charmed business
men, naturally, are not Trade is very
very dull in San Francisco. 1t does not
revive in spite of the prophets Ask
real estate man about the times and the
haggard look he gives you would be
enough without his curses. Yet the real
estate man, like the merchant, is him
self partly to blame. 1t is the San Fran
cisco habit to expect help to come from
the outside and to do nothing yourself
There is next to no sale for real estate
and owners and agents sit around and
growl about the absence Of movement"
but it does not occur to them to create
movement by bringing prices down to
fit the hard times. Land is a little lower
than it has been, but values remain out
of all real proportion to the condition of
the city, present or Immediately pros
pective. Set out to buy lot on which
to build modest home-such home as
a salaried man can hope to pay for by
from three to five years saving and
that space out of mans life is pretty
good price for wigwanl-and you will
learn how robber-high land is. A shave
of one-third all round would be rea-
sonable cut. Then people would buy
and build, and others would dare to buy
in the hope of making a few dollars
presently by selling again. Rents have
been reduced within the past three
years, but not much. The thousands
of vacant flats and houses have COM
PEELED the landlords to abate little.
Unless times brighten and something
happens that shall enable San Francisco
to cease subsisting almost wholly on
herself, rents are bound to come down
on the run, and real estate prices, too.
That will be good for the town
Mayor sutro on Sunday last informed
me- that he expects the funding bill to
pass He complained that he could not
get the help he had a right to expect
and is left to make nearly a single
handed fight. The octopus, he said, was
attacking him on the business side and
keeping him busy checkmating its de-
signs on his resources. This, combined
with his large expenditures at the Cliff
and in building his electric railroad,
leaves him short on the sinews Of war.
The Mayor has the very highest opinion
Of the efficacy Of money in legislation.
You have no idea what money can
do in Washington. I have been there,
and know Nobody is better acquaint-
ed with Congress than I am. Ten thou
sand dollars is great temptation to a
poor man, and so is even $4,000. Most
members Of Congress are poor. 1t is
terrib1e this corruption but there is