The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1903-06-27
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a Talk Uih Rockefeller

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Last March, while on my way from
Los Angeles to San francisco, had
occasion to stop over for a few days
at Santa Barbara, one of the most IA
nous Of the California resorts. Except
for the want Of angels, it is about as
near an Earthly Paradise as one can
imagine. 1t is directly on the Pacific
ocean, at the opening Of a lovely little
valley. At the head of the valley, I'M
der the mountains, about two miles
from the sea, is the Franciscan monas-
terry built by the monks a hundred
years or more ago, when California was
under the dominion of Spain. The
Church Of Rome had in hand a grand
plan to convert the Indians to Catho-
licism by the establishment of a chain
Of semi-socialistic communities: under
the rule of the priests, running from
San Francisco all the way down to the
lower end of the peninsula of Califor-
MIA.
With the ceding Of California to the
United States, the monastaries had
hard time to survive, for the property
they had owned was largely lost, and
the Indians, who had been faithful
workers in their fields and vineyards,
were dispersed. Probably at no time
before, and certainly at no time since,
have. the California Indians had either
the material or the spiritual advantage
that they enjoyed under the kindly
rule Of the old Mission Padres.
In the old days the missions were sur
rounded by great stretches Of pasture
land upon which grazed countless herds
of sheep, cattle and horses, all the prop
erty of the Padres, and used to- con-
tribute to the welfare of all. The monks
introduced good system of irrigation.
The fig, the vine, the olive and the
orange were cultivated with greatest
success. Then the more that was pro-
duced, the more the monks and the In
dams got. There was no fear of star
walton on account Of lover production
in those silly, primitive days. They
produced for use and not for profit.
I can imagine how astounded one of
the old padres would have been if told
he would be forced to go without olive
Oil some day if too many olive trees
came into bearing, because the price of
olive oil would fall below the cost of
production. Such reasoning would have
been absolutely incomprehensible to
him. For me to have told him that the
mission must go hungry simply be-
cause there were too many fat cattle
would have led him to regard me as
a fit subject for "a "rest cure" How
ever, in those careless days they had no
'rest cures,' for paradoxicaly everyone
had to do enough work not to require
a rest"
The people who most require a ''rest''
are those that do not "have: to- work.
I don't say they do not actually work
hard, I say they do not 'have to- work
at ALL There is a fine distinction.
schwab never broke down until he
worked because he wanted to-
However, we are in the days when
people. do need a. a..rest cure and Mr..
John IT Rockefell his i, WAL
good tud gnlent Il III pic kirle out Santa
Barbara to get his needed .'.rest::'' .-'*:.'
The Hotel Potter is: directly ON the
sea; it is a fine, modern hotel, opened
this season for the first time, and Mr..
Rockefeller was not by any means the
only millionaire there enjoying
the perfect climate of Santa Barbara, a
climate as perfect in winter as in sum-
mer.
The local Santa Barbara paper proud
! ly printed list Of our American no.
! bility there, gauging the relative value
| Of titles by the size of the bank rolls,
The total value footed up to something
near a thousand million dollars, which
can readily be believed when I say that
| not only were the Rockefellers there
but also Mrs. Pierpont Morgan. Mr.
Marshall Field, Mr.. Armour, Mr.. Sew
ard Webb, and other noble multi-n1il.
lionaires too numerous to mention
Robert Z. Lincoln, son Of Abraham, was
| there, and scheduled at ten million
However, Of all the lot, Mr.: Rockefeller
being the richest, was the noblest and
was the center of attraction from al
Santa Barbara, including myself.
Mr.. Rockefeller, may say in the first
place, is not by any means the physical
wreck that the press likes to make him
out. sat at the next table to him an6
can vouch for the strength and vari.
ETY. of his appetite. His color is gooc
and he looks a fairly healthy man fo
his age. 81, with the exception that h,
has lost every spear from his head tnt
face.He was most affable and ap
proachable to everyone and seemed t.
make d point of going the rounds ever,
day with a glad hand out for everyone
His interest in life seems to be center
ed on the game of golf. Knowing tina
his nervous system is, so wrecked tina
he cannot care to burden his mind will
anything very strenuous, L really fel
conscience stricken in ever departinf
from the weather and golf in my talk.
with him. However, one day I die
bring up the subject of trusts. He lis
tened with interest to my. exposition
of the Socialist philosophy regarding
monopoly and said. "well ::Mr; Wiltshire
can't speak as to other trusts, but Ger,
tainly as far as the Standard is CO..
cerned, overproduction of oil led to tn
formation Of the trust. We were pro
ducing three times as much Oil a
could be sold and the trade was in
very bad way. The trust resulted il