Los Angeles herald., 1906-02-10
LISTEN TO TALK
OF SOCIALISTS
CLASS VISITS HEADQUARTERS
OF UNIONS
Earnest Students of Sociology Read
Boycott Signs and Are Mystified.
Leader Explains Inner
Workings
BY Ethel Dolson

The novelty of having a class with
which they have little in common come
tc them for information was expert
enced by the labor unions yesterday
when the sociological students were
borne right to the stronghold of organ
lied labor by Dana Bartlett.
In the Labor temple on Maple ave-
nue they absorbed the teachings of
unionism, eXpounded by Francis Drake
and j. l.. Atwood. For two hours la
boris cause was given a hearing, and
if attention of the listners wandered
occasionally, it was only to pursue
such legends on the wall in poster
type as:
d flour mills are unfair.
No organized labor!
Orr
Where did you get that hat?
Don't spend union money for nom
union goods!
Following are prominent non-union
hats
About the outer door stood little
groups of men-members of the affili-
ated trades-who did not come in to
hear themselves explained.
Disagrees With Eliot
A darll-eyed young man in dark
blue business suit of good cut was the
expositor. He spoke with fluency and
with the confidence of one well versed
in his views of subject. His voice
was level and his gestures few. He
was Mr.. Atwood, editor of a union
paper, formerly laundryman, he said,
and one time walking delegate, which
latter, he affirmed, was the most
abused person on earth.
1T is an old cry" he said, "and a
foolish one, that under unionism you
will have to pay as much to the poor
workman as to the good. That can
never he true, as every applicant to one
of our unions must pass an eXamna-
tion in his crafts by experts before he
can join.
president Elliott Of Harvard says
the scab is a hero, a martyr. l say
the scab is a mule Find scab and
try to look him in the eye. You can't
do it. He will stink away like a cow
ard. afraid to face an honest man.
Defends Union Methods
"All unions have a minimum wage
scale. They have no maximum, be-
cause there is never an objection to
high wages. The minimum with the
unions is usually the maximum with
the employer, he being unwilling to pay
any more than the least a worker will
take. Do you know many employers
their employees? No; when the change
is made 1t is to lower, not to raise
them.
Another criticism of unionism Is
that it does not give young Americans
a chance to learn trades. There is no
foundation in truth for that belief. All
the crafts have apprentices and in
some not enough young men can be
found to supply the demand. The
bricklayec union employs the best
architects to teach their classes of ap-
lprentices."
Francis Drake also spoke, explaining
from the union standpoint the causes
leading up to the present strike of the
| typographical unions.
Substitute the meeting room of the
| Socialist Labor party on Main and Sec
ond street for the former place and
you have the same program, with few
variations, for the afternoon. 1t was
another hearing Of the plain peoples
side OF the economic question.
1t was not exactly the interior into
which one would ordinarily think of
taking 81 group of nice college boys
aud girls. Why should they, In their
protected lives be brought in contact
with the progators OF such inflamma-
tory doctrines of Marx and Engels
Why should they be brought face TO
face with the hungry, embittered toiler
Why? Because sociologists tell us
this is the modern way of studying
their science-meeting each class of So
ciety on its own ground and from there
learning its relation to the whole,
Talks Of Socialism
IL was plain room for plain men
that the students came into. 1t was