Los Angeles herald., 1907-02-01
CHAMBER OBJECTS
TO INCREASED PAY
STRONG RESOLUTIONS ARE
PASSED
Board of Directors Opposes Bill Of
Senator Savage and Says Such
a Law Would Hurt the
State

A special meeting of the board of
directors of the chamber of commerce
was held yesterday for the purpose of
taking up the bill introduced by Sena-
tor Savage into the state Legislature
relative to increase of wages for un-
skilled labor i'm municipal state work.
The sentiment of the meeting was
expressed in the following resolutions:
Resolved, That the Los Angeles
chamber of commerce is utterly op-
posed to the passage of the bills now
pending before the senate and the as
sembly of the state legislature raising
the minimum rate of compensation for
labor on public work from two dollars
to three dollars a day of eight hours
for the following reasons:
"1. Tt will prevent or greatly retard
all public and municipal improvements,
whether undertaken by the municipal
authorities directly or under contract,
by increasing the cost of figures, which
in most cases will be prohibitive; and
particularly
"2. It will be the deathblow to the
good roads movement now started with
hugh promise of success in several
parts of the state.
"3. It will necessarily raise the rates
of taxation and assessments.
of wages for all unskilled labor,
whether FOR public or for private pur-
poses.
"5. 1t will discourage improvements
in lands and investment of both dOmeS-
tic and foreign capital.
Sc It will check the constant stream
of desirable and valuable citizens of
other states who by tens of thousands
every year are now coming to make
California their permanent home.
a. The proposed minimum wage of
SO per day of eight hours for unskilled
labor is excessive and unreasonable.
49, 1t is an unjust discrimination
against skilled labor.
49, BY reducing, as it invariably
must, the number of laborers employed,
1t will work great hardship upon a
large number of the unemployed.
40. 1t will entirely prevent the en-
ployment of any but the strongest and
most capable men, thus leaving the
older, weaker and less efficient men
without the opportunity of self-sup-
port.
al. For these and other reasons this
chamber of commerce believes the
passage of said act would be most dis
astrous to the best interests of the
people of this state, and we strongly
urge upon the members of the legisla-
and assemblymen from Los Angeles
county, to oppose these bills"
Banquet Postponed
The banquet committee made the re-
port that it was unable to find room
for the banquet on February % that
would accommodate the number of an
ticipated members of the chamber who
would attend this year Consequently
the board voted the postponement un-
til some time in June, when a popu-
lar banquet will be given where seven
to eight hundred members can be ac-
commodated comfortably and not
crowded and jammed as heretofore.
Word was received by the chamber
of commerce yesterday that an attempt
was being made to have foreign olives
put on the free list A telegram was
sent to Senator Flint to use his efforts
to prevent such action, asserting that
1t would injure the olive industry of
this state A convention of olive grow
ers has been called by the state board
of trade to meet in San Francisco next
Monday to arrange for fighting the
proposition.