Los Angeles herald., 1908-11-02
R. w. PRIDHAM ANSWERS
CIRCULAR OF CRITICISM
Asserts He Never Violated the Child
Labor Law or Worked His Ems
pIoyes UnduIy Long
Hours

r. w. Pridham, candidate for super
visor, sends the following communica
ion in answer to charges that, he says
ire being circulated with view t.
njuring his chances of election:
Los Angeles, Oct. 81.
IEditor Herald: Certain persons
are circulating in the closing hours
of this political campaign an
anonymous printed circular in
which | am made the object of an
attack, evidently issued for the pur-
pose of accomplishing my defeat as
a candidate for supervisor, and to
secure the election of Anthony
Schwamm.
1t is claimed that in the opera
ton of my printing establishment
and box factory 1 am violating the
child labor law, and that l COM
pei women and girls to work long
hours and for wages that are not
sufficient to supply them with the
bare necessities of life.
1 have at all times strictly OBJ
served the provisions of the child
labor law of this state, and the
statement that there are any girls
in my employ who are under the
age prescribed is unqualitiedly
false. There have been times in
school vacations when children un-
der the age limit have applied to
me for a few weeks of work, but in
all such cases 1 have required the
necessary permits before I have
given the applications any con-
sideration. And cases where such
girls have obtained employment in
my factory have been exceedingly
rare.
So far as wages are concerned,
my books, which are open to in
spection, will show that no girls in
my factory are receiving less than
IS a week. Five dollars is the mini
mum wage fixed for beginners and
inexperienced hands, and I have
only three girls in my employ who
are receiving so small an amount
as that. All the others are making
more, their wages running up to
SIS a week Most of the work in
my establishment is piecework, and
/ guarantee every woman and girl
at least IS a week.
The charge is also made that
compel these women and girls to
work long hours. All that require
is eight and a half hours a day,
and there are few establishments of
this kind where the hours will be
IOunQ SnOflers-
No imported Workers
In addition to the charges con-
tanned in this circular, report has
been circulated that have brought
out girls from the east at low
wages to work in my factory. This
also is absolutely false. The only
time in which l ever assisted in
bringing out woman from the east
was when one of my foremen asked
me to advance the money with
which to pay his wife's fare, and 1
did so. But have never attempted
to bring out girls to work in the
factory.
For over a quarter of a century I
have been a large employer of la
Dor in this city. In that time there
has never existed in the course. of
my business a single labor dispute
between my, employees and myself
which had it's origin in my place of
business. Harmony and best of
feeling and cooperation have ex-
listed and do today exist between
myself and my employees. My fac
tory is open to the inspection of
every one. I maintain the open
shop and have in my employ union
as well as non-unlon labor / am
a firm believer in short hours of
labor in the interest of the working
man. AS soon as economic condi-