Los Angeles herald., 1909-03-27
song OF THE woRKINaMAN


sing the joy of unbroken sleep with the
moon in the cloudless skies;
or the watch and ward that the dim stars keep
and the night winds grooming signs,
sing the joy of the waking day with the
rested limbs astir,
The nerves strained tight for another fray-a
full days work-for her.
oh. well worth game is the game with fate
on the open field of lifei
A royal game for mans estate and the love
of a loyal wife!
sing the song of the morning scene, the
smile and the word of cheer,
Then the rack and rub of the dull routine OF
a mans grim duty here.
It's a weary day when the sun o'erhead and
the slow hours dragging by,
But a man must toll for his daily bread in
the marts where his talents lie.
A man must sweat for the boon of rest and
strive for the hour Of bliss
From the morning hour on a woman's breast
to the evenings welcome kiss.
sing the song of the whole weeks work and
the pay days livening slip!
Or the hours of toll that have known no shirk
and the nerve that has held its grip.
Oh, a man must bow and q man must bend
to the lash of an honest need
To enjoy the peace OF the hard weeks end and
the rest that is rest indeed!
New York Times.
That the members of organized labor
in Los Angeles are a credit to the city
and have its interests at heart is evil
denced by the great majority of them
having invested it's savings in homes.
Perhaps no city in the world can boast
of so large a percentage of wage earn
ers, men who toll in stores, workshops
and factories, who are constantly work
ing for the betterment of society at
large, as can be found here. A recent
canvass of the labor organizations OF
Los Angeles disclosed the fact that
in some organizations as high as rs
per cent of the members were taxpay-
ers. In public affairs the membership
takes an active and important part,
and can be depended on to do what
is right for the city and it's citizens.
The Owens river proposition met with
their hearty support; in the formation
of the new city charter the represen-
tatives of labor were of valuable as
sistance to the commission in its work;
the issuance of school bonds was in
dorsed by seventy-five unions in Los
Angeles, and every movement which
has for it's object the betterment OF
the city is enthusiastically supported
Organized Labor Strong
While it can scarcely be said that
Los Angeles is q SLrlCLly union CITY
yet organized labor is strong here. AL
classes of skilled labor have well man.
aged organizations, and are composed
principally of men who do not believe
in the strike to gain their ends. On
an average there are not two strikes a
year. the men being always willing
to meet their employers in a concilia-
tory manner when disputes as to wage
scales or other causes are involved
and adjust matters in an amicable and
peaceable manner. Unreasonable de-
mands are few, and in most cases EN-
ployers are willing to give the en-
ployes a respectful hearing. This spirit
Of fair play is responsible for the peace
able relations existing between capital
and labor. The workman, no less than
the capitalist, has just pride in the
city, and does not wish to have its
name spread abroad as being the scene
of labor disputes.
To those unacquainted with the aims
and objects of the unions, organized
labor represents nothing more than a
body of men banded together for the
purpose of raising wages and shorten
ing hours. Little attention is given by
the public at large to the many ques-
lions taken up, discussed and carried
out by the organizations, and many OF
them are never brought before the pub
lie through newspaper publicity. The
child labor law-that statute which
says that an employer shall not stunt
the growth of the young, morally and
physically, by compelling them to give
their lifeblood that an unsccrupulous
and money-mad employer may gather a