The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1910-12-10
Inwardness of Los Angeles !.
''Outrage'' Coming to Surface

As the facts come out the "outrage"
connected with the destruction of the
Los Angeles Times building appears
to have been an oftense against and
not by organized labor, says the Chi
cago Public.
An investigation by the California
Federation of Labor resulted in a
report SO judicial in tone and SUBJ
stance as to merit the fairest con-
s1deration. According to this report
|. the city authorities refused to per-
NIT the federation committee to CO.
operate with the business men ap-
pointed by the mayor, and the CON-
mhtee was not even allowed to go
!. upon the premises where the explo-
sion occurred.
Judging from the flabby report of
the mayors business mems commit
. tee. the policy of obstructing the la
Dor committee was at least prudent
With persistent patience. however, the
labor committee pursued it's investi-
cations to what seems to be a rea-
'sonable conclusion.
An explosion destroyed the build
ing of the Los Angeles Times, this
labor report concludes, wrecking the
printing plant and killing 81 en-
ployes. 1t occurred at 1 o'clock in the
. morning Of October l, 1910. Fire en-
veloped the building Immediately.
Within an hour after the explosion,
and without Investigation, the manag-
Ing editor of the Times published a.
statement that the building had been
destroyed by labor unionists with
dynamite; and Harrison Gray Otis.
the proprietor, made like statement
from a distance and while in total
Ignorance Of everything but the bare
fact of an explosion.
Both statements were widely pub
lished, and the Times repeated them
daily. But they have not been sup
ported by any evidence. Internal
machines were afterwards found on
private premises by a private de-
tective reasonably suspected of hav-
Ing placed them there for the Dur
. pose of finding them. AS Internal
machines they were harmless. but as
"ev1dence' served temporary pur-
pose.
The evidence presented by this la
Dor report, however, though largely
clrcumstantial, is convincing-cer-
ta1nly 50 while it remains unrefuted.
1t goes to show that the explosion
'o oouaCu ny gas leaking into the
building and mingling with the air.
The owners are charged with SUD-
pressing evidence tending to show
. that gas caused the explosion, first
because they wish to cast the odium
on organized labor and second be-
cause they would be liable both to
lose insurance money and for dam
ages for loss of life if negligence for
escaping gas were fastened npon
them.
The labor committee rests It's con-
cluslon regarding this point upon
these facts. The explosion and the
enveloping flames were simultaneous,
which Indicates gas rather than dyna-
. mite; the flames shot upwards and so
ala the power of the explosion, which
lnolcates gas rather than dynamite:
the fumes of gas were strong the
night before.
1t Is also noted that the Times was
preparing to move; that it had al
ready installed All auxiliary printing
plant; that it's valuable records and
books of account were all saved. al
though 1t has made no explanation
OF now this was done when the ex-
pios1on occurred i'm the early morn
ing. and tile fire followed the ex-
plos1on so quickly that Fl human lives
were lost.