United labor bulletin., 1910-11-24

Mr.. President. 1 have beeen asked to
tell the delegates TO this convention the
conditions that prevail in the city OF Los
Angeles. On the Pacific coast the boys
are all aware OF the fact that there is
battle going on in Los Angeles and they
want you to know the bitterness Of that
fight and all its meaning.
Los Angeles il probably one OF the
most beautiful cities OF our land. but for
many years there have been but few
great Industries there. The great indus
tries In Los Angeles are OF recent date.
and they know nothing OF the greater
needs OF the working class. The large
factory and foundry Is new advent
there, but they have come to stay. and
the people who own them are lending
every energy and all the money they
have to hold wages down In order that
they may take hold OF the manufactur-
ing interests OF the coast They are
forcing the night upon the trades union
movement, not only in the city OF Los
Angeles, but in San Francisco and other
coast cities-
Los Angeles. You people have heard of
u Il.
a nephew. and that nephew had brains
enough to inherit $4,000 900 that the old
man had stolen from the people OF ;he
rcast II required the courts OF that
state and the courts of this nation. yea.
and an act OF congress. TO force him TO
pay the. taxes that were due the people
OF California. This man Inherited &40.-
600 900 in cash and as much more In
II. aF rsaI An.
geies, and by means OF his influence and
his uncie's influence gathered unto him
self all the franchises OF large number
OF strests OF the city He did not pay a
dollar Except the handout dollars that so
to politicians who give away the rights
of the people. He went 10 the Helman
interests. You men know the Helman
interests. He said to them; III you
win organize a corporation and bond IT
| will sell the corporation all these fran
chisea for 81 per cent OF the stock. and
you can take 40 per cent, You can bond
the company. We viii sell the bonds
and build the road with the money for
which we sell the bonds" And they did.
They built the roads through the city
and are now operating them. and neither
OF them invested one dollar OF their own
cash. yet they own the stock. and the
proceeds from those companies are pay
ing on the debts.
Then they went out through those
beautiful valleys. the San Gabriel. the
Santa Anna and the Los Angeles valley
and determined the lines along which
they would build roads. Huntington took
the s4oo00.000 he had Inherited and
bought thousands OF acres along the pro-
posed lines. then went to the people and
said. Give us n right OF way through
here and SO much cash and we will build
n road to Monroyia. road TO Pomona.
a road to Long Beach and a road TO Pas
adena. We will line all these valleys
with roads out to your suburban towns.
We will make this a great country and
your land will be enhanced in value"
The people gave the right OF way every
where and gave so mucn cash for each
road. Then they bonded each road for
itself. sold the bonds. took the cash and
built the roads without dollar OF ex-
pense to themselves. Not n dollar from
their own treasury went into them and
the lands they bought for 500 an acre
is now worth $1,000 an acre
This man Huntington is Los Angeles
greatest benefactor. so they say. When
his men in the car shop asked him for
raise of wages from $1.75 to $3.50 per
day, saying the cost OF living had In
creased In the last few years SO they
could not meet 1t and educate and clothe
their families, the 80 men who signed
the petition werc discharged. On the
following morning there came a letter
which stated. mo conference with the
men, no raise OF wages. Discharge every
man who signed the petition" And they
we're discharged. This man Huntington.
this benefactor. the head OF his corpora
tion In the city OF Los Angeles of the
lines reaching out like the arms OF
great octopus through the valleys. suck
ing It's life's blood, would not give his
men one cent OF a raise, although he
built a palace with $s.00o.oo0 Of the
money hc wrung from the people. He
has nine miles OF driveways in his door |
yard. He believes in the open shop. |
when the strike came on he wrote a
check for 100000 and gave It to the
Merchants and Manufacturers associa-
tIon OF Los Angeles to fght the metal
workers and the molders. They raised
ssb0.ooo to crush trades unionism-
About June 1 the iron workers wrote
letter to the Manufacturers associa-