The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1911-05-26
tBy National Socialist Press.

today. The arrest of the Mcnamara
brothers and the kidnapping of John j.
Mcnamara from Indianapolis is Il tragic
incident that shows the direction and in
wood. Pettibone case is universally cited
as direct parallel aud this latest out
rage has done more to develop a class
consciousness among the workers of the
state than all the efforts of agitators of
the previous decade, Workers of Cali
forna feel that capitalistic tyranny
stained hand ON t,ie secretary. of the
Structural Ironwolkers' union and re-
peated the infamous crime perpetrated :,
few years ago in Colorado, Labor here
realizes that the stealing of this man by
force and fraud is IA greater menace to
its liberties than any act ever before at
tempted. Clarence Darrow is expected
to arrive in Los Angeles within few
days. He will have scarcely week to
confer with Job Hartman and the other
attorneys associated with him in the de-
fense before the men are forced to go be-
indictments for murder which hang over
them. The true condition of things in
Southern California cannot be clearly
understood unless one reviews the situa-
tion some years back to find the cause
primary in the action and see who is re-
sponsible for the warfare that exists
today During the past decade Southern
California has developed wonderfully and
Los Angeles, it's metropolis which EN-
braces population greater than all the
rest of the territory has sprung up like
mushroom between night and morning
Capitalist eXploiters grasped the oppor-
tunitv offered them by this boom in in
dustry Just as the real estate sharks
utilized the land boom i'll 1887 and 1883
to its utmost capacity. In carrying out
their schemes they have been aided by
combination of circumstances and con
ditions not to be found elsewhere. Not
the least of these is that thousands OF
unskilled laborers and skilled mechanics
having sold all they possessed in the
east and used the product to bring then
families here where the climate was held
ND as ideal Once on the ground these
unfortunates have found conditions had
been misrepresented by the lying news
papers which constantly sought to flood
the city with unemployed in order that
the competition in the struggle for eX-
istence would keep wages down. In des-
peration hundreds of jobless men have
been compelled to take up any work that
was offered no matter how menlal OF
how low the wage. Wages in all lines OF
industry range lower here than in any
other eastern city and in some occupa-
tions lower in Los Angeles than any
other city in the state Workers found
they could 90 no farther west, neither
could they reeross the desert for the
east. Capitalists naturally took fnll ad-
vantage of this situation and bought
their labor in the cheapest market. The
depths of depravity brought about by
these conditions can find no place in
print. Virtue and honor have been sac
rificed by desperate workers. These con
ditions forced men to organize to defend
themselves and fight for better eondi-
tions in wages. sanitation and hours
At the present time 800 carpenters are
| on strike for $4 day for eight hours
work. That is the standard everywhere
but in Los Angeles and in Northern Cal
ifornia carpenters received from $3.50 to
SIS. 80 per day. When the strike was
called a few weeks ago nearly as many
non union men came out as union men
and most of them have joined the union
MANY contractors have yielded but build
ers who are members of the Master
Builders association have been forbidden
to enter any compact with the men on
pain of 81 600 fine. Labor has fought
its way out of the terrible conditions
that once existed here a few years age
when skilled carpenters Were working fol
81 80 a day up to - a day of nine hours
iron workers. machinists, 25 cents al
hours. 10 hours labor. In June, 1910, a
strike was declared in nearly every one
of the metal trades in the city. Struc
tural iron workers walked out in a body
About the same time several Thousand
brewery workers went on strike. With
i'm few months both the brewers ano
the employers of the iron workers
wanted to yield but they were prevented
from doing SO by the steel trust which
had taken hand in affairs and the
Merchants and Manufacturers assoeia
ton which is dominated by ii. G. Otis
and his cohorts. The strikers We're win
ming their point and an appeal was made
to the so-called Good Government ad
ministration. A law was passed max
ing il a misdemeanor to picket the viein
ity Of works where strike was in prog
ress. So sweeping and drastic was thu
/ law that the unions determined to try
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