United labor bulletin., 1911-06-15
LUNA PARK COMPANY
SIGNS WITH UNIONS
TREATMENT OF ROACH
CAUSES REVOLT BY
MEXICANS.

Organized labor has won a victory In
the short time Of three weeks Of which
II msx~selI be proud.
The Luna Park Amusement company
has caPitulated to the demands Of or
ganized labor and has signed a contract
with all organizations that claim juris-
diction over any work at the park.
The Banda Mexicana has left the park,
the management, il Is said, having
! broken it's contract with Roach, the ex-
ploiter Of the imported Mexicans. The
band left the park Monday. The man.
asement Of the park has signed con-
tracts with all the organizations. and
Manager Levin. who is the principal
owner Of the Famous cafe, has signed
with the Musicians, Walters, Bartcnders
and Cooks unions to have only union
men employed there.
The Walters club did the work at the
Famous heretofore, the men receiving
their wages in tips: but in the settlement
made members of the Walters union Will
be engaged.
The trouble started a few weeks ago
when the Luna park management signed
a contract with one Roach. an alleged
musician, who has made specially the
past few years OF organizing non-union
musical outfits and endeavoring to ex-
pioit them TO the grief OF the public and
his own financial loss. The contract with
a theater at the park and put on high
class shows. He was to receive per-
cen,age of the gate receipts and was to
make q certain charge TO those who de-
sired to witness the performance in his
newiy-constructed theafcr.
After the signing of the contract
which specified that no concert band
should be employed AT the park-the
Musicians union withdrew their players
from the dancing pavilion and skating
rink and asked the Trades Assembly 10
place the park on the unfair list The
assembly took the desired action and
sent out communications to the affiliated
unions notifying them OF their action
The Union Label League placed a fine
on all delegates TO the League that were
known TO patronize the park, and asked
all affiliated organizations TO do likewise
Then the Trades Assembly went the
League one better and voted to expel
any delegate that should visit the unfair
amusement park. and communications
were sent out asking affiliated unions to
place fine on their members to keep
them away from the park. Numerous
local unions took the desired action at
their next meeting, and the result was
disastrous to the park.
Then followed the exposure OF the
building department OF the city govern
ment granting permit TO Roach to build
shacks near the park to house the i'm
ported musicians that were to play at
the park. The shacks were built on lots
owned by the reform" supervisor. Kin
del, over the protest OF the residents OF
the entire community.
This and the placing of the park on
the unfair list was given wide publicity
by The Bulletin and the Assembly and
as a result the park was almost entirely
deserted every day since the opening
except on Memorial day-when they got
the overflow from the other parks. Satur-
day OF last week $50 was taken In at the
gate both afternoon and evening; Mon
day up to $3.50 at night 16o people passed
through the gate. The word had been
sent out to pass up Luna park ana the
calamity could not be averted.
Roach is the man that organized labor
wished to hit the hardest. He has time
and again tried to get foothold. In Den.
yer by organizing non-union band ana
exploiting II in Denver and other locaii-
ties. and the time had come when labor
must act He organized stock COM
many with offices in the Gas and Electric
building and placed the stock OF the COM
pany on the market. He succeeded In
interesting influential men, and infiuen-
tial newspapers, and his net reached out
and gobbled men who could not AFFORD
to lose their money. II was the object
of the company to exploit cheap musical
organizations at amusement parks the
country over. AS has been stated In
previous issues. he secured his aggrega-
ton in the neighborhood OF El Paso,
Texas. and Juarez. Mexico. and when sur
ficient numbers had been herded together
ne named them the Banda Mexicana.
Roach in the meantime cmopleted his
dealings with the Luna park manage
ment. and constructed shacks In which
to house his "high-class" artists that
we're not At for a construction gang.
The result was inevitable.
The people of Denver revolted Mt the
un-American practice Of Roach--and he
failed.
The union men and women OF the city
acting as II controlled by n single
mind-shunned the park whore the Mex
leans played as II 1t were pest-ridden.
Results came quick.
Monday evening two dancers brought
here from New York left without receiv-
ing any money.
Saturday night all that the musicians