The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1911-01-20
REPORT OF E. p. MARSH EVERETT'S
DELEGATE TO A. F. of L. CONVENTION

the moulders. They raised $35O,OOOI
to crush trades uWionsm.
about June 1st the iron workers
wrote letter to the Manufacturers
association shortly after Huntingdon
had discharged his men. The letter was
couchcI in language that was honor
able and manly, but determined. They
asked the merchants and manufactur
ers of that town to grant a confer
ence through which they might adjust
their wages. They stated that their
wages had been insufficient to take
care of their families On the follow
| ing morning they received n letter,
replying to all the labor organizations,
in which this language was used;
we take pleasure in notifying you
that your communication has been con
fined to the wastebasket." Then the
battle was on and the trades unions
of Los Angeles eight or nine thousand
strong at that time, called a strike
on June 1st. Sixteen hundred men
walked out.
in power in the county was our
good staunch republican friend, and
in power in the city was the Good
Government League. | will show you
in a minute what good government
means in Los Angeles. We continued
that strike for a month; the boys
walked up and down the streets and
paraded. they picketed before their
stores and factories. They maintained
the picket for four weeks, and in that
time there were only two disturbances.
One disturbance was caused by two boys
of about is years of age, one of whom
was working and scabbing while the
: other one was on strike. Both had
gone out. but one had returned to
work. and the fellow who had stayed
out was talking to him and advising
him to come out with the boys and be
a man. They cot into a little alterca-
ton. but there were no black eyes or
bruises. There were four or five wit
nesses on each side. When the case
was brought before the court the wit
nesse were heard. the court scratched
his head and said Yes, true enough.
the evidence is conflicting and it is
difficult to say who is at fault but
this man has a right to work where he
pleases. I will let him 90. I will fine
the other man $50 or fifty days
"a policeman assaulted a picket with
out cause Here there was no conflict
of testimony lie had no right to as
sault him. He was convicted and fined
$500. That is the temper Of the courts
in the city of the Lost Angels. Every
thing was peaceable and quiet but the
BOYS were succeeding. They We're
catching all the men who came into
town, and they were pulling the men
out of the shops. Money was being
men. Since the first day of June San
Francisco has sent the city of Los An
geles 100000 We have millionaircs in
Los Angeles and we have churches ga
lore They have prayed for morality,
but not one dollar has found its way
from the Golfers of the rich nor from
the churches to help these men in their
struggle for bread.
at the end of month they secured
an Injunction. 1t covers everything.
No man could picket in front of or in
the vicinity of a factory or store. They
were enioined from following the men
or riding on the cars with them to their
} homes, from going to their homes to
speak to them concerning labor troubles
in the city In that four weeks not a
man was arrested, not man violated
] the injunction, not a man used force
but they got at the men.
"Then an ordinance was passed pre-
} venting peaceable picketing in the city
Of Los Angeles or in the vicinity of
g Los Angeles. or lettering anywhere or
speaking to The men on strike. We
went to the city council to argue the
, law of that ordinance. We thought we
/ had shown the city fathers that it was
p unfair, bnt after it had been argued
8 they adjourned, argued it over again,
? then came forward and passed it un-
animouslv. The day following 200
trades union men We're thrown in jail.
"A few days later we went to Long
Beach where the ordinance was to be