The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1917-11-10
PEOPLE Win IN
FIRST SK|RMISH
WITH FOOD HOGS
Council Passes Phillips 0rdi-
nance After Hearing Many
Supporters.

The first skirmish in the efforts to
throttle the Michigan street food COM
bination has been won by the people.
At the meeting Of the city commits
sion last Monday afternoon the or
dinance introduced by Commissioner
Phillips reducing the license fee Of
transient merchants or peddlers from
SO day to 81 a week, was adopted
by a vote of 5 to 0, after one Of the
most exciting and best attended ses-
sions held in some time.
The council chamber was packed,
and it was significant that there were
representatives from many organiza-
tons.
City Clerk Bergen read a number
Of communications and petitions urg-
ing the adoption of the ordinance.
One Of the latter was from West Du-
luth and contained 500 names. A
long letter from A. G.. Catlin was
read, appealing for the farmers.
Many Speakers.
When Mayor Magney asked If any,
one wished to speak on the matter
under consideration, Prof. Van Cleef
of the normal school arose and
touched upon it from a scientific
standpoint, pointing out that the agri-
cultural development of the territory
near the city must be encouraged if
the municipality would enjoy nat
ural growth, and that such obstacles
as prohibitive license fees for the dis
tribution of produce should be re-
moved.
Some Of the others speaking in
rs ~ ~,,1s
Watson, representing the Housewives
league; John Owens, member of the
state board of appeals and farm
owner; .Juls J. Anderson and Henry
Dworschak, Jr., for the Topographic
cal union and other labor unions; w.
E. Reynolds, a prominent Socialist
and editor of The Truth; and John
Morrison, editor of the Rip-saw.
Claims Combination.
Leonidas Merritt, former commits
sioner Of public utilities, created some
excitement with the assertion that
there is an interlocked combination
in Duluth, headed by the banks and
wholesale and commission houses.
"The situation here is like that of
the beast in the JUNGLE" said the
pioneer, "the beast is hard to find
when you first look at the picture but
once you have found it you cannot
help but see it and it is. always be-
fore your eyes. I know from bitter
experience that it is dangerous
thing for public officer to fight this
ring controlled by the beast in the
Jungle"
Both Mayor Magney and Commits
cir - 80. l.,
for the measure, the latter producing
letter to corroborate statement
made by him at the previous meeting
and which was contraorcted by a re-
tail grocer. No one spoke against
the ordinance, although a representa-
tive Of the Retail Merchants associa-
ton was present.
Climb OH "Band Wagon"
At the previous meeting of the
council large delegation of retail
merchants, headed by George M. Pc
terson, protested against the ordin-
ance, with the result that the measure
was tabled for one week. Commits
sioner Farrell, who had made the
motion for that action, declared now
that he had made a personal investi-
cation among local grocers and was
convinced that the reduction of the
license fee would work no undue
hardships on any, and therefore he
had decided to support the proposed
ordinance. After Mr.. Farrell had voted
AYE" it was evident that there would
be unanimous approval, because it
would be useless for Commissioners
Silberstein and Voss to vote no." in
view of the fact that the measure
would carry anyway. to 2: so every
body climbed ION the band wagon"
A storm of applause greeted the
result Of the vote.