The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-08-13
CITY MANAGER
OF San DIEGO
APPLIES THRIFT.
ScaUengers' Wage Cut
Lighters Taxes
sv FRAPEsIA.


tlced very closely in the municipal
work of that city. He has resolved
to start a new thrift movement. BY
reducing his own salary of $1,000
year? No, indeed He can not afford
that. What he proposes to do is to
cut the wages Of the seaVengers.
The city of San Diego employs 1870
negroes at $3.50 day to handle garb-
age. Rhodes considers the pay to be
extravagant He has decided to cut
it to $500. In justification he says:
why should not save the taxpayers
this money!"
Cheapest Of the Cheap.
San Francisco some time ago lost
to San Diego the palm for having the
stingiest taxpayers in the United
States. Rhodes is determined that the
Port of Lost Opportunity" will keep
that palm. Even if it is not tangible,
it is of significant value.
The savings to be effected by cut
ting the wages of the scavengers will
amount to $4,000 per year ION basis
of 300 workdays). AS there are
$4,000 taxpayers concerned, the ap-
preciable sum of $500 net year aver
age, is to be saved to each and every
one of the contributors to the munich
pal exchequer.
This is substantial thrift on the
part of Rhodes. He is accomplishing
it on his little $4,000 a year. The
S2S,500 not only covers his salary but
gives the taxpayers a clear profit of
$23, 500, or nearly four times as much
as he is paid That ought to show
that he is worthy of his hire. 1t indi-
Gates that he deserves employment as
a city manager That is his main pur-
pose.
Negroes Injured to Poverty.
AS to the scavangers, they should
not complain. Rhodes might be Of
Tended if they did. Then they would
probably fare worse. The city man.
ager undoubtedly came out of col
Iege with B. to C. (Born to Com
mand) degree, fitting him to be an
executive. If the Negroes manifest
discomfort, he may show them that he
could cut their pay $1.O0 a day as
easily as so cents.
By assuming an e. N. M. Expect
No Mercy look, Rhodes would quickly
overawe the scanvengers and then
chivalrously hand over the $3.50 taken
from each of them to the taxpayers.
The beneficiaries, grateful to their
Robin Hood, would enjoy the savings
effected and mark up the value of
their property $2S5,O0O based on the
$3.50 economy. Banks would loan
so much more on the appropriation.
Rhodes would be given the credit for
the general improvement.
AS to the scavangers, they would
soon accustom themselves to the
deprivation of $3.50 a year apiece.
Knowing poverty well, they could ad-
just themselves to the increased want.
Ignorance Desired.
Nearly all the negroes have families
to support. The so cents day pro-
vides many necessaries and comforts,
shoes, clothes, food, etc. That little
sum goes far to amplify education of
the children.
But, recruited from the most ignor-
ant element in the Southern states
and selected as unconscious Of indus
trial injustice, the scavengers are cas-
lily denied right to better living condi-
tons and education. 1t takes years
to train them to know what their
labor entities them to.
White San Diego taxpayers fout the
idea of education for their Negro wage
slaves. They argue that by keeping
down the wages the Negroes will be
kept ignorant, and that is desirable.
The whites Of the California coast are
hopelessly lazy and must have slaves.
They seek Chinese, Japanese, FLIP
mos, Mexicans and Negroes and the
last mentioned are favored by them
because they can be kept ignorant
longest.
Setting Blacks Against Whites.
Oily NdhdbCi INnOuCS hnOWo nlS
stuff" california English). For the
consumption of the impressionable
Negroes, he suggests that, If they do
not accept the reduction of wages,
their places can be easily filled by
white men. His suggestion is truth
full. The average wages of white men
in San Diego is much less than the
pay of the scavengers. II is very
probable that white men could be
hired to take the places of the Ne
groes at as low as SIS a week. The
blacks know this. They are terrified
by the white peril To them it is a
menace of starvation.
So, IT is most likely that they will
continue to render indispensable serv-
ice in their undesirable calling at
lower wages. Nevertheless, they could
and should be organized for future ac-
ton.
A. F. OF L. Indifference.
The A. +. Of l.. Of San Diego is
real labor aristocracy not interested
In the nliphf NJ fha Noproae II vvouId