McLaughlin Glass Company, Los Angeles, CA

LOS ANGELES, CALIF.

By J. M. Price

By the time this reaches the readers of our magazine the year of 1930 will have passed. Christmas will be over and we will be facing another year, always with the hope that it will bring us less sorrow and more pleasures. A great many of us will look back on 1930 with no regret that it is gone. We hope that someone will hit upon a way to keep us employed in 1931. With so many commissions working someone surely ought to find a plan.

The glass industry here, I guess, is not any worse than anywhere else. The Mission Glass Company is for sale and I was informed would never be operated by the old company. It is too bad to see a factory like this going to ruin. I understand the Glendale Tile Company is having their troubles ironed out and expect to start again. The Crystalite at Glendale has been working steady with one blow shop and one press shop. The Southern Glass Company has passed on as this plant was bought by the Illinois Pacific Glass Company and on November 15th was closed down. Ten mould makers, members of Local Union No. 141, were thrown out of work which is a tough break coming around the holidays. The Technical at last reports has been operating steady with four press and one blow shop and five mould makers. At the McLaughlin plant the men have been working pretty good. If I am not mistaken this is the oldest firm in Los Angeles engaged in the glass business. The Forger plant is working a couple days a week. Our mould makers working at the Latchford plant and the Long Beach plant, have been working steady. The Maywood Glass Company, a new factory, is making bottles. This is a machine plant. At the Brock Company, Santa Ana, the men are working three days a week. There is also a new factory starting in Santa Ana being operated by Brother Harry Clemmons and Brother Bolton. They expect to make five gallon water bottles and cylinders. You members in Fort Smith, Ark., are acquainted with these men.

Now glassworkers throughout the trade, because I have mentioned so many factories out here, don't get it in your head there are jobs here, for at this writing there are at least fifteen mould makers out of work and at least twenty glass workers, members of Local Union No. 141, and quite a few members of the G. B. B. A. I am not advising anyone to stay away from here. Come if you want to. It is a great place to live if you can make a living, but boys, it is a tough place to hunt for a job. Brother Sam Woods had a visitor last week from the Canal Zone, Tom Brady, an old Ohio Valley Flint. Henry Forger informed me that our former President, Tommy Rowe, was a visitor at their factory last week.

Gaston Cornell had the misfortune to break his arm in October but is all right and back at work. Brother Carlson has been on the sick list for some time. George Roche has also been sick for quite a long time and we all hope for a speedy recovery for both. Smiling Danny Kock has opened up a second hand store, sell you anything from a toothpick to a Rolls Royce. If Dan has not got what you want, order it and the old boy will see that you get it.

I often see in the magazine where some local writer speaks of their old members still working at the trade. Come to think of it this local has quite a few members working at the trade who are pretty close to that three score and ten we are told is the life of man. As I don't know their exact ages and they might think it a personal matter if I should inquire, I can only give you their names. There is Henry Forger who can still hold up his end at making moulds; Sam Woods in the same line, Billie Parsons, who can still swing the hammer and run a lathe, Brother Bates, another of the old school, who has two sons working at the trade, Jim Moore, Charley Ryan, mould makers. In the glass making end there is J. C. McKelvey, who can still sit in the chair and yell send them along boys, John Sissison can stick handles as fast as they come, Scott Littleton can still jerk that old side lever as fast as ever, and Harry Weeks, a late arrival. I guess you members in the Ohio Valley know has seen quite a bit of service. I cannot recall any others at present. Of course we have quite a bunch of kids out here too, Charley Wilson, L. (Jacker) Brannon, Brother Stagney, Joe Bloomgreen, Ed, Bruner and Bert Anderson.

If they keep it up out here like the month of December started off, we ought to lead the world for crimes committed for the first five days, 76 burglaries and 53 robberies which is not, bad for a country village just trying to get along. Looks like our streets after dark are a good place to be from and they will take you for a dime or a dollar. Elected a new governor who acts like a go-getter.

Notre Dame took us for a cleaning December 6th. They were just a little too good for the home boys.

With malice toward none and charity to all, let's keep that Christmas spirit with us throughout the year. Judge not least you be judged. Live so you can look everyone in the eye.