McLaughlin Glass Company, Los Angeles, CA

LOS ANGELES, CALIF.

By J. M. Price

I have been kind of neglecting you folks back east the last couple of months, so I thought I better send you some good news. One of the brothers in Local Union No. 141 asked for permission to send in a letter but it took him a couple of months to decide, so that is how things got mixed up and the trade in general has not heard from us.

Here is the news concerning the glass industry in Southern California as given to me at our last regular meeting by the committee from the different factories.

The Crystalite in Glendale has been down five weeks but is expecting to resume operation in a couple of weeks.

The Technical is operating their machine on knobs, our members employed there are getting very little work.

No report from the McLaughlin plant. I understand the press shop is getting a little time, but the blow shop is not doing much.

The Forgar plant ahs been down for a couple of weeks but may start again soon.

The Brock Company at Santa Ana have started their new continuous tank making five gallon water bottles. The press shop in this factory has been working pretty good until now. They are back on a couple of days per week. This covers the flint factories.

The bottle factories are the Latchford Company in Los Angeles, the Maywood in Maywood, and the Long Beach Company in Long Beach. These companies employ mould makers who are members of Local Union No. 141. They are all having pretty fair work. This covers the working conditions out here.

Now for a word about the members. First I have to say something about that last regular meeting. The crowd was not as large as usual. Maybe the opening of the trout season had something to do with it. Come out, Brothers, let us see your smiling faces. Of course I know it is pretty hard to get up a smile these days.

Brother Frank Simpkins has asked for a withdrawal card as he is the foreman at the Latchford Mould Shop. James Moore also has asked for a withdrawal card as he is foreman in the Maywood Glass Company's mould shop. Sorry to lose these two brothers and hope if they ever want to return to the trade we can give them a welcome.

Elmer Newkirk, an old member from Huntington W. Va., has been here about four years, left this week for the old mountain ranges of West Virginia.

Eddie Stipes was still with us last week, but from all reports I believe Eddie is looking towards the east. Quite a few brothers have drawn their cards, but I do not know if they have left town.

The only "Chuck" Flowers has left us and from last reports is in the old town of Chicago. "Joker" MacKenzie is still employed at what used to be the Illinois-Pacific factory. I understand the Owens people have taken over this plant and the old West Coast plant located here. I hear that T. W. Rowe is still with us but I have not seen him since last August. Drop around Tom, old boy, always glad to see you. Weather conditions point to a good grape crop this year, and I would not be surprised if Brother Glassen slipped me a gallon of juice. Brother Carlson, who has been on the sick list for over a year, looks very much improved and we all wish him a speedy recovery. The old guard, Daniel Rock, has been missed. Come around Dan. I expect to hear some right good fish stories when Brother Charles Wilson returns from the trout streams. Say, Charley, a mess of them would take a little bit of the load off the butcher's back. L. "Jacker" Brannon is a salesman for a refrigerator company, so I guess the glass house has lost another good hand. I was down to the Len-Woods Mould shop the other day. Found Brothers Lenard and Woods pretty busy. Brothers John Elmore and Perty Thrasher are pounding iron at the Maywood Company and doing a good job of it. Brother Al. Vogel drew his card so I guess he has left our village. Brother Charles Ryan is looking fine these days. Have not heard from Brother Jim McGee for some time, so I suppose he is O.K. Brother Harry Weeks is still with us so I guess the Ohio Valley has lost another good citizen. See by the circular that the three percent assessment went over with a bang. Just goes to show that when the life of the old A. F. G. W. U. is threatened, the membership will stand by. That vote should open the eyes of some of the calamity-howlers. We lost out investment, but we have not lost that which is greater than money, and that is our honor. Stick by our obligation no matter what befalls us, and remain true to our brothers, and the old A.F.G.W.U.