1934, the all the west coast longshoremen, teamsters, and seamen unions went on strike and the national guard was called in

The nationwide labor upsurge of 1934 reached its peak in San Francisco. On May 9, 1934, leaders of the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) called a strike of all West Coast dockworkers, demanding a wage scale of the 6-day, 30-hour week at a minimum rate of $1 per hour, a “closed shop” (union membership as a requirement of employment), and union-administered hiring halls.

On May 15 teamsters, boilermakers and machinists voted a sympathy strike along with sailors and marine firemen’s union, involving 4,000 men, and 700 marine cooks and stewards took similar action the next day. Ferry boatmen, masters, mates and pilots, and marine engineers first struck against several companies for higher wages and a closed-shop contract, and subsequently the entire local was called out in a body. Not a single freighter left a Pacific coast port “for the first time in history.”

Enraged employers, backed by a sympathetic mayor and police chief, used every means available to open the waterfront and protect strikebreakers, whom they imported in large numbers. Working closely with local politicians and the press, the employers set out to convince the public that the strike was controlled by “Reds” intent on overthrowing the government.

These scare tactics led to an investigation of employer actions by a Senate subcommittee. The flagrant destruction of many of the records of the Industrial Association, described in this report, effectively prevented the Committee from obtaining full documentary evidence on the activities of the association. Violations of Free Speech and Rights of Labor, the subcommittee’s 1942 report, described the concerted efforts of the Industrial Association, the newspapers, and the San Francisco police to discredit the strike.

http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5134/ for the entire report

Didn't see that in your American History book did you. Just one case in a long history of corporate greed versus workers and unions, and just one example of the people with the money fdoing anything at all to make more money and the people with power abusing it. Both the money and the power calling the shots and forcing the cops and national guard to shoot the strikers. No kidding.
Photos from http://www.johngutmann.org/

A deep south speedtrap so bad, it was national news, and the state govenor had warning signs installed on the town limits, Ludowici Georgia

TWO large roadside billboards just inside the county lines north and south of town used to guard the approach to Ludowici. Placed there by Governor Lester Maddox, they warned approaching motorists of "speed traps" and "clip joints" in large black letters on a white background

The county seat, and location of all three of the county's newspapers. It was also one of the best-known little nowheres in the country. Sitting astride the junction of federal highways 301, 25 and 82, Ludowici commanded the traditional north-south highway to Florida; 1,000,000 motorists drive through town each year. But in 1975 the Interstate 95 diverted traffic around it.

During the '50s it became known as the site of a treacherous stop light that trapped motorists by changing from green to red without warning, after which the travelers were ticketed by a waiting policeman. Since 1960 when the light was replaced, Ludowici's speed traps have bilked motorists of a rumored $100,000 annually. Said Governor Maddox: "The place is lousy, rotten, corrupt, nasty and no good."

Ludowici has nevertheless defied the efforts of three Governors to shut down the speed traps. For years some of the local gas stations also conducted a profitable con game. When an unsuspecting motorist stopped to have his oil checked, the attendant would disable the car by tinkering with the generator or pouring water in the crankcase oil, then suggest that the customer move his crippled vehicle to a nearby garage for repair. Fittingly enough, the repair shop was called "Billy Swindel's."

The man behind the speed trap, and behind everything else in Ludowici, was the county's colorful political boss, Ralph Dawson, a back-country lawyer who ran Long County since 1932, he headed a political machine that never lost an election at the county or city level.

from a Time magazine article in 1970
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,909123,00.html

A focus on Vauxhall

Car-Scrapyards: used car parts
presents

A Focus on Vauxhall



Vauxhall is a British make that was founded in the London district of Vauxhall by Alexander Wilson in 1857. But the company issued its first car only in 1903, and then moved its production line in Luton.

In 1925, Vauxhall was bought by the Americain General Motors. That's why all the vehicles from Vauxhall in the modern era are strictly derivated from the German make Opel, also owned by GM.

Maybe this is going to change as GM, in a critical position nowadays, is willing to sell its British marque. Perhaps we will see absolutely new, orginal Vauxhall models in the future!

The Car-Scrapyards team

A focus on Peugeot

Car-Scrapyards: used car parts
presents

A Focus on Peugeot

On this blog we will try to write some articles about cars as a rule. Today's article will focus on the French make Peugeot.

Originally a grinder maker, Peugeot has released its first model in 1889, and the Peugeot company was then founded in 1896 by Armand Peugeot. Although the current headquarters are located in Paris, the historical place of birth of Peugeot is Montbéliard, eastern France. Nowadays, the plant in Sochaux (next to Montbéliard) is the biggest plant in France with more than 12,000 workers.

Peugeot is the second largest auto manufacturer in Europe after Volkswagen, with almost 3,500,000 units produced in 2007. The famous models of Peugeot include the 403 (Lieutenant Columbo's car), the 205 or, more recently, the 406.

In 1976, Peugeot bought the French automaker Citroën and formed an entity called PSA Peugeot Citroën. It is interesting to know that the Peugeot family is still a major shareholder of the company.

The future Peugeot models to be announced are a 308 coupé and the 408.

The Car-Scrapyards team
Sources: Wikipedia; Forum-Peugeot