, ▁M & M ▁was ▁joined ▁in ▁the ▁labor ▁relations ▁field ▁by ▁a ▁new ▁organization , ▁Southern ▁Cal if or ni ans , ▁Inc . ▁Sp ons ored ▁by ▁the ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁Times , ▁the ▁group ▁was ▁led ▁by ▁Paul ▁Sh oup , ▁a ▁retired ▁vice ▁chairman ▁of ▁the ▁Southern ▁Pacific ▁Rail road . ▁Southern ▁Cal if or ni ans ▁was ▁founded ▁ost ens ibly ▁to ▁promote ▁the ▁w elf are ▁of ▁Los ▁Angeles , ▁but ▁in ▁testim ony ▁before ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Congress ▁later ▁that ▁year ▁its ▁leaders ▁admitted ▁that ▁its ▁sole ▁goal ▁was ▁the ▁pres ervation ▁of ▁the ▁open ▁shop . ▁ ▁In ▁less ▁than ▁three ▁years , ▁it ▁had ▁collected ▁more ▁than ▁$ 5 2 3 , 0 0 0 ▁from ▁ 1 2 ▁major ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁companies ▁to ▁fight ▁the ▁city ' s ▁un ions . ▁ ▁Southern ▁Cal if or ni ans ▁spent ▁$ 4 8 , 0 0 0 ▁create ▁two ▁other ▁front - groups : ▁ ▁" The ▁Ne ut ral ▁Th ous ands " ▁( which ▁claimed ▁ 1 0 9 , 0 0 0 ▁members ▁but ▁had ▁had ▁only ▁ 2 5 0 ; ▁it ▁had ▁copied ▁names ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁tele phone ▁book ▁and ▁put ▁them ▁on ▁its ▁" o fficial " ▁membership ▁list ) ▁and ▁" W omen ▁of ▁the ▁Pacific " ▁( led ▁by ▁a ▁strike bre aker ▁from ▁Seattle ). ▁ ▁M & M ▁and ▁Southern ▁Cal if or ni ans ▁decided ▁the ▁best ▁way ▁to ▁stamp ▁out ▁un ions