▁sh ipping ▁companies , ▁department ▁stores , ▁bre wer ies ▁and ▁food ▁mark ets ▁were ▁some ▁of ▁its ▁char ter ▁members . ▁One ▁of ▁its ▁most ▁prominent ▁members ▁was ▁the ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁Times . ▁ ▁The ▁association ▁launched ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁civ ic ▁projects ▁early ▁in ▁its ▁history . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 9 7 , ▁it ▁created ▁the ▁annual ▁F i esta ▁de ▁las ▁Fl ores ▁to ▁promote ▁locally ▁produced ▁goods ▁and ▁services . ▁ ▁The ▁festival ▁eventually ▁merged ▁with ▁the ▁Tournament ▁of ▁Ros es ▁Par ade ▁in ▁Pas ad ena , ▁California . ▁ ▁The ▁open ▁shop ▁battle ▁M & M ' s ▁focus ▁over ▁its ▁first ▁three ▁dec ades ▁was ▁primarily ▁on ▁industrial ▁relations . ▁The ▁Mer ch ants ▁Association ▁had ▁acted ▁primarily ▁as ▁a ▁prom oter ▁of ▁local ▁industry . ▁But ▁when ▁Harrison ▁Gray ▁Ot is , ▁publish er ▁of ▁the ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁Times , ▁joined ▁the ▁body ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 6 , ▁the ▁association ▁under w ent ▁a ▁transformation . ▁ ▁It ▁adopted ▁a ▁new ▁name ▁( the ▁Mer ch ants ▁and ▁Man ufact ur ers ▁Association , ▁or ▁M & M ), ▁and ▁began ▁veh ement ly ▁prom oting ▁the ▁open ▁shop . ▁The ▁nas cent ▁labor ▁movement ▁in ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁col lapsed , ▁and ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁remained ▁largely ▁union - free ▁until ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 0 s . ▁ ▁On ▁October ▁ 1 , ▁ 1 9 1 0 , ▁a ▁bomb ▁expl oded ▁at ▁a ▁printing ▁plant ▁owned ▁by ▁the