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Show Philadelphia Clajrm First Trade Unions Philadelphia Is nationally and even Internationally famous as being the premier city of the United States. Its fame In scientific and Industrial accomplishments Is as wide as the world, and Its great nnd glorious history his-tory Is something that no other city In the land can ever take away from It. It has a record In "firsts" thnt is magnificent, the list published by the Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, containing nearly .10 premier events of national Importance, which have, unquestionably, given this city Its very enviable reputation. It Is generally known, of course, that Philadelphia was the first capital of the nation: . that the first paper nnd carpet mills I were started here, nnd thnt the first I convention ever held by manufacturers i In this country wns held In this city. : It Is also well known that the first i law nnd medical schools were estah I llshcd here and that the first grand I opera was produced here. These J nnd ninny other of the "firsts" nsso-i nsso-i dated with the Illustrious history of Philadelphia nre well known throughout through-out the country, but we regret to say In connection with this mention of "firsts" that only i few trade unionists union-ists In this city seem to know that It was In their own historic city that this country's first trade unions were established, j Historians Support Claim. I For a labor Journal published In Philadelphia to make such n claim as ! that will appear very natural but In-j In-j accurate to trade unionists In syme 1 other old cities, but our claim Is sus-! sus-! tallied by the most reliable historians of the labor movement In this coun-I coun-I try. Those who nre Inclined to scoff nnd pooh-pooh our claim should consult con-sult the history written by John I!. Commons nnd bis associates, who nre regarded by the Internal Innnl Labor 1 News service, published nt Washington, Washing-ton, as "the leading authorities on the subject." The title of their book Is I "The History of Labor In the United , Stntis," nnd In It they make this very significant nssertlon : "We place the beglnnl.ig of the American labor movement In the year ' IS'JT nt Philadelphia. In that year j and place American wage earners for ( the first time Joined together ns a , class, regardless of trade lines. In A J contest with employers." I The contest referred to In the nbove paragraph was a strike of build j Ing trade workers for n ten-hour day ; nnd other Improvements In their work-j work-j Ing conditions, which strike, we nre I pleased lo note, was successful. These I Interesting historic facts regarding the I origin of tho labor movement In the ' United States were broadcast throngh- out the nation by the I. L. N. S. nnd publlsHed In hundreds of labor newspapers. news-papers. Workers Lifted From Slavery. ; No nobler movement for the uplift of humanity nnd for bettering the liv-leg liv-leg condliloiis of working people was . out inaiiKurntcd than wns the move- I ment first started in Philadelphia In IS'JT. Prior to that year workers were treated like slaves. They were prevented pre-vented by law from organizing and forming trade unions. They slaved 12, 14, 10 nnd IS hours every day and often seven days a week. Their wages it makes one laugh theitt wages were whatever pittance their bosses saw fit to dole out to them. Socially, they were despised. But now NOW a union working man can nnd does hold high his head. No longer Is he socially ostracized, lie owns the house he lives In, and probably also owns an automobile, lie Is financially able to dress his wife respectably and give his children a good education. He is free. Independ- ent nnd prosperous NOW all due to trade unionism, a movement first started right here In Philadelphia In (Kditorial from the Philadelphia Trades Union News). Whatever pmjtva the Amerhan lahor movement mnkea tenia on an admatlonal tmU. -Saimie) C.ompeta, |