Show FIRST LABOR DAY BIG IDEA was move to raise funds for organization fly by JAMES DUNCAN F first i r at vi vice c e P president re sl de n t A F of I 1 4 II 11 nere e r e Is wishing w 1 sh in g a ll 11 happy a ap pp y new labor day to all the greatest gift of nature a year of time brings bring us again to the eventful epoch away back yonder in the early eighties of the recent century P J mcguire of blessed memory general secretary and organizer of the brotherhood ot of carpenters and a delegate to the central labor union of new york city bethought him of something new to help along the early work of labor organization mcguires maguires McGui res idea was to get up a huge labor day picnic and to charge a normal but popular entrance tee fee after the grounds and the band were paid the balance was to be divided POW I 1 1 A i 1 J 41 james duncan among the organizations participating as per the number of tickets a local might have sold these funds were to be exclusively used for or organizing ani it was a new medicine not bad to take and for a start it took finely the game was on an and d the next year the gathering was encouraging other cities and towns caught the spark and for the same purpose thus it was that tile the great holiday began the state of new york tork passed a taw law creating the holiday in time congress fell in line carrying its action even into reactionary states for several of them had decided in addition to their own holidays to also recognize any holiday declared by congress to labor day credit belongs for many of our trade reforms the politicians looked us up and some of them orated loud and long for our contentions perhaps also to gl ec A t votes but we could suffer them for we needed publicity which without a labor press was difficult to get gel we had need for the elimination of prejudice against uj UA we were demanding weekly instead of monthly pay days we clamored tor for payment of wages in cash more pay fewer working hours and better shop conditions and to labor day oratory w we owe more than many pres present e day union men can fathom not only was 1 I J mcguire the originator of labor day but in his time he did more than any other one man in boosting the eight hour bour day labors holiday is isnow now a fixed star in our economic evolution ion and provides so many possibilities for cohesion and progress that in our present day and in the future we need to not only profitably observe it but to do so wholeheartedly whole heartedly orate and parade dignify iffy the theme labor spread its beneficent benen cent ples use it to glorify womankind and to protect them from the cold hand of greed acclaim from every bor day dav platform that child inbok shrill cease no flet itous threadbare thre aubare earl carp ig ap P of law can stand in 1 I w wnm y |