Birmingham age-herald., 1894-09-02
LABOR DAY. To Be Appropriately 0b- served Tomorrow By Birmingham's Toiling Thousands at East Lake. How the Day Originated, and by Whom It Is
 Observed. Review of the Birmingham Trades Council and the
 Organizations Comprising It, Together With a Resume of Some of the
 Leading Officials.
Comprising It, Together With a Resume of Some of the
 Leading Officials.

Tomorrow is Labor Day and as such will be fittingly observed by all the trades or ganizations of Birmingh ham and vicinity.
 Twelve years ago in the city of New York the first observance of day dedicated to labor, and which has since become na- tional holiday, was first conceived by a member of the American Federation of La bor, P. J. McGuire, who since then has become the first vice president of that or- ganization.
 The idea was accepted by the general as- sembly of the Knights of Labor and carried out in fitting manner. The first cele- bration was procession, which was viewed by countless thousands in the great metropolis, and it's success was heralded abroad throughout the land. Papers every where printed lengthy accounts of it, and so great was the success that it was de- termined to have the day recognized as legal holiday by the several state govern ments. This met with favor, so much so that the national legislature was urged to bass a law making Labor Day. national legal holiday. In June or this year this was done, and as such was hailed With joy by all the thousands of laboring men-the great masses-throughout the length and breadth of the land.
 The following is the exact verbiage of the bill as It became law, and as such was signed by Grover Cleveland, president of the United States:
 "A bill making Labor Day legal holi- day; o.oo..a k, ,,o .a,.t. and ho,ss of representatives of the United States of America, in congress assembled, That the first Monday of September in each year, being the day celebrated and known as labor's holiday, Is hereby made a legal holiday, to all intents and purposes in the same manner as Christmas, the 1st day of January, the 22d day of February, the Soth day of May and the 4th day of July are now by law made public holidays"
 This great day of the workingmen has for four years past been observed by the labor organizations of this city, under the au- spices of the Trades council. This year the Trades council appointed a committee ments for proper observance oi the day, and to Messrs. T. D. Findley of the Typo graphical union, T. M. Buchanan of the Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel Workers and P. J. Hagerty of the Press mems un:ol wag allotted the task. It was big undertaking, but the committee were equal to the emergency, and they will receive the plaudits of their fellow work men for their good work when the day will have been mum bered with those ofthe past.
 Owing to the stringency caused by the recent unsettled condition of affairs in this district it was decided to have no parade, but to have grand picnic, and beautiful East Lake was the place selected.
 There thousands of laboring men, their wives, children, sweethearts and friends will join with them and rejoice oyer the re- newed prosperity which is so brilliantly apparent in the near future.
 Could Terrence ". Powderly, Samuel Gompers, J. R. Sovereign, P. M. Arthur, Hugh O'Donnell, w. B. Prescott and others of the leading labor chiefs be pres ent with their fellow laborers the AGE- HERALD vouchsafes the assertion that they would be imbued with feeling such as they will have,
 A most appropriate sesson is this for re- viewing the many labor organizations comprising the Birmingham Trades coun- cil, and the AGE- HERALD presents to its readers a resume with brief sketches of the leading men in them.
 BIRMINGHAM TRADES COUNCIL.
 The Birmingham Trades' council was or ganized July 2S, 1889, by the iron holders, icai union, with G. w. Osborn of the iron molders president and P. Cosminski of the typographical union secretary.
 Composed as it was of the different labor organizations of the city naturally the council became more or less involved in the labor troubles, which, at different times, arose in Birmingha ham.
 The first strike with which 1t was con- nected was that of the carpenters of 1889, and in the following September took part in the iron molders' strike, and later with the lockout at the Birmingham rolling mill and the strike at the Linn Iron works.
 In the spring of 1890 the council joined the eight-ho movement and gave ball for the benefit of the striking rolling mill men, which netted over $S00
 The history of the Trades council, chro-