New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-09-01
A NATIONAL HOLIDAY,
OBSERF4NCE OF LABOR DAY
WIDESPREAD.
HIGHER WAGES AND MORE MEN AT
WORK NOW THAN AT ANY TINE
SINCE IT'S INSTITUTION
IRF TELEGRAPH TO TIE rRIRuSE.I


Washington. Aug 31.-The annual celebrate
Of Labor Day Will be observed tomorrow by
thirty-three States and the District of Colum-
bia. Three other States-Louisiana North Caro-
lima ard Pennsylvania-set aside other days for
honors paid TO labor. In Louisiana November %
is observed Labor Day: in North Carolina the
first Thursday in September is the day, and in
Pennsylvania the first Saturday in September is
Labor Day. The fhirty-three States which have
enacted laws setting aside the first Monday in
September the day of rest and holiday, to be
known as Labor Day, are Alabama, California,
Colorado Connecticut, Delaware. Florida,
Georgia, Illinois, Indiana Iowa, Kansas, Maine
Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri.
Montana. Nebraska. New fTa-- pshfre New-Jer-
sey, New-York, Ohio, oregon, Rhode Island,
South Carolina. Tennessee. Texas Utah. Yer
mont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and
Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia Nine
States have yet given no recognition legally to
the day. These are Arkansas Idaho, Kentucky
Maryland. Mississippi. Nevada, North Dakota
South Dakota and Wyoming. There is record
nf legislation the subject by the Territories
Of Arizona. New-Mexico and Oklahoma.
The observance is sufficiently wide. however
10 give the celebration a national character. La
bor leaders everywhere expect the day this year
tn be celebrated more generally and in better
spirit than ever before. The reasons for this
are manifold and not the least is that the stats
tics show that labor to-day is more generally and
proftably employed than at any other time since
the holiday instituted Only one industrial
disturbance of any considerable proportions now
mars the event. and that is the strike in the
thracite regions Of Pennsylvania, involving
about 10000 wage earners. Significantly
enough. the only strike Of consequence at this
time last year was among the steel and iron
workers of Pittsburg- II is interesting to note
that when Congress declared Labor Day legal
holiday in the District Of Columbia. therefore
giving to the occasion as nearly a national char
acter as it was possible for Congress to do under
the limitations Of the constitution, Of the
greatest and most dangerous strikes the country
has ever known in progress Reference is
had 70 the big railroad strike at Chicago in
1894. Mr.. Cleveland was then President for the
second time, and the industrial energies Of the
nation were at low ebb due to q fiscal policy
which had almost completely paralyzed the bust
ness strength that had been built un by the ad-
ministration of President Harrison after pc
riod Of unprecedented depression which had ex-
isted during the term of the first Democratic
President elected since 1856.
COUNTRY's FINANCES IMPROVED.
Statistics carefully prepared by the National
Commissioner OF Labor show that wages In all
departments of production are higher to-day on
an average than ever before IN Inc nlStoly OF
the country. Officials Of the various guilds Of
workmen say that in point Of membership their
respective organizations are stronger Today
th2n at any time since the modern spirit OF or
eanization and cooperation was communlcated
to the wage earning masses. Hence il is cohh-
IDENTIFY expected that at all the centres Of indus
trial activity throughout the nation to-day moe
men and better fed and better clothed men viii
march in parade and otherwise take part in The
celebration than have done so since Labor Day
was instituted.
summary of the data collected by the Bu-
reau OF Labor in Washington exhibits an inte-
esting and significant condition of the price
Of Ia Dor for ten years. The figures are brough
aovn only To 1900. but they sufficiently com
r,rerensiHe to show that the trend of the wag
scate in the United States under the protective
tariff system is constantly upward and tha
when the enemies OF that system have heei
rlaced in power there were falling prices for ia
bo- Beginning with 1891, the second year o:
the Harrison Administration. and taking 100 a
the basis of comparison. the table of relative
.,..oee shows this result: