The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1902-09-01
LABOR DAY ALMOST
ANATIONAL HOLIDAY
ProcIaiTad by Congress for
The District.
CELEBRATED IN SO STATES
Workmeu Generally Employed at the
Highest Wages on Record, Though
One Great Strike Mars the Occasion
Statistics Of the Bureau of Labor

Labor DAY was celebrated today IN
thfrtv-three States besides the District
of Columbia. Three other States-Lou-
isiana. North Carolina. and Pennsyl-
vania-set aside other days for honors
paid to labor. In Louisiana November
- is observed as Labor Day; in North
Carolina the first Thursday in Septem-
Der is the day. and in Pennsylvania the
first Saturday in September is Labor
Day
The thirty-three States which have
enacted laws setting aside the Rrst Non
day in September as the day of rest
and holiday. to be known as Labor Day,
are Alabama California, Colorado. Con
necticut. Delaware. Florida Georgia
Illinois. Indiana. Iowa. Kansas, Maine,
Massachusetts. Michigan, Minnesota,
Missouri. Montana, Nebraska, New
HAMPSHIRE. sew Jersey. New York,
/ Ohio OregSn. Rhode Island, South Caro-
lima Tennessee. Texas. Utah. Vermont,
Virginia. Washington West Virginia.
and Wisconsin
Nine States Do Not Celebrate
| Nine states have yet given no recog-
milton legally TO the day. These are
Arkansas Idaho, Kentucky, Maryland
Mississippi, Nevada. North Dakota
South Dakota. and Wyoming There Is
record of legislation on the subject BY
the Territories of Arizona, New Mexico
and Oklahoma
The observation is sufficiently wide
however. to give the celebration ne
fiopal character. The day this year j.
being celebrated more generally and il
better spirit than ever before The rea
sons for this a-e manifold. and not IN
least is that the statistics show tina
labor TO-DAY IS more generally and proiit
ably employed than at any other tim
D since the holiday was instituted
One Great Strike.
One great Industrial disturbance mar
the event. and that is the strike in tn
anthracite regions Of Pennsylvania. in
: voIving about 140.0G0 wage-earners-
= It is interesting to note that whe
z Congress declared Labor Day iega
=, holiday in the District OF Columbia
= therefore giving TO the occasion as near
If Il a national character as il was posi-
bic for Congress to DO under the limi;a
70 lions Of the Constitution. ore OF IN
- greatest and most dangerous strikes In
icountry has ever known was in proc
8 iress- Reference Is had 10 the big raj
= road strike at Chicago III 1894.
r Wages Highest on Record.
d Statistics carefully prepared by ii
ID National Commissioner Of Labor sho
I'd that wages in all departments OF PR
d ductfon are higher today on an averai
: than ever before in the history Of Il
country officials of the various guile
9 OF workmeu say that in point OF men
- bership their respective organization
are stronger today than at any Tin
NC since the modern spirit OF organtzau'
an and cooperation was communicated
the wage-earuing masses. Hence at 2
y centers Of Industrial activity thToug
as out the nation today more men and be
CT ter fed and better clothed men q
B. marching IN parade and otherwise Ia
n ing part in the celebration than ha
gs done so since Labor Day was institute
10, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
he = summary of the data collected
the Bureau Of Labor exhibits an int
estfag and significant condition Of t
va prices Of labor in recent years. T
IS figures are brought down only to 10
Of but they are sufficiently comprehend
o. 10 SHOW that the trend Of the wage SCI
in the United States has been constaT
o. y upward since 1885
he Taking 100 as 4 basis Of comparis