New-York tribune., 1907-09-03
LABOR Is RAIN SOAKED.
UMBRELLAS HIDE Parade
Some 25 900 Men Brace the Heather
to March, HOzceUer.


Pluvius were the sworn foe Of all adherents Of
organized labor. dampened alike the ardor and
the clothes of the union men in the two big
parades yesterday and caused most of the rest
OF the city's population TO sit at home with long
faces. muttering execrations on the weather man
who so signally missed connections with his
promised Fair day" Though by noon thers
came promise Of clear weather. the day was
spoiled for thousands who had counted on get
ting out Of the city early. Even the sun. which
struggled through rain clouds soon after noon
and in short time removed almost all traces
of his enemy the rain. could not make UP TO
them the hours they had missed
Fortunately for thousands Of other holiday
seekers, most Of the baseball games and tha
various other athletic features set for the
afternoon, which clear. Also, while the
transit facilities not in better order yester-
day than on most other holidays. IT was possbls
for those who had intended to spend the day as
Coney Island and the other nearby resorts TO get
there without more than the ordinary discomfors
in the afternoon By night holiday throngs
filed all the amusement resorts at the beaches,
The effect of the days bad beginning was ap-
parent, though. in the number OF persons at the
crowded restaurants and theatres last night
The real discomforts of the day fell on those
who had planned to take days trip and on the
union men In the parades which give TO Labor
Day lIS distinctive tone. P6TaClnS UnOSr UNI
brellas. with small streams OF water tricklins
down ones neck and out of ones shoes, didn't
appeal to the marchers yesterday the easiest
and pleasantest way Of making holiday. Even
the fact that the martyrdom was in the name
Of labor unionisrn did not make II more easy 20
bear Many indeed, refused 10 face the doEn-
pour.
UNION RANKS REDUCED
II was estimated by some OF the officials that
at least 25 per cent OF the membership OF the
various unions represented did not march be-
cause Of the weather. Those Drawer spirits who
faced the rain presented decidedly an unusual
appearance as they splashed along the rain
soaked streets. inadequately sheltered by bob
bing umbrellas, overcoats which wound around
their legs and oiIskins which declined to shed
water
They took it philosophically and spIashed
along though the lines were not more remark
able for order and discipline than the bearing OF
the men themselves vas for snap and "singe-
They were as wilted and disgusted as were ths
spectators who had stood for two or three hours
in the rain to see the parade, and the scattering
cheers which came from under the umbrellas
along the curb showed how the storm had damp
ened the ardOr Of the sympathizers.
Some $4,000 men marched in the two parades,
and probably 10000 more would have been in
line If the rain had not fnterfered with the
elaborate plans which the labor leaders had
made As il was. about 10000 men affiliated
with the Central Federated Union got away from
the Plaza an hour after the schedule time and
tranped down to washington Square without
losing much time. They were disbanded IN a
hurry seek shelter
Soon after they had begun 10 march the Con-
solldated Board of Building Trades. about 5000
strong got into action. marching north from the
Plaza 20 Harlem
The Central Federated Unions parade was
supposed to begin at $50 a. m. and thousands
of the men were on hand before that time They
stood around absorbing moisture from the at
mosphere and or two other cOnvenienr
places until 1880 o'clock. when the leaders had
pot th, line formed and the bands began to play
march music
Grand Marshal James P. Holland said that
not ons of the forty-four organizations for WHICH
places were reserved failed to send a deiega-
tion. and lust before the start Of the parade
places had to be made for the Newspaper Weo
Pressr1en's Union. No. 25 and for the Locono-
tive Engineers Nevertheless. each delegation
was considerably smaller than the union chiefs
had planned for, as plenty Of men, having stood
in line for half an hour. decided they could serve
,,niorisrn as faithfully without pneumonia ac-
quired by marching in the rain
WOMEN ATTRACT ATTENTION
Atta,tion Of the spectators was divided about
e,,an1v between a. group Of women labor leaders
who rode in carriages and few motor cars and
The striking teIesraphers. who occupied the place
of honor in the parade Their banners, carry
ing the advice Mail Your kilograms together
with the information that the operators intended
IN "Sticl1" awakened cheers all along the ine
OF march
Among the women leaders were Mrs Rosa
Pastor Stokes and Mrs. Margaret Harrison. rep
resentine the Cigarrnakers Union; Miss Annie
Bach. the Mattresses Union: Miss Rose Schneid-
ernan. the Hat and Cap Makers; Miss Esther
F,doeIson the Jewelry Workers: Miss Annie
Fbalfsgraf. the Bookbinders; Miss Annie Patter-
con the label committee and Miss Clara Ffnkel-
stein. the United Garment Workers. Equal Pay
for F,nuaI Work was the motto OF the wornens
section
AS usual, big Six the typographical Union.
sent the largest delegation Of narchers In either
of the parades The Theatrical Protective Union
made up another large division. as did the IN
ternationaI Teamsters Union. whose members
wore blue shirts with red lettering The House
smiths and Bridgemen's Union, over which
sam Parks ruled until he went to prison. was
tauntv in red shirts with white letters across
the breasts One of the pIacards carried IN this
division read: I'VE have been fighting the steel
Trust for twenty-five years"
MANY had expected that there would be some
clash between members OF the rival orsanlza- +
tions while they were forming at the Plaza. but
the Central Federated Unions parade got away. E
and half an hour later the building trades men
began to splash northward. and no ciasn nad
resulted. They. too. hurried along without max
ing any stops for fancy evolutions- Their re-
.ceDtfon was distinctly less enthusiastic than {
that of the rarchers in the other parade. but (
rrobabIv that was because most Of the line OF