Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-09-03

celebration of the day under the direc-
ton of the Rock Island Industrial Home
association being held there in the
afternoon and evening. The crowd Is
estimated at between 10000 and IS,
coo. figures being difficult to give on
account of the fact that the crowd
came and went all day, not only on
the street cars but by boats from Rock
Island and Davenport.
SchaTer Speaks.
In the afternoon a short progra..
was carried out, addresses being given
by Mayor Andrew Olson of Moline.
and Mayor H. c. Schaffer Of this city.
Mr.. Schaffer spoke as follows:
Mr.. Chairman, Fellow Citizens,
Members of Tri-City Trades Unions,
and Ladies': 1t was with pleasure that
| accepted the invitation of your sec
retary to deliver an address on this oc:
casiOn, the tri-city celebration of Labor
day. | was particularly pleased to ac-
cept the invitation because | was in
formed that only brief addresses were
expected this afternoon, because | lay
no claim to oratOrical ability. | have
been a wOrkingman since bOyhood, and
have never had the time nor oppOrtunity
to cultivate the art of oratory even to
the extent of learning whether or moi
II have the making of an orator. Fur
thcrmore, | understand very well thai
you really are not assembled here tC
listen to long Oratorical effusions. You
come here for a holiday, to enjoy the
|amusements and diversions provided
by your committees, rather than tC
Give up a good part of the afternoon t
the tedious task Of listening to orations
which cannot present much that is new
to men who are practically enlisted in
the cause of organized labor. You not
only have at your command the sources
of information relating to your several
organizations which are not available
to men in other lines of work. but alSC
are well informed concerning the prog
ress of the trades union movement gen
orally. In would. indeed. therefore, bt
as Improbable for me to discuss those
subjects as it would be. according tC
the old saying, to carry coal TO New
castle. And, beyond all this. the aver
lage American wOrkingman is about as
well posted on general topics as the av
erage of the orators who address hin
from time to time. The man who ha.
obtained common school education
has the opportunity of possessing him
self of a fair college course by taking
advantage of the means of self-improva
ment afforded by our public libraries
our newspapers and magaZines-fOl
practical purposes as useful as a cours,
in college. even if it does not, perhaps
magnify the gift Of CAB. That Ameri
can workingmen have taken advantag,
of all these means of self improve
ment, and have profited by the furthe
educational benefits insured by active
participation in the affairs of thei
lodges and unions, is. | think, bes
demonstrated by the history of tn.
trades union movement in the United
States.
Benefits of UniOnism.
81 think there can be no questioning
of the fact that the American working
man enjoys a greater reward for hi:
toll than the wOrkingmen of any othe
land. To a large extent this is un
dOubtedlv due to the great natura
wealth of our country, and the ecOno
mic policies which have obtained il
| the conduct of our national affairs
But while these have been importan
factors in insuring the maximum o
employment to people resident within
our borders, larger wages, and NOR
of the comforts and luXuries of lif
| than are within the reach of the masse
of the people of other lands, they d.
not account for all the advantages er
ioyed by our workingmen.
"Without effective trades union
our mechanics could not have secure
so large a proportion of the wealt
they produce, as they do today in tn
form of wages, nor would they be i
the enjoyment of the short hours whic
are now the rule in practically ever
important trade. l may be pardone
for the personal allusion, when l refe
to the fact that | began life as bricl
llayer, serving my apprenticeship j
Chicago. | followed my trade in thu
city and elsewhere. In those days W
worked 10 hours a day. Today, l b.
lieve, the rule is an eight-hour day i
most of the building trades. Few wor
more than nine hours day. 1t is th1
shortening of the hours of labor, wit
an increase, rather than a decrease i
the wages received, for which tn
trade unions must receive credit.
may not be out of place to say to yo
that while 1 have worked just as har'
If not harder, since | laid aside tn
trowel, hammer and plumb-bob, fc
the tools of the man who works in tn
office or store, as | did when | was .
customed to fill my place on the wa
from 7 O'Clock in the morning until