Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1911-09-04
LABOR'S OWN DAY
Holiday Today Has A Special Signif-
icance-LabOrs' Duty, Its Rights
And Progress


Today is Labor Day, day set apart
in recognition of the great army of
toilers who typify the producing ele-
ment Of the country. Like most of
our holidays, Labor Day has lost
much of its particular significance and
has become generally day of ordi-
nary idleness or a day to be given to
pleasure-seeking.
Throughout the country, the day
was celebrated by organized labor
with parades in which, in all, probably
million men participated. But,
however imposing this representative
army of workingmen may appear, il
can be regarded only as a demon
stration of the strength and charac-
ter of the trades union movement.
1t can have no direct bearing either
upon labor's duty, its rights or its
progress.
So far as the opportunity for full
filling obligations. insisting upon
rights and marking progress is con-
cerned, every one of the other 364
days is worth a year of Labor Days.
1t is in our daily lives, in the mill,
the factory or the store that the real
labor problems are worked out. 1t is
there that the test is made of sincere
interest in the cause of human pro-
gress.
This Labor Day ought to hold an
especial significance for every wage
Gamer. 1t ought to be brief season
for serious thought not only for those
in the trades unions, but for the humid
reds of thousands affiliated with these
organizations. 1t marks the end of a
dull summer and the beginning of a
revival of industry and commerce af-
| ter a serious depression.
For many months tens of thousands
| Of wage earners have been idle and
other tens of thousands have not been
earning enough to provide all of the
necessities of life. Now we are
again on the highway to industrial
prosperity, and how long the good
times shall last will depend, in large
measure, upon the attitude to be as.
sumed by the employer and the EN-.
| ployed in their reciprocal relations.
Just as the employer should be in.
terested in the welfare of the work
| ingmen and women, so they should be
interested in their employers. A
| time clock is not the best indicator of
cordial relations, and while it has
been found necessary to have time
limits and scales of wages, the right
| performance of everyday duties
however humble, is of greater import
ance.
| What can we do to aid in a better
understanding between employer anC
employed? That is a question every
one ought to ask, answering it from
which ever viewpoint he has. AS EN-
ployer, are there not some things t
be done to benefit the wage earnersi
AS the employed, is there not chance
to how keener interest in the worl
to be done? This sort of spirit, one
of friendliness, will have more bene
fetal effect than one of hostility. /
will 60 far to settle existing differ
ences. 1t will prolong the period o.
industrial progress upon which the
country is entering.
| The day was quietly spent here
| There was no demonstration of any
kind. The public offices-State anc
municipal, were closed all day, also
the banks and postoffice most of the
day. The stores in town closed about
noon, giving the working force holi
day. The only attraction in town was
the races at Parole. Many flags were
hung out in honor of Labor Day, the
flag on the dome of the State House
being most conspicuous.