New Britain herald., 1915-09-06
Hold Grand Parade Preliminary to
 Weeks Convention
OVER 12,000 WE'RE IN LINE
Crowd Rivals That of Day of Big Football Games-Delegation and Visitors Represent Many Towns in State-New Britainites There.

New Haven, Sept. 6.-Organized la Dor in Connecticut today held a more general observance of Labor Day than on any previous occasion since the holiday has been particularly recog- nized as belonging to workers in in dustry. The occasion was embraced to bring out in a striking way, through floats, banners, and various devices, the movement for an eight hour day in the state undertaken by various individual trades unions and which since early in July has already been marked by strikes in fifty or more industrial plants with adjust ments in wages and hours satisfactory to thousands of persons involved in at least thirty-five of them.
 In other years Labor Day parades have been either neighborhood or sec- tional affairs. Today however, unions made their way here by every avail able means of transportation from all corners at Savin Rock, on the harbor's west short, at which there were to be athletic games and a mass labor meeting. The program followed had the sanction of the Connecticut Feder- ation of Labor which tomorrow will begin it's annual session of four days to give particular attention in it's dis cussions and action to the eight hour day principle and labor legislation by the recent general assembly.
 Large Number Present
 TI. into the city before the hour set for starting the parade was so large that it could be compared only to the crowd which rushes in on the big football match days. Trains, trolleys, automobiles of all descriptions, and even shore craft were used as means of transit. Thousands of celebrators came by steamer from Bridgeport, while the down town streets were filled With lines of 'jitneys' from nearby towns and cities each flag be- decked and with the passengers carrying some insignia of their mem- hership in a labor union. The city was gay with color, merchants haV- ing liberally decorated their stores, and families along the line of march doing their part to give the day holiday dress.
 \ The unions assembled on SLreetS adjacent to the Central Green to prepare for the parade which was under way at Il o'clock. Before that hour scores of bands were filling the air with tunes, and uniformed or eanizations marched hither and thither to practice the cadence, or to show their faces to friends.
 12,OOO Marched.
 The claim was made by those in charge of the parade that more than l2,OOO persons actually marched. It was estimated that fully 5000 persons came over from Bridgeport, while Hartford, Waterbury, Danbury. Tor rington, Winsted and New London sent over delegates in several in- stances running into many hundreds. Of floats and banners there were scores, and many of them were excep- tionally we'll decorated.
 New Britain Represented.
 New Britain was we'll represented l at the convention in New Haven to- day, members of the Carpenters union, the Bakers union and the Gen. tral Labor union attending. Some of l the local delegates made the trip from ] here to the Elm city by automobile | and will return late tonight.