Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-09-05

Organized labor in Augusta celebrated
Monday its annual holiday, Labor Day,
and under conditions that were not
very encouraging, for while in the early
hours of the morning the skies were
bright and the sun was shining, the
promise of good day was false one,
for the sky soon became overcast and
before the noon hour rain was falling,
not heavy rain but a drizzle that was
sufficient to put damper on the out
door sports that formed a portion of
the program for the day. But the sew
eral labor organizations participating
are used to- rain coming on that par
ticuiar day and did not allow it to in
terfere with them to any great extent,
and all had a good time
The celebration of the day was con-
fined to the labor organizations of the
city, with no organizations from other
places present as guests, as was the
case two years ago. but notwithstand-
ing that fact the celebration was a big
one and a credit to the committees who
organized it and carried it through to
successful elimination. There are
Is labor organizations in the city and
all with the exception of one or two
~N'N''NSSt
The first feature of the day was the
parade. which is always a fine one and
which on Monday was no exception The
early hours of the morning We're busy,
the members of the different unions as
sembling at their halls before failing
in" preparatory to taking their places
in the column which was to form In
Market square at 10 o'clock. The for
nation of the parade was in charge of
Joseph P. Grenier as chief marshal and
he was ably assisted by John F'itzger-
aid. Orrin P. Dorr, Robert Goode and
Edward A. Synott. Their work was
done expeditiously and at 1915 everv
thing was ready. The parade moved
in the following order:
Chief Marshal and Aides
Platoon of Police
Augusta Cadet Band
Automobile in which were Mayor Blaine
S. Niles. Labor Commissioner Roscoe A.
Eddy Factor Inspector Henry NJ Dom
nelly and Mayor Lund of Schenectady
n. Y.
Delegation from City Council
Delegation of Central Labor Union
Carpenters and Joiners Union, with float
Brick Layers and MaSons Union
Hold Carriers Union
Edwards Manufacturing Co. float
Loom f1XerS Union
American Federation of Labor float
Federal Union
BARRIERS Union
Typographical Union
Pulp and Sulphite Workers Union with
two floats
Retail Clerks Union with float
Plumbers Union
Painters Union
Boot and Shoe Workers Union with float
Modern Woodmen of America with float
G. D. Haskell & Son, float
Augusta Fire Department with apparatus
of Hose l and 2 and Hook &; Ladder
Painters and Carpenters Union float
The members of the different organ
izations looked we'll and marched we'll
and were greeted with frequent ap-
plause along the line of march. The
floats too added a great deal to the at
tractiveness of the parade. Those of
the paper makers and the loom fxers
were perhaps the handsomest in the
line and another was the cottage house
of the carpenters and painters But
they were all attractive and arranged
with a great deal of skill
The route of march lay up Water
street to the Kennebec bridge. across
the bridge and up Cony street to Ban
gor street, up Bangor street to Willow
street and across the bridge From
there the parade moved up Water street
to Bond street, to State street and down
that street to the State House, where
the column countermarched and then
proceeded by way of State and Grove
streets to Water street where on reach
ing Market square the column massed
and the speaking followed. Henry NJ.
Donnelly acted as master Of ceremonies
and introduced the speakers, they being
Mayor Niles of Augusta and Mayor
Lund of Schenectady. N. Y. In open
ing Mayor Viles said:
"Mr, Chairman, Ladies' and Gentle
men:
To-day Augusta. in common with
other municipalities, pays homage to
the cause of organized labor. Today
We honor the men through whose in
dustry this great nation endures--the
men who do the work. We keep many
holidays in the year but meme do we
observe With deeper regard than this
the day of labor We meet today as
Americans, laying aside party differ
ences and discussions. uniting in pa
triotism and Americanism I had al
ways believed that the two main fac
tors in industrial maintenance and
expansion We're labor and capital, but
| now believe with a gentleman 70
whom | recently listened that this is
third factor and very important
one it is, for it governs both. and this
Is mana cement. A business fails or