The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1918-08-30

Formerly State Labor Commissioner.
The first formal move towards the
establishment Of Labor Day was in
augurated in New York city in 1882.
In that year Mathew Mcguire, secre-
tary of the Central Labor Union of
New York city, with the approval of
the union, prevailed upon all the un-
ions of the state to set aside one day
in the year to be known as Labor's
holiday The proposition was well re-
ceived and the first Monday in Sep
tember was adopted by the unions of
the state as Labor Day
In 1883 the Central Labor Union of
New York, encouraged by the success
Of the previous year, inaugurated
movement to extend the scope of the
celebration Of the day to all parts of
the country The effort met with
hearty response from the unions in
all parts Of the country The observ-
ance of the first Monday in Septem-
Der having by this time assumed ma
tional proportions, the day was off
cially adopted by both the Knights of
Labor and the American Federation
of Labor as labor's national holiday
In 1887 the New York legislature
took the initiative in making the day
a legal holiday Massachusetts and
other states speedily followed Mean
while efforts for making the day
national legal holiday hung fire in the
national congress until 1894, when
bill introduced by Representative
Amos Cummings in the House, and
Senator Kyle in the Senate, was pass
ed without opposition and became a
law on June 18th of that year
While the day is eagerly anticipated
by the toilers as one of rest, recrea-
ton and enjoyment, it is significantly
looked upon as one which marks the
progress of the onward march of the
American labor movement Labor
Day 1918, is also significant in that
it not only records the progress of
the American labor movement, but in
that it marks the progress of an event
ful period in the nations as we'll as
labor's history
The nation having been at war for
period Of more than one year, this
day can be properly designated as
day Of reckoning of labors loyalty
and support to what the nation has
already achieved in the war for the
freedom and democracy of the world.
Labor-the leading factor in supply
ing the wants and comforts Of hu-
manity, naturally plays as important
part in defending the liberty of the
human race.
Not unlike all great factors in hu-
man progress, it must have leadership
There is no denying the fact that in
all the needs of our government dur
ing the present crisis the organized
labor movement of America has and
will continue to be looked upon as the
proper factor to take the leadership,
to point the way and set the example
of labor's duty to the government
That the confidence of the nation
has not been misplaced and that the
prompt and unstinted support of la
Dor through the matchless leadership
of Samuel Gompers has been forth
coming, can best be attested by the
part American labor has played dur
ing the last eighteen months.
To the nations call to arms labor
made prompt and generous response.
In the drafting of selectives the in
dustrial centers bore the heaviest bur-
den.
In the construction of cantonments
labor furnished the brain, Drawn and
sinew
In the building of ships, labor, in
many instances at the sacrifice Of its
dependents, hastened from all parts of
the nation to the ship building centers.
In the production of food, supplies,
machinery and munitions, both men
and women left congenial employment
to meet the demand for labor in war
essentials.
In the transportation of troops, raw
material and supplies, railway labor
showed its supremacy in doing its
part to successfully meet the great
est transportation problem in the ma
tons history.
In helping to meet the financial
needs Of the government, labor did its
full share-in many instances at per-
sonal sacrifice, in the purchase of Lib
erty Bonds, Thrift and War Savings
Stamps.