The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1918-08-31
MEN Of NORTH TO OBSERVE
lAb0R'S GREATEST HOLIDAY
Every Town on Mesaba Range to Have Celebration Leading
Events at Hibbng and Virginia Trade Unions Are
Growing in the Iron District.

Perhaps IN no time IN the past Will
Labor day have such profound signifi- !!
canoe as this Labor day will have on
the Range because this year finds the
birth of labor organizations that never
existed before.
The mill workers union, an infant
child, born on the wake of the conven-
ton of the Minnesota State Fedora
ton of Labor which was held in Vir-
ginia July Is, 16 and II, is waxing
strong among mill hands at the Vir-
ginia & Rainy Lake company and at
! the Bailey Lumber company of Vir-
ginia, and is being watched by labor
and capital alike in it's process of ma
turity.
Like Fond Mother.
Labor is watching it's growth be-
cause, like a fond mother, it is inter-
ested. It's strength will give good
omen that other children born of the
same parent-labor, will grow in mag
| nificent proportions and will rise up
to call it's parent, the Minnesota State
Federation of Labor blessed.
Capital is watching the growth of
! the mill workers. union in the city of
, Virginia because capital is a relative
of labor, not too anxious to see the
child unionism wax too strongly in it's
| growth because, if it should grow too
large, it might interfere in the play
| ground of commrrce and confine the
area of free play in business to smaller
confines and stunt the influence of
capital so that wealth-the ambition Of
capital cannot be realized.
Virginia Attracts Labor.
And so, the city of Virginia, the
Queen City of the Mesaba range is
the lode stone that is attracting the
attention of two big bodies of men,
the one anxious to see it's develop
ment, and the other DESTROYS of hav-
ing unionism die a premature death.
This, then is why Labor day Of 1918
will be of such importance and this
is the reason the coming Labor day
will be the greatest ever observed on
the Mesaba range.
Along with the newly born union of
millworkers, miners are organizing,
but they are a bit reticent because
they are waiting to see how their fos-
ter brother will grow against opposi-
ton of Capital. Should the millwork-
ers be victorious in the embryonic
stage which they are now undergoing,
then the miners will take added cour-
age and will organize 100 per cent to
unionize the entire range in it's two
great industries, lumber and iron ore
| mining.
Strange Shut Down.
This is a Psychological time at the
Queen City. A week ago 200 men OF
mill No. 3 of the Virginia & Rainy
. Lake company were suddenly thrown
. out of employment, because, it was
said at the mill, machinery had broken
down and it would require some little
time to repair it, but men, employees
Of the mill knew that this was {
camouf1aged reason. They knew tina,
the corporation they were working fol
was a cautious corporation and arr
wary of the new union that is alread,
born, but still in it's tiny infancy ant
they are waiting-waiting to see how
things. will develop. It is argued b,
men who are now out of work tina
should the mill workers organize 1O(
per cent, the corporation will b,
obliged ito take the men back, repair
the erstwhile broken machinery AM
resume operations. It is whispered
however, by the corporation that
the mill workers organize 100 per cen
. the mill will be closed down and tina
!. there will be an influx Of unemploye,
J men thrpwn on the sea Of idleness ant
that they will be obliged to come bacl
to work to live, and thus will the new
ho ~ TIC
Time Will Tell.
Time will tell, however, but a.
things are at present a precarious sit
uation exists and this accounts for tn,
steady gaze on the City of Virgini;
by Capital of the Range and by Labo
of the Range. Two viewpoints will
the one object in view, but with hope
totally adverse victory. Capita
wants it and hopes to gain it by pro
found silence or watchful waiting, ant
Labor wants victory by getting on
and fighting for it with animated &C
tivity as is characteristic Of labor
and fighting tooth and nail to get it
All this for Labor day of 1913, ant
yet, what is Labor day?
Its very name is paradoxical. W.
call it Labor day. when as mat
ter of fact it is a day of rest. What i
really meant, however, is that Of
1 this day great hosts of working mel
all over the country celebrate Labor
tits dignity and what it has accom-
plished.
Common Meeting Day.
Lawmakers have set Labor da;
apart as special day of honor. Be
yond the sentimental reason lies
deeper one which is the desire t
bring together in closer intimacy tn
- interests of this great branch of pub
= lie service and those of that othe
:? great branch with which it sometime
conflicts, called Capital. BY Capita
Is meant the money necessary to de
| velop a piece of work such as tn
planning of boards, the telling of tree
! and the finishing of the product q
the mining from the bowels of tn
earth iron ore such as these two in
dustries produce along the Mesab
Range, and to pay the men who do I
Labor day is a common meetin
ground for them. s&a, r.
- America was the first country IN II