The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-02-19
Workers Holiday "A Mass sto,1)


broke through of crimson colored vapor
and floated into oblivion, disappearing like a
giant balloon that has lost its way. The changing
blue skies, threatening occasionally to break into
a storm, made the day clear And, it was yet warm
though summer already stripped of its virgin
warmth by approaching fall
That day a holiday most sacred one in
the calendar of Capital. 1t was Labor Day-work-
ers' holiday. The day in the year when big
business and reactionary labor takers shake hands
in common cause. There work that day.
Department store windows curtained. Public
buildings bedecked in flags. Brokers' news
tlcklers gave forth no news The Stock Exchange
did not open. Wall Street was deserted Even the
factories were closed. In short nobody worked You
couldn't work even if you wanted to- The A. F. of
l.. wouldn't let you. The tabloids wouldn't let YOU
The state department wouldn't let you. No one
would let you, for it was Labor Day-workersP holt
day. day devoted to the Qualification Of "peace
IN industry" and workers don't work on that day,
they celebrate it.
A gay spirit of frivolity suffused in the air
which passers-by readily inhaled 1t was the hour
when taking a walk" was most popular, and every
where people hurried along as though they were
on their way to some huge carnival. Around the
terminals Negro porters clad in grey uniforms were
sweating under the weight of heavy valises belong
ing to outgoing vacatonists. They pocketed silver
cons and smiled proudly as they lost their way in
the crowded stations
On Fifth Avenue promenaded the bourgeoisie.
also celebrating Labor Day. Here high heeled wo-
men moved adrotly about under brightly tinted hats
while their 1.-THE bodies swayed voluptously in silks
Neatly dressed puppets of dividends with brightly
cclored cravats protrudng from under The noints
OF white collars shuffled besides them Blue ribboned
dogs led tailored manikns along-girls whose faces
were lost in the traffic of their destinations
This is the avenue where The Envied make os-
tentatious display of their profits. And where the
less fortunate children of commerce come to COM
pete with them in the melo-dramic exhibit of wealth.
The latter wear garments of less expensive tex
ture, which serve excellent stuffngs for mere
mechanisms of trying to look like their bosses
sons. The procession continues as more and more
civilized morons stroll by leaving behind them an
odor of refined monotony which sends strong
whiffs of hate through your nostrls.
Along Broadway, theatres gave special Labor
Day matnees at advanced rates and willing theatre
goers clogged the congested thoroughfare as thew
darted from lobby to lobby in search of amusement
Fools. all Of them, searching for amusement in
suffy theatres when there is plenty of it all around
them. Stop someday when your on that street and
watch the never ending parade in carcature sweep
by. That should give any with CUTS a laugh
You sec adolescent youths hurrying out of auto
mats as though they ashamed of having eaten
there. And gggling stenographers stop in front of
mirrored windows to dab another layer of powder
over their stenciled faces. It's wonder that some
red blooded poet doesn't come down here and watch
those well groomed civilizees wend their way
through the streets. Such man could write a
masterpiece about those cold, disconsolate humans
pushing each other with barbaric gusto. All social
beings, peerng into each others face yet strangers
swarning the sidewalks of unsocable New York
Where one human being cannot speak to another
unless they ask for match the time. thought
worthy of attention.
The crowds continued to swell, swirl, and move
on in wild rhythm up and down the pavements
In the cutters automobile horns honked their sereech-
ing noise gaudily painted deviated out of
each others way. Enigmatic smiles broke through
the lips of freshly barbered faces their eyes oeled
TO passing girls, sweetly perfumed in lust More
faces, all animated with blank nonchslance whizz
by. Sensual eyes followed the outline of women's
buttocks swaying under imitation fur coats, while
noses unwillngly pick up the scent of lascivious
odor which they leave behind. Giggles sounded
from their midst. They happy. 1t is their holi-
dav What holiday? Oh, yes, Labor Day-workers' :
holiday.
in Union Square some twenty thousand garment
workers rallied that never to be forgotten day,
again we repeat. It was Labor Day-workers' holt
dav to protest against the njunctons issued to the
greedy cloak manufacturers the fifteenth week
Of ha CIR uh;ch