The Carbon County news. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1924-1931, 1928-08-30
HOW LABOR DAY
GOT IT'S IMPETUS
AS A HOLIDAY

This is the day that labor celebrates
as its own. 1t is only few years ago
since it's general observance was orig
inally advocated in this country. Or
ganized labor from the first gave the
movement its cordial support and is
pleased to know that, with the passing
years Labor day is gaining in strength
and influence and that it is now recog
nized as one of the great American
holidays of the years.
At first, the proposition to dedicate
one day of the year to the cause of
labor met with considerable opposi
zion, but by degrees the wishes of the
toilers in the mills, mines, factories
and workshops prevailed, with the re-
suit that on this one morning of the
365, the whistles that call the workers
TO their tasks are silent. There is a
truce to the industrial clamor of the
land and toilers Of the soil while the
thousands who make the wheels of
prosperity spin enjoy brief season
Of leisure in pleasant and profitable
eompanionship with each other.
AS a representative of the United
Mine Workers | am proud of the dis
tinetion that my craft enjoys with re-
ference to Labor day. It was a coal
miner who first gave to labor holiday
the name of Labor day. His name is
Robert Price. While at that time he
was not a member of the United Mine
Workers, but member Of the general
executive board of the Knights of
Labor, the organization that preceded
the United Mine Workers in this
country.
1t was on Sept. in 1882, when the
organized workers of New York were
having parade, they extended an
invitation tot. V. Powderly and Rob-
elt Price, and others who at that time
were. very active in the Knights of
Labor, and while viewing the parade
Of 10000 workers in New York, Rob
ert Price made the remark, sThis is
Labor day in reality So that night
7. V. Powderly, Robert Price and
others, discussed the parade and
agreed on a plan to start campaign
for making it recognized holiday,
not only for the employees, but for
Everybody. Five years after the NAM
ing of Labor day by Robert Price, a
coal miner, it was passed into statute
law. New York was the first state to
init oduce the bill into the Legislature
but Oregon was the first state to pass
the Labor day law. In the meantime
the members of organized labor and
: their friends kept up an agitation fol-
, its recognition and Robert Price was
one of the first, together with the
committee of coal miners of Lonacon
, ing, Md, to wait on the governor anC
ask for Labor day legislation.
Since the Inauguration of Labor day
much has been achieved to amelioratt
the difficulties and dangers of toll
and much more looms bright on The
horizon of promise for the future. TIL
: emancipation of labor from tn
i cruelty and injustice by which it wa
J beset, even so recently as the last hal
: of the last century, is full of encour
i agement for those who hope for bet
q ter things for humanity. They hav
u many reasons for rejoicing, and no
! the least of these is the fact that labo
has made it's impress so indelibly o
: the affairs of the nation as to be abb
: to set aside this one day of the yea
> for its own.-Pat McKenna, boar
9 member, district %, u. M. w. of A.