The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1928-08-24

| has in bis scrapbook at the Llano coll
ony shack. Since the first general as
sembly of the knights of Labor at
/ Reading, Pa, the organization had be-
| gun to assume the form which it was
to maintain until the American Fedora
| ton of Labor displaced it as the most
| powerful factor in American labor af-
fairs. In 1881 the society had dropped
all secret furbelows with which Ste
vens had endowed it. In 1882, while the
| cOmmotion over the Powderly leader
| ship was threatening to split the
l. Knights asunder, a group OF the lead
ers, including Cuno, met in New York
and made plans for the first Labor day
| demonstration to prove the solidarity
| of labor.
Having written the proclamation
calling for the parade, Cuno marched
at the head of the procession carrying
banner on which were inscribed the
words:
PAY NO RENT
And now, thirty-five years later he
is realizing in fact the doctrine that he
preached on his banner in that first
parade of labor For as a colonist of
New Llano, Theodore Cuno pays no
rent.
Neither does he pay board nor is he
bothered by tailor bills. shoe bills
or light bills. AS member of the col
ony he Is entitled to all those things,
and therefore contributes his share of
the colony labor. That is the way they
do things at Llano colony.
Cuno believes that despite the legal
difficulties through which the colony
has passed under the administration of
the much discussed George T. Pickett,
the Llauo experiment will succeed.
Faith, says Cuno, is believing some
thing that you know isn't So" but he
has faith in the colony of which he is
the dean and for which he has been
financial angel
Noting the progressive strides of
| American labor in the thirty-hve years
| that have passed since the first Labor
day parade in New York, the scholarly,
| philosophic old man of seven languages
and a background of liberal European
education holds to the opinion that
never in the history Of man has the
laborer been so comfortable as Is the
American laborer in this day. When he
wrote his proclamation as the Jefferson
| of the American toilers the place of
labor in the American scheme was In
| definite; it's future nebulous. Collective
bargaining was not generally recog-
| nized; the courts had not passed on
labor's rights and limitations. Now all
| that Is changed. And Cuno believes
that labor truly dominates in a part
nerSnlp TO WHICH II Is as lHuiSpSHSdUAS
| as capital.
Largely aloof from the world about
him, surrounded by his excellent
| library, his numerous scrapbooks and
his memories Cuno has detached
| view of the problems of the world in
which he was once greatly embroiled
| as a Socialist of international repute.
| His grandfather was a Belgian baron.
| and wealthy. Theoretically Cuno has
4 lie int act In
| Llano colony He wears the simple
overall uniform of the colony and the
| rough colony shoes, yet he smokes ex-
| celient cigars; and with those and the
| classics he is content. Il would rather
| have a glass of water and crust of
| bread in peace than to live comfortably
| in unhappiness." is his way of putting it.
After the New York celebration Of
Labor day in 1882 the popularity of
| the holiday grew with great swift
ness until it had extended to every
| part of the country. 1t became not
| only q holiday for the man who
worked with his hands but for the
| man who worked with his brain also.
In the years that have interviewed 1t
has become a festival of relaxation
| and regeneration for all strata of our
social structure, for millionaires and
| millworkers alike, so that it is doubt
| full if there is any of our holidays
that has such universal popularity.
Formal action toward making
Labor day a national holiday was
taken by the Federation of Organized
| Trades and Labor Unions of the Unit
| ed States and Canada, the predecessor
| of the American Federation of Labor,
| at it's annual convention in Chicago
in 1884. There the delegates adopted
a resolution stating that the first