The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-08-31
Stabilized Holidays
Features New Calendar
Labor Day Only Fixed Monday Holiday in Present
Calendar History Of Labor Day Dates to 1882

New York, August 3l--Labor Day,
the first Monday in September, is
the only holiday under the present
calendar upon which everyone can
depend annually for q long week
end. For this reason, weekend La
Dor Day vacations are easily PLAN
ned in advance; and travel, trans
portation, and resort business are
at their peak. This holiday comes as
a welcome respite In a long sum-
mer whose previous holiday (Inde-
pendence Day. is two months past.
Under the proposed World Cal
endar every holiday will occur On
a regular, fixed weekday and date,
many of them coming on Monday.
Other holidays may also be stabi-
lized so as to extend the long week
end feature throughout the calen-
dar year. This sterilization factor
will enable us to plan vacations on
other long week-ends with the same
confidence and enjoyment we feel
when making our Labor Day plans.
The Labor Day holiday is not old.
In fact, 1t dates from about 1882. In
that year Peter j. Mcclure, one of
the active leaders in the knights of
Labor, was President of the United
Brotherhood Of Carpenters and
Joniers of America. In May of that
year, Mr.. MaGuire submitted pro-
posal to the recently organized Cen
trail Labor Union In New York sug-
costing that labor should select a
day for a parade. In submitting his
proposal he said that such a day
would show the strength and es-
prit de corps of the trade and labor
organizations" The parade was to
be followed by picnic or a festi-
val the proceeds from which were
to be divided among the organiza-
tons taking part.
Mr.. Mcclure argued that other
holidays represented religious, civil,
and national events, but that none
were representative of the indus
trial spirit, the great vital force of
the nation" In seeking a suitable
place in the calendar for Labor Day
Mr.. Mcclure observed that quite a
gap existed in the progression Of
holidays between independence Day
and Thanksgiving Day. He there
fore suggested Labor Day should be
observed on the first Monday in
September. His proposal was adopt
ed by the Central Labor Union and
the first Labor Day celebration oc-
CURED September 5, 1882. A great
parade was held in New York.
Soon thereafter the General As
sembly of the Knights of Labor
voted in favor of the annual cele-
bration. This celebration became ma
tional when on October 9, 1884, the
Federation Of Organized Trades and
Labor Unions of the United States
and Canada, met in convention in
Chicgao, and voted in favor of the
1t Is this organization
which later became the American
Federation of Labor.
The first State to leglaize Labor
Day was Oregon. On February 81,
1887, about two and a half years
after the action taken by the labor
the Legislature Of Or
egon set apart the first Monday in
as a State holiday in
honor of labor. Other states soon
followed and within three months
similar action was taken in Color
ado, Massachusetts,, New Jersey,
and New York. The first Monday in
became legal holiday
In 30 states by the middle of 1894;
and in that year on June % Con-
gress passed an act making it a
legal holiday in the District of
Columbia and in the territories.
Labor Day is now observed in every
state.
In The World Calendar, Labor
Day would be September 4. In this
method Of computing
time the familiar IL
would be retained, but di-
vided into equal quarters of 81 days
each. Each quarter would consist Of
one long month followed by two
shorter ones, the long month hav-
ing 81 days and the two short ones
80 days. Every quarter would con-
tain Is weeks or three months; and
every month would have Is week.
days besides Sundays. Each quar-
ter would begin on Sunday and
end no a Saturday. The 365th day,
necessary to keep the year astron-