The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1942-09-08
By y 7. SHORT

THESE Labor day observations
are written by a descendant
Of one Of the first knight, Of
Labor families in Michigan.
News Of the first time the first
Monday in September vas OBJ
served as Labor day in 1881 10
vaguely remembered.
Much water has flowed I'M
der the bridge since that first
Labor day so years ago.
Labor has had its ups and
downs; there have been gains
and losses followed by other
gains.
As has been the case with
ether groups, including organi-
cations of employers, most of
labor's losses have come from
selfishness and personal smbi-
tons within its own ranks. That
was the cause of the downfall
of the knights of Labor and the
AFL-CIO debacle, for which the
man who works for wages has
paid dearly. Those leaders who
caused the break have suffered
little II any az far a. income
Is concerned. Some have prof
tied greatly.
Short-sigbted and ignorant
labor leaders have Numbered
A. ridiculonsly ~ short-sight-
ed and ignorant captains of
industry.
Out of the frying and stew
ing come hopeful signs that
leaders of both groups are sens
ing-some only vaguely, it 10
true but nevertheless begin
ming to realize that certain
fundamentals must be observed
II both are to survive.
Rights of labor were estab-
lished many centuries before
Uriah Stevens organized the
Knights of Labor in 1859. 1t
was part of the philosophy set
up by the son Of a carpenter
of Nazareth nearly two thou
sand years ago. He said the
laborer is worthy of his hire
Another fundamental princi-
pie was established when the
Son of the Carpenter said. Rem
der unto Caesar the things that
are Caesars"
That takes in a lot Of ter
ritory. 1t il an injunction
against taking what belongs
to the other fellow. Like, for
instance, chlsellng on so small
a thing as q bus transfer,
cheating on your income, or
selling on a scale that gyps
the customer.
II can be- interpreted to mean
that a member of union work.
ing under a contract that re-
uuires 40 hours a week Is
cheat when he soldiers on the
job-just as much of a cheat as
the employer who tries to chisei
out of a contract.
A lot of the worlds trouble
will be wiped out when all the
captains of industry and all tne
workers take seriously the IN
junction to give Caesar what be-
longs to him. Some Of them are
doing that now, but not enough
President Roosevelt's radio mes
sage-which ought to be COM
ing on about the time you reso
this-will tell all Of us-laborers
and capitalists and in-betweens
how much we will have to DO
before we get out of this war
His message and its imports
will make this Labor day MEM
orable.
Coming and Going
Gov. Lsnglie's suggestion
about closing Longacres track
So the folks wouldn't wear OUT
40 much rubber and burn 80
much gasoline breaking the
speed limits going to and from
the races finally has become an
actually. The last races were
run on Labor day, presumably
with all Mr.. Gottstein's COM
mitments' exonerated.
Hon. the sucker Cho met
on the lcrong horse lch pay
his grocery bills or put back
the money he borrowed
from the till IS another
story.
What Sm. people can't un-
derstsnd about this eiecuoh
business is how candidates for
the legislature can in these days
afford to spend so much money
to be elected to a ioo Win
salary that admittedly doesn't
pay expenses. Once upon
tine there we're during the ses-
sions Of the legislature certain
poker games with siZesole JACK
pots that sometimes were won
by novices, but those days have
gone forever.
Some other folks are wonder