LABOUR DAY

Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 251, 23 October 1944, Page 3

LABOUR DAY

WORKERS' PAGEANT

A MEMORY OF THE PAST

(By C.J.W.)

There was not always a Labour Day in New Zealand. Young fellows of 65 or thereabouts will tell, you that Labour Day came into the calendar at me end of last century, the year 1899 to 'be precise. Some of them might add that in a way it perpetuates the memory of Richard John Seddon among the masses. For he was arch leader on the winning side in the Parliamentary battle that ended in the eight-hour day for the Working unionist being made a legislative oasis for industrial awards and agreements—and finally for the passing of the Labour Day Act tp commemorate the event. The Labour Day Act of 1899 decreed that the second Wednesday of October shoukl be a public holiday. And for.eleven" years we had Labour Day Wednesdays, mostly wet. Then Parliament in 1910 tried again with the Public Holidays Act, and shifted Labour Day to the fourth Monday in Octoberj possibly; in the hope of a double chance for fine weather by tagging the public holiday on to Sunday. In more recent years, first the Saturday half-holiday and then the full Saturday holiday, made a week-end block of three workless days for the great mass of the people.- Even so, Jupiter Pluvius persisted in having his share in the doings, and statisticians record that of the past 44 Labour Days (not including to-day) only five nave been wholly fine.

"Now, Then" Wet or fine, however, old Aucklanders will tell you that other Labour Days were much merrier occasions than the celebrations of today. They recall the enthusiasm of 40 years ago. ■ Feeling that' it was up to them to have a demonstration which would impress old and young, the unionists of Auckland in a mass breathed a prophetic "Now, then," unaware that this worker's characteristic exclamatory prelude to action was to become historically associated with the country's first Labour" Prime Minister, and set about their job. At this period pageantry held much of the public appeal now yielded to radio, and'the unionists decided on a demonstration in the form of a pageant. The Auckland Labour Day procession, having the novelty of a workers' pageant, made an instant appeal to the people. The unions rallied loyally to the call, poured out their funds, and spent weeks of overtime work in preparation for the event. Many employers, too, freely gave of funds and equipment. On the day the workers mustered and marched in force, with bands playing, union banners flying, groomed and plumed horses stamping, and decorated vehicles bearing novel and striking tableaux of workmen at their various trades. Having due regard to comic relief as contrast to the picturesque features, and taking full advantage of the season's spring flowers to make the decorated vehicles a glorious floral display as a general setting, these artisans turned artists produced a spectacle which mjght have been the envy of a Hollywood director.

Lingering Memories Fragrant and lingering are the memories of this pageant of other Labour Days that have passed. The loveliness of the floral effects,. in which the daintier spring blooms were ever dominated by the stateliness of the arum lily, inevitably evoked mentai tribute to, and frequent comment on, the artistry of the hands' and minds that so deftly wove the lily motif into the designs. An impression has gained ground that through those early processions the fame of the arum as the wild flower of Auckland has spread throughout New Zealand. Linked, too, with October, the; arum lily and the Labour Day processionr there persists in jthe mind a vision of gaily caparaisoned horses. Not just any horses, but teams of matched bay and grey prize Clydesdales. Work horses—the mightiest of their species, and full of the pride and dignity of labour. Gallantly breasting the steep slope of Wellesley Street West (then a macadamised road), they moved with the majesty of power and a jaunty step that spurned any display of effort to keep their loads rolling. Surely they were right in the picture in a Labour pageant? Of picturesque nature comes to mind the sensation caused one y*ear by the appearance in the parade of a yoke team of oxen drawing a trailer of kauri logs. To the townsman they were workers from a strange environment. So also was the "bullocky," with his gee-haw melody, his string of censored objurations and an explosively cracking blacksnake with which he strove to keep his plodding charges up with the band.

fever the Domain's "expansive greensward with its fringing groves of oak, totara and eucalypt was the rendezvous, where procession and spectators melted into a monster sports picnic. Lunch under the trees, music, competitive dancing and athletic contests for folk of all ages and both sexes completed a joyous festal occasion.

The Procession Passes The celebration of the occasion by picnic and sports has remained, but the procession pageant is a thing of the past. Maybe the pageant in the course of years to some extent butlived its novelty for the older folk. But there were other causes for its decline.. Each procession cost th 6 unions;- hundreds of pouftds, and with fresh, problems coming up in later years, the younger unionists envisaged other aims and needs for the funds. The modern dragon Propaganda, through newsprints and party affiliations, made heavy claims on the exchequer. And just when the big depression settled on the land about 1931, and funds were harder than ever to get, along came a lusty competitor to the Labour Day procession. The Auckland Trotting Club was granted a license to hold a meeting on Labour Day. After a conference on priority claims on the day, a compromise was reached. The trotting club became a generous donor to the children's prize fund in connection with the sports and picnic, and the procession faded out of the picture.