L
L (ĕl), the twelfth letter, is a vocal consonant. It usually is called a liquid, because it flows into other consonants, and they into it, as an intermediate between such consonants and the vowels. It sometimes is even considered a semivowel, because in some words it plays the part of a vowel in making a syllable. The Japanese cannot say l, substituting r. Since it is formed by both palates and the tongue, as in all, battle, blow, evil, it is classed with the palatals. At the end of a monosyllable containing a single vowel, l is often doubled, as in fall, though not after diphthongs, as foul, or digraphs, as foal. When a word ends in le, e is silent and l is preceded by a glide, as in able. The Romans used it as a numeral (50) as well as a letter.
La Bil′lois, Hon. Charles H., of French Irish descent, was born in New Brunswick in 1856, and elected to the legislature in 1883, and is a member of the Executive Council and Commissioner of Public Works.
Lablache (lȧ′bläsh′), Luigi, an operatic singer of renown, was born at Naples, Dec. 6, 1794. His first engagement as a singer was at Naples in 1812, and he afterward sang with much success in most of the large cities of Europe. His voice was a deep bass of great volume and exquisite quality, and his acting was on a par with his singing. Lablache gave instruction in singing to Queen Victoria. He died at Naples, Jan. 23, 1858.
La′bor is effort made for the satisfying of human needs. It is one of the three leading-factors in production, the others being land and capital. It is of more importance than the other two, for without labor land could not be made productive and capital could not result. Productive labor is that which produces what is necessary for man's use; unproductive labor, like that of the musician, is that which does not add to material wealth. In the early years of the world's history men performed the labor of the chase, fishing and like pursuits, and women and slaves performed the drudgery. Compulsory labor formed the basis of ancient civilization. The pyramids of Egypt and other great works were possible because the authorities could command forced labor. Slavery and serfdom are forms of forced labor. Toward the close of the 18th century labor began to be organized in large factories, with the result that great changes have taken place in the condition of the workmen. Trade-unions and co-operative societies have sprung up, and the workingman's admission to the franchise has made organized labor a powerful factor in the political world. The purely wage-workers of the United States, whose average income does not much exceed $475 annually, number over 15,000,000 or three tenths of the population. The Federation of Labor is an organization of American wage-workers, and its object is to obtain the best results for the laboring people by fair and honorable means.
La′bor Day in the United States is a legal holiday on which labor organizations parade to show their strength. The day is the Monday after first Sunday in September, and all government offices are closed. In many places in Europe May 1 is observed.
La′bor Or′ganiza′tions and Parties. These began in the United States in 1825, when industrial progress showed itself in earnest and immigration from Europe began to attract attention and incite fears of competition in the field of labor. The first national convention of labor was held at Louisville, Ky, in 1865, only some 25 delegates being present. A second convention was held at Baltimore in 1866, one at Chicago in 1867 and another at New York in 1886. At this meeting the questions of female suffrage and labor-reform were agitated. A convention was held at Philadelphia in 1869, and it was decided to hold a greater congress at Cincinnati in the following year. At this meeting many radical reforms were proposed, and the immediate organization of a political party to be known as the National Labor Reform party. This was the definite beginning of the labor-in-politics movement, which continued for some years, the Labor Reform party holding its first national convention at Louisville in 1872. After the panic of 1873 many organizations arose: a Workingman's Party, the Labor Party of the United States, the National party or, as it was otherwise known, the Greenback-Labor party. At the election of 1878 this party polled votes in 37 states, and gained immensely over the number cast at any previous election. Encouraged by this success, a convention that met in Chicago in June, 1880, nominated James B. Weaver for president and B. J. Chambers for vice-president, but at the polls the vote for these candidates was comparatively small. In 1884 B. F. Butler of Massachusetts was nominated. At the following election less than 134,000
