Roosevelt, 6715, 6786, 6895, 6898, 6973, 6983, 7035, 7089, 7205, 7210, 7213.

Principle of arbitration referred to, 6348, 7089.

Labor Agitator.-Any person who agitates for the improvement of the conditions of the laboring class. Usually used contemp. tuously to describe the organizers of the American Federation of Labor or of other trade unions (q. v.), the implication of the term in this sense being that such per son is endeavoring to make workingmen discontented without improving their con dition. (See Agitator.)

Labor, Bureau of, enlargement of, by adding power of arbitration rec ommended, 4979, 5111. Work of, discussed, 6898. Labor, Commission of,

establishment

of, with power of arbitration recom mended, 4979, 5111.

Labor, Commissioner of:

Annual report of, transmitted, 5502,
5569, 5674, 5782, 5909.
Reports of, on-

Building and loan associations,
5909.

Compulsory insurance of working.
men in Germany, etc., 5782.
Gothenburg system of regulating
liquor traffic, 5785.

Housing of working people, 6001.
Industrial education, 5782.
Slums of cities, 5911

Labor Day.-The first Monday in September has been made a holiday by thirty-six states and by the United States in the Dis trict of Columbia. It was first observed in Colorado in 1887. Meetings for the discussion of labor questions are held. There are usually parades, picnics, and dances. In Europe May 1 is celebrated as a labor festival and there are demonstrations by workingmen.

labor

to

Labor, Department of.-In response petitions from organizations and trade unions for a department of the gov ernment to look after their interests the Bureau of Labor was established in the Interior Department by act of Congress of June 27, 1884. After an existence of four years the bureau was raised to the dignity of a department June 13, 1888, and Carroll D. Wright was placed at its head as Commissioner. He was later succeeded by Charles P. Neill. When Congress established the Department of Commerce and Labor Feb. 14, 1903, the activities in behalf of labor were placed under the jurisdiction of the new secretary. (See Commerce, Department of.)

The Sixty-second Congress, on the last day of its third session, March 4, 1913, separated the Department of Commerce and Labor into the Department of Commerce and the Department of Labor.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Children's Bureau and the Bureaus of Immigration and Naturalization were placed under the new Secretary, with directions to investigate and report to Congress a plan for the co-ordination of the powers of the present bureaus, commissions and departments so far as they relate to labor and its conditions, in order to harmonize and unify them. The new Secretary was charged with the duty of fostering, promoting, and developing the welfare of the wage-earners of the United States, improving their working conditions, and advancing their opportunities for profitable employment. He has power under the law to act as mediator and to appoint commissioners of conciliation in labor disputes whenever in his judgment the interests of industrial peace may require it to be done. William Bauchop Wilson, member of Congress from Pennsylvania, who had been chairman of the House Committee on Labor, was made the first Secretary.

For more detailed information of the scope of the activities of the Labor Department. consult the Index references to the President's Messages and Encyclopedic articles under the following headings:

Power of courts to grant injunctions

in labor disputes, 6983. Relations of National Government to the, 6648, 6715, 6897.

(See also Arbitration, Labor, and Strike Commission.)

Labor Reform Party. This party was organized in 1872, and in Convention at Columbus, Ohio, placed in nomination David Davis for President, and Joel Parker for Vice President, adopting a platform calling for just distribution of the fruits of labor.

Labor Statistics. (See Commissioner of Labor Statistics.)

Labor Statistics, Bureaus of.-Many states and the United States have bureaus of labor statistics. The first office of the kind was established in Massachusetts by an act of June 23, 1869. Others were established as follows: In Pennsylvania in 1872; Connecticut in 1873 (abolished in 1875 and reestablished in 1885); Ohio in 1877; New Jersey in 1878; Indiana, Missouri and Illinois in 1879 California, Wisconsin, New York, and Michigan in 1883; Maryland and Iowa in 1884. Thirteen states other than those named have organized labor bureaus.

Labor Statistics, Bureau of, act to establish, omissions in, referred to, 4807.

Compilation of labor laws of various
States, recommended, 6898.
Exemption from anti-trust law, of
organizations of, 7195.

Principle of arbitration referred to,
7036, 7089.

Strikes and lockouts, 7088. Laborers, Alien, discussed, 6065, 6348, 6455. Laborers,

Government,

appointment

of, 6707, 6781, 6804. Lady Franklin Bay Expedition, expedition fitted out for relief of, 4835. Board to consider expedition to be sent, 4813.

Offer of rewards for rescuers of, dis-
cussed, 4795.

Recommended, 4693, 4787.
Vessel presented by Great Britain

to United States to aid in, 4791. Return of, to Great Britain, 4917. Recommended, 4855. Lafayette, George W., Letters from: Acknowledging honors to father, 1344. Transmitting bequest from father to Congress of Declaration of Independence engraved on copper, 1342. Lafayette, Ind., act for erection of public buildings at, vetoed, 5154. Lafayette, Marquis de:

Death of, announced, 1273.

Honors ordered paid to memory of,

1313.

Letters from son of, acknowledging honors paid to, 1344.

Lafitte & Co., memorial from trustees of, presented, 1648. Laissez-faire. - Meaning

"leave alone."

The theory that the Government shall not interfere with individual pursuits. In contradistinction to paternalism.

Lake Borgne (La.), Battle of.-The British army, repulsed at Baltimore, retired to the island of Jamaica. Being there reinforced by a sufficient number to make a total of above 7,000 men, it sailed from Jamaica Nov. 26, 1814, in Admiral Cochrane's ships, with the intention of capturing New Orleans, and thus securing possession of the Mississippi River and the Territory of Louisiana. Early in December Daniel T. Patterson, commanding the naval station at New Orleans, sent Lieut. Thomas A. C. Jones with seven small vessels, mounting 23 guns and carrying 182 men, to intercept the British fleet. The British, December 14. 1814, manned sixty barges with 1,200 volunteers from the fleet, under Capt. Lockyer, and sent them out to destroy the American gunboats. The battle took place on Lake Borgne, and lasted almost an hour. Several of the British barges were shattered and sunk and about 300 men killed and wounded. The Americans lost only 6 men killed and 35 wounded. The American gunboats were captured, which gave the British control of Lake Borgne.

In

Lake Champlain, Battle of.—After arriving at the head of Lake Champlain, Sept. 6, 1814, Governor-General Prevost awaited the co-operation of the British fleet on the lake. Sept. 11 Capt. Downie's squadron rounded Cumberland Head. It consisted of the frigate Confidence, brig Linnet, sloops Chub and Finch, and twelve gunboats-in all, sixteen vessels, of about 2,402 tons, with 937 men and a total of ninety-two guns, throwing a broadside of 1,192 pounds. Cumberland or Plattsburg Bay, awaiting the attack, lay the American squadron, under Capt. Thomas Macdonough, then only 28 years of age. It consisted of the ship Saratoga, brig Eagle, schooner Ticonderoga, sloop Preble, and ten gunboats-in all, fourteen vessels, of 2,244 tons and 882 men, with eighty-six guns, throwing a broadside of 1,194 pounds, Kneeling beside his heaviest gun, surrounded by his men, the young captain invoked divine protection and guidance. The first shot from the Saratoga was aimed by Macdonough and went entirely through the flagship of the British squadron, demolishing her wheel. The battle raged two hours and twenty minutes, when every British vessel struck her colors. Both squadrons were badly crippled. The British loss was more than 200, including Captain Downie. The American loss was 110, of whom 52 were killed.

Lake Champlain:

Act to authorize construction of bridge across portion of, vetoed, 5060. Insurgents on, proclamation against authorizing militia officers to dispel by force, 438.

Victory of American squadron on, 534.

Lake Erie, Battle of.-In 1813 the Americans, under great difficulties, constructed a fleet of war vessels at Presque Isle, now Erie, Pa., for service in the lakes. Aug. 12, 1813, the American squadron, con

sisting of the Lawrence, Niagara, Caledonia,
Ariel, Somers, Tigress, Scorpion, Porcupine,
Ohio, and Trippe, manned by less than 400
officers and men, under Capt. Oliver H.
Perry, set forth in search of Barclay's
British squadron of six vessels, manned by
more than 500 men. Sept. 10 Perry's look-
cut sighted the enemy. At 10 o'clock in the
morning the signal for action was run up to
the masthead of the Lawrence. It bore
the words of the dying Capt. Lawrence, of
the Chesapeake: "Don't give up the ship."
During the action the Lawrence was dis-
abled and Perry transferred his flag to the
Niagara. At 3 o'clock in the afternoon the
flag of the British flagship was struck.
The firing ceased. It was the first time an
American fleet had met a British fleet in
regular line of battle. The engagement was
fairly fought, with the Americans at a dis-
advantage, and the British fleet surrendered.
Perry sent word to Gen. Harrison: "We
have met the enemy and they are ours."
The British loss in the action was 135,
41 of whom were killed. The Americans
lost 123, 27 of whom were killed. (See
illustration opposite 489.)

Lake Superior:

Copper mines on shores of, 764.
Mineral lands on, sale of, recom-
mended, 2304.

Lake-to-the-Gulf Deep Waterway Ass0-
ciation.-A representative body of men
organized for the development of a deep-
water passage between the Great Lakes and
the Mississippi and its branches met in Chi-
cago in 1908. In 1909, as result of its
activity, the River and Harbor Appropria-
tion Act carried with it the creation of the
National Waterways Commission (q. v.).
(See Conservation Commission.)
Lake Traverse Reservation:

Agreement with Sioux for purchase
of lands in, discussed, 5498.
Opened to settlement by proclama-
tion, 5707.

Right of way for railroad through,
4788, 4954, 5178.

Lakes, Great. (See Great Lakes; the
several Lakes.)

Lame-Duck.-A term applied in derision
to any legislator who is ineffective; and
generally to a politician who has "seen bet-
ter days," such as one who has failed of
re-election to office.

Land Grants.-By this name is known the
grant of land to corporations to encourage
and aid the construction of railroads in
portions of the country in which it would
otherwise be unprofitable. These grants
are usually made directly to the companies.
Before 1862 they were made to the states
in order to enable them to extend ald to cor-
porations within their borders. To every
state, at its admission, Congress has grant-
ed five per cent of the public lands within
its limits on condition of the exemption of
the remainder from state taxation. In 1850
the first grant for railroad purposes was
made. It consisted of about 2,500,000
acres granted to the state of Illinois, and
it was used to aid the Illinois Central Rail-
road. In 1856 about 2,000,000 acres went
to Florida, a similar amount was received
by Arkansas, while various other states re-
ceived large tracts all more or less used
to

encourage railroad building. But the
grant of colossal areas began with the con-
struction of the Pacific Railroads. The
Union Pacific received 2,000,000; the
Kansas Pacific 6,000,000; the Central Pa-
cific (as successor of the Western Pacific)
1,100,000, and on its Oregon Branch 3,000,-
000; the Oregon and California 3,500,000;
the Southern Pacific 6,000,000; and the
Southern Pacific branch line 3,500,000
acres. Among others that received large
grants were the Burlington and Missouri
River and the Hannibal and St. Joseph.
But the most stupendous grants were those
of 47,000,000 acres to the Northern Pacific
and of 42,000,000 acres to the Atlantic and
Pacific. From these generous grants a re-
vulsion has set in, and at every session of
Congress bills are now introduced and
every effort is made to forfeit such por-
tions of the land as are not earned by a
strict compliance with the terms of the
grant, thus saving the land for settlement.
Bills revoking the grant of lands not as
yet earned have been passed; among the
principal roads affected are the Atlantic
and Pacific, Texas Pacific and Iron Moun-
tain, and over 50,000,000 acres have thus
been recovered. (See Subsidies.)

Land of Flowers.-A nickname for Ala-
bama (q. v.) (See also States); sometimes
also nicknamed the Cotton State.
Land Office. (See General Land Office.)
Land Offices, Public, act regarding fees
of registers and receivers at, vetoed,
6107.

Land Sales. (See Lands, Public.)
Land Titles. (See Lands, Indian;
Lands, Public.)

Lands ceded to United States by North
Carolina referred to, 64, 105, 167.
(See also Franklin.)

Lands, Arid.-The great North American
desert possesses all the climatic, geologic
and physiographic features of the Desert
of Sahara, in Africa, though only about
one-third as large. It embraces the vast
stretches of country lying between the
Sierra Nevada Mountains of California and
the eastern ranges of the Rocky Mountains
in the United States, and between the
Pacific Ocean and the Sierra Madre Moun-
tains, in Mexico, an area of 1,050,000
sq. miles, of which about half lies in Mexico
and the other half in the United States,
including Nevada, Utah, eastern and south-
ern California, Arizona, New Mexico, and
all of Texas west of the Pecos. In general
this desert is one of barren, stony mountain

ranges, separated by equally barren stretches of desert plain, an aggregation of elongated arid plains and lower mountain ranges. The individual deserts have sepa. rate names and each differs from the others in some notable feature. Like the Sahara, the American desert is without water on its surface. Upon its area the average annual rainfall is less than 10 inches-less than falls in two months in the fertile states of the east.

With the aid of the railroad and the mechanical drill American genius and energy have conquered the arid plains of the west, and made them yield double the wealth per capita of any other portion of the United States. Like Sahara, the arid plains of America have an underground supply of water. By the use of the mechanical drill the deep wells on the mesa at El Paso supply 700,000 gallons of water per day, and the flowing well at Benson and those of the Salton Desert afford ample supplies to localities which were formerly hopelessly dry. The sterile soil of the desert is apparently more fertile, when artificially watered, than many regions where rainfall is abundant. In the desert may be seen some of the most skillful and profitable agriculture in the world. Striking examples of this are seen in the wheat fields of Utah and Sonora, the great cotton plantations of Coahuila, Mexico, the alfalfa valleys of the Rio Grande and the orchards of California. The marvelous transformation wrought by irrigation is shown in Southern California, where communities of great wealth and culture have sprung up and where the ideal of perfect conditions of existence seem to have been attained. To the reclamation of these arid lands the attention of Congress has been directed in recent years, and Federal appropriations for irrigation are bringing them more and more each year into a state of productiveness. (See Irrigation.)

Lands, Bounty.-A term applied to the lands in the Northwest Territory belonging to the eastern commonwealths. Sept. 16, 1776, Congress offered bounty lands to volunteers in the Revolution, assessing the money to buy them against the several states. The term Bounty Lands was also applied to the Crown Lands before the Revolution. Lord Dunmore, Governor of Virginia, was empowered to offer bounties in land to all officers and soldiers who served in the French and Indian wars5,000 acres to each field officer, 3,000 to captains, 200 to subalterns or staff officers, and 50 to private soldiers-up to 200,000 acres, in the King's domain. This was understood by the Americans to refer to the lands of the Northwest Territory, and many of them selected choice tracts west . of the Alleghanies. Washington and his land agent, Crawford, had surveyed 70,000 acres and secured patents in his own and other officers' names for 63,000 acres of which his own share was 32,000.

Lands, Crown.-After the treaty of Paris in 1763, by which Great Britain acquired Canada and all the country west of the Mississippi River, a royal proclamation was issued setting aside all the lands west of the colonies and extending to the western limits of the British possessions as Crown lands. These lands were reserved for the use of the Indians and the colonists were forbidden to make settlements in or purchase of them without permission of the home Government. After the Revolution each state laid claim to a portion of the Crown lands.

Lands, Desert.-March 3, 1877, Congress passed the Desert Land law, which it supplemented in 1891, by further legislation, to encourage irrigation by private individuals and associations. It provides that any citizen or any person who declares his intention of becoming a citizen, by paying a registration fee of 25 cents, and declaring his intent to irrigate within three years, may occupy desert land to the extent of one section (640 acres) in any one of a number of specified western states and territories, and if he reclaims it within that time may receive a patent for it upon payment of $1 per acre. He must spend at least $3 per acre in irrigation or securing water rights, and must have secured the rights before making application. Associations may file joint declarations.

Under a recent amendment the settler may take up 320 acres of arid land upon payment of 25 cents per acre; after spending $1 per year in improvements for three years, and proving the ownership of sufficient water to irrigate the entire tract, he may secure full title by payment of $1 per acre to the government. Land SO acquired costs about $10 per acre. Lands, Desert:

Discussed, 5380.

Repeal or modification of laws regarding, recommended, 5107. Lands, Homestead.-The Federal Homestead laws begin with the act of Congress passed in 1862, now sections 2289-2317, United States Revised Statutes. The object of these homestead land laws is to give portions of the public lands to those who will settle, cultivate, and make permanent homes upon them. Any person who is the head of a family or who is a citizen of the United States, or who has filed his declaration of becoming such, may acquire a tract of unappropriated public land not exceeding 160 acres, on condition of settlement, culti vation and continuous occupancy as a home for himself for a period of five years, and the payment of certain moderate fees. Under the provision of this law more than 85,000,000 acres of unoccupied lands have been transferred to homeseekers. During the year 1901 alone the original homestead entries, final and commuted entries, aggre gated 111,390, and covered 15,455,057 acres. Time of service in the United States army. navy, marine corps, during the Rebellion, the Spanish War or the Philippine Insurrection may be deducted from the term of continuous occupancy of a homestead.

The homestead law gives the settler two options: he can settle upon, enter and acquire title to 160 acres of land practically free of cost by maintaining residence thereon for five years; or he may at the end of fourteen months of such continuous residence secure a patent from the government by paying $1.25 per acre.