James Maurer (1864-1944)
Posted by: 
Gosffo
N 40° 19.496 W 075° 55.573
18T E 421313 N 4464234
Now you see it, now you don't!
Waymark Code: WM193D
Location: Pennsylvania, United States
Date Posted: 03/01/2007
Views: 40
Marker Text:
Labor leader and advocate for child labor reform, pensions, and the state's first workers’ compensation act. Self-educated, Maurer was elected president of the Penn-sylvania Federation of Labor from 1912-1928. He served as state legislator from Reading as a Socialist (1910-1918). He ran unsuccessfully for vice president of the United States on the Socialist ticket in 1928 and 1932. He was a lifelong Reading resident.
Here's a funny story: I got a phone call from my daughter. Hey Mom, there's a new blue sign in Reading. I just read about it in the newspaper. You should go get it! That was Friday, Sunday I went in and the sign was missing already! I called the newspaper and left a message for the reporter who wrote the story. He returned my call on Monday and was in total shock! What do you mean it's not there????? He made a quick trip down to the site and sure enough it was gone!! He started calling the labor unions to find out if they knew anything about the sign. They are all surprised too, except for one! He knew just where the sign was! In his office. He felt a few screws where not enough to keep the sign safe. He was waiting for a welder to come in and weld the sign to the pole. In the follow up article about the missing sign, there is a line, A Mohnton woman reported that the sign was missing! That's Me!!!!!!
Marker Name: James Maurer (1864-1944)
County: Berks
Date Dedicated: 08/09/2006
Marker Type: Roadside
Location: Heritage Park near Workers' Memorial, 8th & Canal Sts., Reading
Category: Government & Politics 20th Century, Labor
Website: [Web Link]
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