Waterbury Democrat., 1902-06-17
ECONOMIC LEAGUE PLATFORM
The State Body Adopts a Sample
 Document.

Out tue StdLc W Ill DO the Samo-
 Will Be Presented to the Coming
 State Convention for Consideration.
 The Hartford council of the Econ omic league made public yesterday it's idea of a state platform for the league voted some time to the preparation of this platform. Each branch of the league is expected to prepare plat form which will be submitted to a meeting of delegates which will be held here when the political pot begins to boil for the fall campaign. The platform just prepared is as follows:
 1. Eight hours of labor, performed in any one day, by any one person, em- ployed on state work, shall be law ful days work.
 ?. The right to trial and assessment of damages by jury ill cases of acci- dents or loss of life due to negligence of an employer; by the enactment of the New York state employers liability act, which provides that the assump- tion of risks on the part of an employe ceases the moment he notifies the firm or corporation wherein he may have been employed as to the dangers to which he has been exposed. It fur ther provides, that contributOry negli- gence on the part of a fellow servant ceases to be a factor in the suit for damages for the same reason. It also provides no limit to the amount of damages to be recovered for loss of life and accidents due to negligence of employers of labor.
 3. The right of free speech and in- dividual liberty, to prevent government by injunction by limiting the power of the courts in issuing injunction against employees.
 4. Amending the factory inspection laws so as to include the inspection or elevators in mercantile buildings, and a sufficient sum of money appropriated by the state to thoroughly enforce the laws concerning the inspection of fac tories.
 :. Prohibition of child labor under 15 years of age.
 6. The general statutes concerning railroad commissioners to be so amend ed as to place the responsibility in cases of accident by providing for the appointment of a locomotive engineer as a member of the board of railroad commissioners No locomotive engl- neer shall be qualified unless having had not less than ten consecutive years residence in the state, and experience as a locomotive engineer on Connecti- cut railroads previous to his appoint ment.
 z. Regular rates of trolley fares De reduced 50 per cent during the hours or , to ' a. m. and } to D. m.
 s. The enactment of laws providing for municipal ownership of public util- ities. such as gas, electric light plants and street railways, and the repeal of chapter 231 of the public acts of 1895 the establishment of plants for the manufacture of gas and cleo tricity by municipalities.
 9. The granting of special privileges to corporations and all special legisla' ton be prohibited by the general as sembly.
 10. No corporation shall issue stock and bonds beyond the construction value of it's plant. Such valuation to be determined once every ten years, and to be what the plant can be repro duce for at the time said valuation is taken All stocks and bonds in excess of such valuation to be retired within the following five years. The earning of the property in determining it's value.
 II. A state auditor of corporations to be elected, whose duties shall be to receive and tabulate reports from all created by the state. to de- termine what facts are to be reported by corporations. and to be authorized to take possession and audit corpora ton accounts if the returns are not sat isfactory
 12. Representation according to pop ulation in both of the legislative branches of the state government.
 13. We favor the principle of direct legislation. through the system known as the initiative and referendum, which means that the people will have the power to propose laws and have them voted on: and to vote on all laws passed by the legislature. when petitioned for by 10 per cent of the registered voters of the state. and in cities. towns and school districts. to the end that the principle of maicrity rule, and the will 1f the people may be supreme, that proposed good laws may become fact. and all unjust laws may be rejected by he people.
 14. The eletcion of United States senator's. judges and county commits sioners by popular vote of the people.
 15. The use of the voting machine system in all primaries, caucuses and elections.
 16. Tn view of the fact that the of the municipalities to he state legislature is relic of mon taking it's origin from the imes of our colonial history, q period when the arbitrary will of the king 'eigned supreme, is incompatible with ,ur democratic principle of govern nent. that in the course of our eco- homie and social evolution new needs nave emerged from the same, the so- ution of which are of vital importance o the people, and that the dependence )f the cities upon the permission of he state legislature whenever the for- ner finds necessary to inaugurate some reform of one sort or another, impedes the path to progress, tho Drincinla of a o0va1n-