The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1911-04-24
F. OF |. after
JUDS0N SAYS
STUART REID
(Contiued from Page II

\
long ago, namely, the Trades Dispute
and Workmen's Compensation act
| known officially as House Bill 100 and
Senate Mill "a; be it
| Resolved, That we, one thousand
| citizens and electors of the city OF
! Bridgeport in mass meeting assem-
bled, do hereby demand that our Sen
ators and Representatives do all in
their power to secure the passage OF
these two acts and that they insist
| that these measures sbe called to the
| floor of the House and the Senate
| that a roll call vote be taken on them
! so that the friends and enemies of Ia
| Dor may go upon record once and Tor
| all; and be it Furthermore
Resolved, That copies of this reso-
luton be sent to Senators Archibald
| Mcneil, Jr., Garry Paddock, and
| Frederic A. Bartlett, and to Represen-
| tatives Joshua Meltzer and William
w. Bent, and to the press of Bridge
| port
Jasper McLevy, President Of the
| Central Labor Union. presided at the
meeting and introduced as the first
speaker John J. O'Neill, Secretary OF
the Central Labor union, and one OF
the best known union workers in the
State.
Mr.. O'Neill sketched the progress OF
the union labor movements and out
lined some of the benefits \ that the
working people have derived from it.
He deprecated the popular notion that
the walking delegate is well-paid
creature Of ease, and declared that
the walking delegates are the poorest
paid and the hardest working men in
the union movement.
He took UP and answered some of
the arguments of the workmen outside
Of the union movement, who declare
that they already receive wages as
good or better than the union scale,
and that there is no incentive for their
joining the union and paying union
dues.
"These men don't seem to realize
that the unions alone are responsible
for the high wages that they are re-
ceivings and that the unions maintain
these wages" declared Mr.. O'Neill.
81 said to one of these men, a car
penter, who tried to make that argu-
ment: Suppose all the union men held
a meeting today and voted to work
for 81 a day where would you get
Off? Do you suppose that you would
receive your $3.50 a day? Not much.
You would get 81 day and not a
cent more The scale is fixed by the
lowest price for which the bosses can
obtain skilled labor. If they can get
it for 81 day they will not pay a
cent more
81 know of one man, who when he
Joined the union, was getting So a
day and working ten hours. In the
course of time the union secured for
him 1926 a day and eight hours. Then
he left. He declared that there was no
further reason for his remaining-that
he couldn't afford to pay the union
dues of rs cents a month. Think Of
that, after the union had secured an
advance for him of $50 month he
couldn't afford to pay union dues Of
disgrace for these men to stay outside
of the union ranks (Applause.)
Mr.. O'Neill traced other benefits Of
the organization of union labor par
ticularly the effect of organized OPP
position or advocacy of = important
questions of the day. He touched up
on the question of commission govern
boosted by party of faddists in
Bridgeport, and he warned his hearers
to be on the guard against this move
ment.
''See to it that no commission form
of government or any other change
comes into effect in Bridgeport except
1t be by a referendum vote of all the
people of Bridgeport exclaimed Mr..
O'Neill, a sentiment which evoked
prolonged applause.
The speaker went ON and outlined
the ways by which people outside of
the labor union movement may help
the cause by purchasing products
bearing the union labor. Women par
ticularly, he declared, need the protec-
ton Of union labor.
eff you men only knew the condi-
tons under which women and girls
are forced to work in the factories of
Bridgeport, you would blush for
shame" declared Mr.. O'Neill, who
added that girl who receives as high
=
a Millionaire.
Robert Hunter. Socialist candidate
for Governor at the last election, was
the next speaker. Mr.. Hunter de-
clared that he considered the nights
gathering the most important before
which he ever had spoken.
He contrasted the meeting with the
ordinary political gathering in which
men meet ''to yell and howl for some
candidate or other
Tonight we have met" said Mr..
Hunter, 'to bring pressure to bear
upon our legislators to secure the
passage Of certain specific bits of leg
islation. We are trying to do some
thing for our wives and children, for
class"
He took up the subjects of the Work
mems Compensation and Trades Dis
putes acts and outlined briefly what
each means. He said that the Com
pensation act proposes simply that any
man, woman or child injured in the
course of employment shall be COM
pensated for the injuries so sustained,
without the necessity of recourse to
the courts, and long and expensive 1e-
gal battles. Contrasting the supreme
sanctity with which our present law
regards property, and the equally SUI
preme disregard for life and limb, he
said:
eff the New York, New Haven &
Hartford railroad wants to build a
line, and runs something over your
land, they've got to pay for it; but
they can run something over your leg
and get away with it.
''This year the law makers of this
State have had the opportunity of
knowing what the workers want Last
January, in Bridgeport, the Trades
Unionists and Socialists came together
in conference. They represented the
workers Of this city and they de-
manded the passage Of two bills by
the present Legislature. One bill pro-
vided for Workmen's Compensation
That means that whenever working
receive damages. 1t means that these
damages shall be given to the work
ers without any court battles. It
means that widows and orphans shall
not be forced into the poor house after
yielding UP their bread winners in the
service Of industry. It means that
men who have lost eyes, arms, legs
and health in the service of capital
shall not he thrown on the scrap heap
and condemned to vagrancy and pau
perisn.