The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-09-10
President Flanagan Makes Interesting Report to the State A. F. of l.. Convention

(Contfnued from Page One.) first year and learn his trade and at the same time be of some financial help to his parents. while. under the Trade School plan, he can go to school at the expense of the taxpayers of the State andw his parents and learn just maker for the contractor when he leaves the school. But what do the contractors care about the taxpayers or the parents so long as they can have boys taught for them without cost.
 I have spoken now of the building trades being taught in the schools and the effect on the various trades. all of which are detrimental to all trades men and great hardship on poor par ents, who in the past could put their boys out to a trade and receive some compensation. It is my intention to watch the schools very closely during the next year; andsI hope to be able at the next convention to report bet ter conditions in the State Trade Schools.
 Compensation and State Insurance
 Compensation or State insurance as you know is very beneficial to the pointed a committee to investigate the plan of State insurance and compen- sation, with instructions to report at the incoming General Assembly. This committee held it's first meeting in New Haven, and it was fairly well at tended by union men. The next meet Ing was A0lO III GTlQSepOIl dIId WdS also very well attended by union men and others.
 After attending two of these meet ings I called meeting of<th execu- tive board, and after going over the question at length the board decided to have bill drafted and selected Attorney Danaher of Meriden to draft the, bi1l which is here for your con sideration I hope you will give this matter all the consideration that is possible for you to give such an inn portant question.
 Compensation or State insurance may be what the working people of this State need. We certainly know there is some legislation necessary that we want a good Employers Lia- bi1lty law. You all know that we way for number of years to get our General Assembly to enact good Employers Liability law. You also know that the Republican party and their platforms an Employers Liabil- ity plank, and, in my opinion, While compensation may be good, a good Employers Liability act would be bet | ter for all the workers of the State. 1 One thing that makes me feel that am right in my contention in this matter is the fact that for years the l most able minds have argued that an Employers Liability law was very essential and would give us a stand of S us seem to be drifting away from the Employers Liability law, to which we have been look l ing forwa ard for. the past ten years or more, and seem to lose sight of it; and it appears to me that the inter est in comp pensatfon has had it's ef- feet in getting our minds away from the bill that is most beneficial to all classes of labor in this State, namely, the Employers Liability law; and I recommend to this Convention that the incoming Executive Board be in- | to have a bill, such as we have had in the past on Employers Liability law, presented to the next session of the General Assembly, and that every Union in the State do all liability law adopted at the next ses- sion of the General Assembly. Should 1 a bill of this kind be passed, it would | in no way interfere with a compensa- | tion bill; and if one is good, both are | better. In any event we want to have | some kind of a bill that will remove | once and for all the defenses that are l suits for injury received while engag- | ed in our employment known as the 1 assumption of risk, and fellow ser vant'' and ''contributory negligence.' With the removal of these defenceS a person. would have some chance in | court of law, where now we have not any chance.
 High Cost of Living.
 As to the subject of the high cost of living, I have given it quite a lot of study because Of necessity, and l believe you all have the same to say. But what we all want to Know is the cause of it I have not been able to come to any logical conclusion, but l
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