The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-09-10
PRESIDENT FLANAGAN MAKES INTERESTING REPORT TO THE
 STATE OF 1. CONVENTION
Refers Splendid Growth Federation in Connecticut During
 Past Year. Due Energetic Efforts of Organizer Calm
Has Also Say About Trade Schools in Which He Thinks te State Board of Education
 ises to Watch Them Closely During Coming Year

izer much time possible to go around the State and see what could be done in the line of organizing; and, as I stated before, his work com nands the praise of this convention, as you will see by the secretary's re- port the fine increase made during the first part of the year.
 By careful consideration you will find we have had a very successful year, with very few strikes or lock outs This shows that with thorough or ganiza tions good Judgment and af- fliation with each other. our cities and towns will have less trouble and more prosperity. However, we have had some strikes, which, am sorry to say, were unsuccessful. None of the locals involved in same are af- filiated with our State Fedora tion; if they were, results would be different.
 The conditions, generally speaking, are very good in all parts of the State, except in the City of Waterbury, where we are now assembled. Waterz bury has had a set back during the few years, and 1 am pleased to be able to report here today that Water Heve it will soon be the banner city in the State from union standpoint. When it comes back. 1t will come to stay
 There are other cities and towns in the State which should be very care ful and guard we'll the conditions gained, lest they take step back wards and lose control of the sftua- tion. Let HIS hope that this will be untrue; but a man on the outside looking in can see more than the man on the inside looking out
 The State Trades School.
 The State Trades School has been a matter of much investigation during the past year, and I have given the matter a great deal of attention l had the State Carpenters Council take the matter up, and the president of the State Carpenters Council, Mayor Stephen Charters of Ansonia, has the
 
 he is a man whom l believe will be able to present a goUd, logical report on this matter during the coming In my opinion, the State Board of Education have gone much farther in what is termed Technical Education than they should.
 have boys come. in competition with any business Easz they do now. We find they want to build one house every year, which means one house the building trades that are now look ing for work cannot build.
 They tell me good mechanics are never looking for jobs. This, how ever, does not show any relief, as in the past. as well as the present time, when needed we always find plenty of have some looking for work.
 There are some parts of the trades to which a little attention should be given, none Of which the State Trades School teaches the boys.
 find one thing that is good in the school, that is, drafting; as some boys who will not go to work, and who do very we'll in this line
 Tn trades suffer to this extent, that the boys. working in the school learn the trade only to the extent that he is better for a contractor than a. boy who has no experience in trade at all; and as result a parent who has a boy at school whom heretofore he I1 tor for one dollar per day while learn ing his trade, must now, under the school system send the boy to the pensation, which the parent can i'll afford to do, in order to have him gain the same knowledge. In other words, a boy could go to a contra ctor and receive one dollar per day for the
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