The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-09-09

present contract system in the penal institutions. I am sure that any one who will take the trouble 70 look the present system over carefully will agree with me that it is wrong both for the prisoner and the state. No effort is made to reform the person that has committed an act against the law. Organized labor is the stron gest and most persistent advocate for the employment of convicts in prisons up- on commodities which are needed by state and public Institutions and upon state farms-such as are being suc- cessfuIly conducted in number of other stataes. We are not only op- posed to the contract system on ac- count of the unfair competition with free labor btu the worst evil is that no effort is made to improve the un fortunate men and women in our pris ons.
 Prisoners should be required to work-nobody wants them to be idle but not for profits Of private con- tractors who reap the profits of cheap labor but for the benefit of their de- pendents and for their own reforna- ton.
 Organized labor is always advocat- ing better living for all; it is interest ed in those who have fallen. We be- 1ieve that if the state-use system was in vogue in the prison that there would be 8 chance for most of the prisoners to work at some useful trade.
 There is so much that can be said against the present system that your officers have invited member of the New York National Committee on prison labor to address you during this convention.
 'I earnestly urge upon all central public meetings to carry on cam paign of education so that when the next session of the General Assem- bly, meets the public in general will rise against the prison contract sys- tenn. WorImen's Compensation Law.
 '"The workmen's compensation law which we were much interested in at our last convention has now been in force for a brief period and we should at this convention consider what it has accomplished, where it is weak, and the parts which should be strengthened. I believe that there are humber of changes desired. Not only should we try to bring about change that a state fund be establish ed as a large number Of employers now see that a mistake was made when they did not heed our efforts to have state fund.
 "I believe that the medical and surgical treatment and care of an in jured employe ought to be extended for a longer period then thirty days and certainly think it unfair that the injured employe must wait until the fifteenth day after the injury before the compensation begins Another change desired is that compensation should be increased. do not be- Heve that fifty per cent. of the week ly wage is sufficient.
 Your executive council realized. that some changes would be neces- sary. We therefore have invited the comp ensation comnaissi oners of this state to attend this convention. They will talk to you on the way they have found the law to work in the differ ent districts.
 The Shorter Work Day.
 tfThe shorter work day is another important question that we must give our earnest consideration. After an educational campaign of many years it is no longer necessary to prove the industrial and social benefits re- suIting from the shorter workday.
 With industrial advancement comes new inventions of complicated ma chinery, requiring greater concentra- ton of attention of the workers. therefore it is necessary that the work day should be shortened. that the worker may get the required time to rest an overworked system.
 ''At the last session of the General Assembly that members of that body saw the absolute necessity of reduc- ing the hours of our women and chill dren by voting unanimously for a 55 hour law. I now recommend that another effort be made for a shorter work day at this coming session.
 9Th ere were a number of just measures presented at the last 1egis- lature which failed to pass. They should again have our united support to bring about amendments to such
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