The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-09-08
LEGISLATIVE DISAPPOINTMENTS
SHOULD NOT DISCOURAGE LABOR,
STREMLAU SAYS AT CONVENTION

couraged by olsappoinrments IN the
last session or the General AsseHoIy'
julius Stremlau, president OF the
State Federation or LABOR oeclareo III
his report submitted 10 tue con'en-
ton at Dahbury. A~H g a.
The session was not "itnoue Us
beneficial results. Presloent S.reiaia
reported. In addition 10 ootaihihs
little favorable legislation the lapoi
: representatives had succeeded In pre-
venting the passage OF much un!aVor-
I able legislation. The report IolloWs'
To the officers and delegates OF the
Thirty-second Annual Convenuon Oh
the Connecticut, Federation OF LABOR
Fellow Trade Unionfsts:
In accordance with The .Constltut-
ton OF the Connecticut Federation OF
Labor / submit for your conslderalon
! a brief report. as your President for
= the past year.
We are assembled at TINS marty
second Annual Convention during
time that Is most critical one In the
affairs Of our country and OF the
world. Let us seriously consider our
duty and obligations; let US show by
our action at this convention that we
are ready to discharge our full obi
cations to the government and to our
country; that while we are ioyal TO
our country ana READY TO 90 our snaIe
we must insist that our economic con,
diuon, the result OF years OF naru
work and struggle, shall not De oes-
I troyed, that the trade union move
I rf1ent be not hampered in Its construc-
tice work in this industrial state Let
us realize our responsibility and utli-
tze our collective power 20 commune
| our activity as true trade nnionists
for better conditions OF work Ior
/ higher wages, and shorter hours as
this work cannot be eliminated. nor
can it be postponed. II the workers
/ are to give the largest amount OF as
I sistanoe to the government they must
neither be overworked, nor underfed;
If the cost of living continues TO IN
crease. their wages likewise must ad-
/; vance.
J I sincerely hope that your compin-
/ ed wisdom and good Judgment may
/ find reasonable and Satisfactory way
4 by which the many important mat
tiers that will. come before you may
: be satisfactorily solved In manner
that will help in the constructive work
that our federation is interested In.
Let me review briefly our work
! during the 1917 Session OF the Cen
eral Assembly. ! shall not go into
detail of all our trials and disappoint-
ments- At our last convention your
president recommended that mass
meetings be arranged to be held in as
! many cities and towns as possible Tor
the purpose of an educational cam
paign to bring before the public the
necessity of legislation for the proper
+, protection OF the men. women and
! children In our state. A number Of
these mass meetings were held. W,
(! lad the good fortune to have the
! American Federation of Labor send
Secretary Frank Morrison and James
P.s Esan. who assisted at some of
these meetings in most able man
ner. Our appeal at those meetings
was specially directed to call to the
4 attention the need Of such legislation
I that was essential and necessary Tor
1 the protection OF the workers of our
state. Most of these meetings were
well attended and we felt encouraged
! that we had, aroused the public to the
Z realizatio1 that our CfiehtSwas a just
I one aid asfseffesuH that some of the
desired legislation would be secured.
Your Executive Council elected
your President as its legislative
watcher and instructed me to be in
Z troduced in the legislature which was
attended to. I called meeting OF
the Executive, Council on January
] gath. which was attended by many la
Dor mems At this meeting the, bills
that had been were submit
] ted for approval. thereupon- they were
4 introduced In either House or Sem
> ate
H III am not going to try your patience
to go over every action on all bills re-
/ 1ating to our interest. Il have an
ftemized statement of every day that
I spent in the General Assembly
! which will read, or it can be print
ed in our proceedings If it is your
wish.) I shah call your attention only
to- some Of the important ones.
Many bills affecting the interest of
the workers were referred as usual
to the Corpmittee on Labor, which
was made up of the. Following:
Senator Frederick H. Rolf, grain
Z dealer, of Guilford. chairman.
Senator James r. May, real estate
and insurance, New London
Representative Archie G.. Prisk,
manufacturer, Wallingford, clerk
Representative Frank H. Barnes,
merchant, Southington, house chair
man.
Representative Buel c. Grant,
farmer, West Hartford.
Representative Arthur M. Keefe,
farmer, Hebron.
Representative Freeman M. Gran
miss farrr1ar Tifchffa1dJ s. ~ fftef