The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-02-14
GOVERNOR ALONE WILL HAVE AUTHORITY TO PUT
 MILITIA: IN THE FIELD

''and we shall prove to you how overwhelmingly against this idea are the mothers of America. Mrs. Rose Becker, in the name of the Hartford Jewish Farmers associa- tion, registered a protest against the bill
 c. w. Burpee of Hartford advocated school military training, that his boy if the call to arms came, may have a chance.
 MT. Plunkett retorted that back of bills of this nature are the great mu- nitions interests of the nation. "The people of America,'' said the Walling- ford Socialist, ''are not a military people"
 Representative Hammersley occu- pied at other hearings in the capitol, dropped in on the committee for a few moments, to advocate instead of the hurried enactment of any compulsory school training bill, the appointment of commission to visit various parts of the state and canvass the situation thoroughly, then to report its recon. mendations.
 T. M. Crowley of Hartford, legisla- tive agent of the hartford Central Laor Union, opposed the school train ing p1pposition. He said that honest patriotism would inspire the youth of the land to defend the country more than would compulsory training, and as contrast to honest patriotism he pointed out the armor plate scandals which he said were instances of dis loyalty.
 Fred A. Speiss, a former member of the marine corps, with an honorable discharge, said he would not allow his boy to accept military training if he could help it. Edward P. Clark of Hartford, seven years a teacher in the t anWood military school, New York city, opposed compulsory training on the ground of practical experience among both teachers and pupils Mr. Plunkett filed with the committee a brief containing the adverse views of many eminent educators.
 Opponents of the bill, from amone the socialists, were especially bitter against the conscription feature. Sen ator Brooks sought to dispel the idea that the measure or the committee is 1mbued with any spirit of hostility to- wards the workingman.
 MT. Plunkett at once instanced the report of Mayor Mitchels committee which recommended for drafting per- sons of .'low economic value' which he said meant the workingman.
 Senator Brooks hotly retorted that this was not the view of the Con- necticut assembly's committee on mill itary affairs The draft, he explained, would apply to all classes alike
 Senator O'Sullivan asked the mili- tary commission if their bill left any opportunity for persons drafted to buy immunity. The commissioner replied in the negative.
 That's as it should be-. observed the minority leader, a member of the committee
 Senator Brooks went further into the drafting or conscription feature of the bill He said that the state of Connecticut enjoys the use of from two to three million dollars worth of United States government property in it's military organizations. The new national defense act provides that any state which fails within 60 days after the adjournment of its legislature, shall have failed to make it's military conform to the federal government requirements shall lose the enjoyment of these privileges.
 When the Socialists continued to pro- test the conscription feature, Senator Brooks asked what they would sug- gest should an emergency arise where the companies of the state might be short ten men of the number required by the federal government, these va cancies then standing between the government subsidy and the state
 -sz
 said: 'To do great right, you can't do little wrong" and he insisted on his hi.s,s opposition to the d7aft, on prin-