The Connecticut labor press., 1918-02-16
MACHINISTS ASK GOVERNMENT TO PROBE CONDITIONS HERE
State Council, Following Reports of Scarcity of Male Help, Which Delegates Assert Are Unfounded, Appeals To Wash ington To Set Things Right Many Meetings Planned By State Organizations.

An appeal to the government to send inspectors to Connecticut to in vestigate working conditions in the factories, especially as to the employ ment of men, was made in a telegram sent by District Council, No. 2, at it's meeting in New Haven this week. The action was taken following the appeal of the employers for women help, and for which the machinists, as we'll as some other affiliated organ izations, declare there is no need.
 The discussion at the district coun- Gil meeting was short but pointed. Reports from all over Connecticut were made and nowhere was it shown that there was any dearth of male labor. Bridgeport was taken as an example, where hundreds of com petent machlnlsts are out of work. New Haven was next and 1t was re- ported that the supply of capable men here, too, was ample. The rest of the state was gone over and like reports made. The new move by employers in advertising for women help was then taken up and the result was the sending of the telegram to Washing ton asking for a representative to come here and investigate the actual conditions. By vote of the local ma chinists' union Thursday night every member will stand by the finding of the government investigators.
 All Getting Together"
 The machinists have been excep- tionlly busy for the last few weeks. On Saturday night at Hartford one of the biggest of the series of the get together meetings in the state was held. Abou 200 were present, not all of them union men, and at the end about 30 new members were enrolled.
 There is piece of good news for New Haveners in the machinist line. George Doyle is coming back. He's not coming back as far as New Ha- ven but IS now SO far back as to be within speaking distance, he now being in charge of things in Hartford. Going after things is Georges long suit and with the start the Hartford boys have given him, and the aid he will get from his friends flereabouts, Hartford will soon be on the Machin- ists' map and then some.
 Big Smoker Planned.
 Many more big meetings are plan ned by the machinists for the next month or two. On March in New Haven, and at hall to be secured
 
 the crowd, will be held smoker that will make smokers of the same nature look like pikers. It was in- tended at first to hold the smoker in the regular meeting hall on Grown street but almost immediately the fu- tility of doing so was apparent to the committee. They will, therefore, ar range for a bigger hall and it will probably be the biggest in the city.
 What's War Work.
 Complaints were received that there weer many employers trying to dodge the eight-hour law and were endeav- bring to work the members of the craft overtime without paying the time and one-ha1f provided for in the agreement. 1 nevery case the war was used as an excuse. So many of these complaints were received that 1t was voted to request the govern ment to stipulate just exactly what is or what is not war work, so that the machinists and other workers will know just what they can and are ex- pected to do to help out the govern ment. The sense of the meeting en- tire was that no no matter what the hours, the organized machinists would do eevrything to aid the gov eriment but they did not intend to be imposed upon b yemployers.
 Open Meeting at Derby.
 A big open meeting will be held at Derby on Thursday night at which State Agent E. C. Hotchkiss and others will speak. The session will be held in Central Labor Union Hall and will be attended by delegates from up and down the Valley. Or ganization will eb the keywodl and withthe progress already made in the valley towns a big local is looked for after the meeting.
 Another in New Britain.
 On Saturday in New Britain an- other meeting and smoker will be held and all told, the machinists bid fair to make an active campaign this year.