The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-07-25
OUR VIEWPOINT
 NEWS LETTER
(SpeciaI to the Times)

Newtown, July 25-There have been several attempts to establish the Boys Scouts in the past in New town, but all these efforts were wasted as the time apparently was not ripe for action. While there is no labor union !n town, there is now and has always been an underlying belief in the minds of the working class that the Boy Scout Movement was in the interest of the capitalistic class, and that the Boy Scouts would prove in the end to be an arm of capital, to be employed against labor in a struggle between the two. Many intelligent mechanics here refused to permit their sons to join this organi- zation, because of the indefensible ac- tions of some scout masters in certain cities who permitted these youths to act as strike breakers in trolleymen's S strikes in the past, regardless of the justice of the strike or lock- out They recognized and applauded the good work of the plan in the de- velopment of youthful character, in the medication of truth, good behav- for, the teaching of courtesy, develop ing adaptability and resourcefulness, in short the building up of a healthy mind in healthy body, but all these good points, to the workers in our mills, were entirely overshadowed by the fear that their sons might be ar rayed against the interests of the toilers some time. So they said: "I will not let my son be a strikebreak- er." Hence all the efforts to estab- fish a permanent camp of boy scouts
 
 failed. Now, however, the logic of events has brought about a great change. The experiences of capital since the war began shows how inn potent after all invested money is without the aid of labor. Much of the swagger and bluff of the profess sional labor agitators has been pune tured. and the real workers none req lize fully the interdependence of both capital and labor in all industrial operations if we want to get anywhere in. the march of progress of our coun- try. Hence, it is believed by the dis corning public of Newtown that ow- ing to the vast changes of sentiment and beliefs brought about by war conditions and results all over the nation that the time has arrived when d Scouts in our town would succeed Therefore the mediators meeting last night at the home of A. J. Smith while successfully started needs to take on a more public character by public mass meeting in the town hall soon to be addressed by some speaker from outside who can elici- l date fully the objects and aims of this society, and answer the objec- tions, or silence the fears of the doubtful One thing is certain we must have the workingmen with us | if we want to succeed The Scouts should be of the masses, not the classes, and the movement should be | thoroughly democratized from the start.
 The new potato disease, "the vel lows," has struck town but its ravages i so far while disastrous, is localized as yet. Roy Hyatt of Cemetery Ave nue is the worst sufferer. He planted about an acre and a quarter of po- tatoes this season, and ten days ago 1 his field was a mass of luxuriant fos liage with thousands of nodding blos- soms-that was the talk of the town A local produce dealer offered the l O"neF SI0V. CdSn OOWn, Tor the field of potatoes as they Stood, but MT. Hyatt declined the offer as the con- dition of the plants indicated a crop of 300 bushels at least Today that field is a scared patch of potato plants. as though fire had swept over it. The new disease caused the devastation. Whether it Is a fungus disease, a parasite worm in the roots or belong to the seed or soil or clt- matic conditions nobody up this way seems to be able to ascertain. It is certainly up to the state agricultural authorities to take command of the situation at once. Other farmers in various sections of the town report a yellowtng of occasional plants and
 even parts of rows but no general
 visitation of the disease is noticed No known remedy is suggested, for the
 disease is not like any other potato
 disease of former years.
 Miss Helen Houlihan of the New.
 town High school faculty is teaching
 summer school in Fairfield for the 1 vacation.
 IA Miss May Egan. one of Newtowni