The labor standard., 1919-05-15
HARTFORD BRANCH NO. 2

 American Labor Party of Connecticut presented the following Preamble and Municipal Platform for the City cleo tion on April l, 1919, which was unanimously adopted at meeting of the party held at headquarters, 23 Central Row on Tuesday evening. March 4, 1919.
 A resolution was also presented and after an intelligent discussion, was unanimously adopted, providing that the Hartford Branch stood opposed to endorsing any candidates on any other party tickets, or permit any of it's members to allow their names to be placed as candidates on any other party tickets, on the ground that past experience has proven that this policy is the only one that will preserve the party, as in all cases when a new party fused with either of the domi- nant parties in the past they have, without exception, been swallowed up by them.
 The Hartford Branch of The Amer ican Labor Party put a complete municipal ticket in the field in the April election and gave the politicians a great shock by polling nearly 1900 votes. Though organized only few weeks the Labor party got one out of
 
 conceded by several of the politicians that had the campaign lasted two weeks longer the Hartford Branch of The American Labor Party would have boiled from 2500 to 5000 votes and would have elected some of it's candidates.
 Meetings of Hartford Branch No. 2 are held on the first and third Tues day evening of each month at 23 Gen. tral Row. All interested are invited to attend the meetings.
 Preamble and Platform
 The American Labor Party of Hart ford believes that this platform is entitled to the hearty support of all hand and brain workers, who believe and Industrial Democracy.
 Although The American Labor Party had it's inception in the ranks of organized workers, it's aims and purposes are to protect and promote the interests of ALL the people, as stated in it's platforms, and there fore appeals to all unorganized, as we'll as organized, hand and brain workers, to join the American Party with a view, ultimately, of securing control of the Municipal, State and National Government, to be admins tered by, and for the people, in accordance with the fundamental principles set forth in the Declaration
 We, the AMERICAN LABOR PARTY of Hartford, Conn.,, do hereby adopt the following as and for our municipal platform in the city election of 1913:
 l Eight-hour day and forty-four hour week, trade union wages and conditions in all public employment and in all contract work done for the city.
 Police protection for pickets and strikers instead of the present situa- tion where the police power is used exclusively in the interest of em- employers and strikebreakers.
 3 Provision of work for the unen- ployed by the immediate undertaking of necessary public works, all such tions and at trade union wages.
 4 Home rule for Hartford, includ- ing the right to own and operate any and all public utilities and to engage in such commercial enterprises as will tend to reduce the high cost of living. Every reason which can be adduced in favor of Hartford's owning and oper- ating it's own water supply applies with equal or greater force to it's own ing and operating it's electric light and gas plants and it's street railways. We also believe that the city should conduct fuel, ice, milk and bread business at cost for the benefit of the poorer classes who are at present compelled to pay exorbitant prices for these commodities because their pow erty obliges them to purchase in small quantities.
 All schools to be open for use as centers for social, civic and recre- ational purposes so long as such use does not interfere with regular school work.
 6 Increase of salaries for teachers in our public schools who are at pres ent grossly underpaid. The teachers and scholars should also be given more opportunity than at present to express their views as to the proper methods of conducting the schools.
 The popular election of the judges of the police court, the prose cutting attorneys thereof and the recorder of the city court to the end that these officers may feel their responsibility to the people rather