The Connecticut labor press. (New Haven, Conn.) 191?-1921, 1920-10-16
THE OMOOKER
t*Icock my hat as please,
indoors or out. ''-WaIt Whitman

Discharg, the workers then in few
days inform them that they can return
to work at1ess wages, appears to be
game now icing played by certain en-
ployers in New Haven.
New workers. employed, too, at the
reduced wag, rates, some of them float
ing into town from the great flood of
immigration 1t the port of New York.
Ellis Island reported to be boiling as
never before With the greatest horde of
immigrants in history pouring in.
And millions more, it is said, are
clamoring at tie European ports eager
to come to America. Steamship oper-
ators report that accommodations are
booked to capacity for IL months
ahead. Government officials announce
10000 applications have been made for
authorities are far more concerned
over deporting gang of miserable
Russian reds than they are about the
immigration question.
Connecticut cities, handy to New
York, will get more than their share of
And yet, we are told, the demand for
labor is Stacking up and many of the
natives already are jobless. Great prob
lem, this matter of immigration? May
be so, but just now we've no time to give
it attention.. Got all we can do to dis
cuss the League of Nations.
Geological sharps estimate that there
is enough coal in the bowels of the
earth to last humanity over 5000 years.
Yet there is continual howl about
scarcity of coal because humanity lacks
in ways and means of getting it from
the mines to the coal bins.
Operators accused of prohteering !;
miners charged with being s1ackers !;
spectators declared to be gouging the
public; railroads claimed to be in col
fusion with the robbers; coal said to
cost $3.50 ton at the mouth of the
mine; retail prices in Connecticut rang
ing from $18 to $20-that's little bit
of the coal situation.
Plenty of coal and plenty of every
thing necessary for the welfare of hui
mainly. Nature is kind, and only man
is vile Genius builds wonderful air
ships, invents its wireless telegraph and
telephone, constructs Monster ships to
cross the oceans, builds towering sky
scrapers and what not. But all the
brains and genius of man fails to get
anywhere with a brotherhood of man.
Physicians and scientific experts gain
ing amazing victories against disease,
but no cure is found for poverty.
Stakeholder at the recent stockhold-
ers' meeting of the New Haven road,
cried out Justly for a reduction in the
salaries of the officials. He was quick
ly crowned down. Another stakeholder
yelled with great gusto for an investiga-
tom of the roads affair He was told
to come around some other day and
that the railroaders got free passes
while the poor stockholders were
obliged to pay their fares or walk. He
was told to cheer UP, that very likely
passes would soon be forthcoming.
In the above you'll find about as in
tel1igent report of the stockholders
meeting as was printed in the newspa-
pers with far less space occupied. That's
all there was to it, anyway, except that
well laid plans were made to borrow a
few more millions from Uncle Sam to
keep the railroad from going on the
scrap heap. Looks a good deal like the
Plumb plan" already, only the work.
ing men are not on the inside working
with the officials as said plan calls for.
Farley P Christensen, Farmer-Labor
party candidate for president, said in
Hartford the other day that if the
wealth of the country was properly dis
tributed hod carrier could take a
trip to Europe every five years. And
Farley added, why shouldn't he?"
Well, more surprising things have hap
pened, but the hod carrying gentleman
may have to wait until every man owns
his own airship.
Apropos of the above | am reminded
of the workingman who once donned a
plug hat 1t was in a small town and
nobody had ever been seen there sport
ing a highboy but the town banker,
the minister and the undertaken. One
IL