The Connecticut labor news., 1922-03-17
Ship Subsidy Bill Opens the Flood Gates
 For Favored Magnates Aand! Binds Labor
Farm Legislation Necessary.-Sev

eral bills having for their purpose the aiding of the farmers are being heart fly supported by the American Fed eration of Labor. Your legislative representatives have appeared before committees handling the bills in the interests of the farmers. The inter ests of labor and the farmers are so interwoven that when one suffers from any cause the other IS also af- fected Your representatives will continue to urge upon Congress the necessary legislation that will encour- age the farming industry.
 Against Rural Letters Carriers.- H. R. 7544, authorizing the postmast CT general temporarily 10 reduce the pay of rural letter carriers for dis :iplinary purposes instead Of suspend ing them without pay, has been fav orably reported to the House. In the hands of an arbitrary official this pro- posal, If it became a law, would do great injury to the rural letter car riers All that would be necessary if he desired to reduce wages would be to find some imaginary grievance against many carriers and reduce them temporarily to the next grade.
 Another Blue Law.-H. R. 0753, by Representative Fitzgerald, proposes to make it unlawful to keep open in the District of Columbia any "danc ing saloon, tfieater, bowling alley, place of public assembly or amuse ment for secular purposes or to en- gage in unlawful sports" on Sunday The bill does not designate what are "unlawful sports"
 Unemployment-H. R. Io353, by Representative Nolan, Is companion bill to 5. 274o which provides that in periods of industrial activity appro priations shall be made for public works to be used in times of indus trial depression This is in line with declarations of the A. F. of L., which contends that the country should be prepared to begin great public works as soon as unemployment becomes acute instead of waiting until such periods and then delaying appropriate legislation until it is too late to help those who have been forced into idle ness. It is also carrying out the con tenton of President Gompers that unemployment Is not an incurable evil
 ec1assihcation.-The reclassihca- tion bill, which passed the House, December I5, was sent to the Senate , mittce on Appropriations. Every ef fort IS being put forth to have this bill enacted into law before the end Of the fiscal year The House elimin ated the bonus for government em ploycs from the appropriation bill on the plea that it would be provided for in the reclassihcation bill. It was said that ii the reclassihcation bill was not passed before July I, special bill would be put in for the bonus While this promise has been made frequent ly there Is fear among the govern ment employees that al the last mo- ment Congress will be found wanting and that they will not be protected in their wages for the next. fiscal year Legislation for Porto Rico.-Sever- al bills have been introduced in Con- gress trying to define the status of Porto Rico, particularly since the supreme court of the United States rendered, some time ago, decision declaring that Porto Rico IS not an incorporated territory of the United States and, therefore, the Constitution of the United States is not applicable in many respects to the American citi- zens of that Island, H. R. 9934, by MT Nolan, proposes ito make Porto T1CO all llICOl pOl dlCu lClIIlOlS O1 lHC United States" and to give the inter nal revenues and customs duties col lected in the island to said territory for the purpose of education, sanita- tion and permanent public works. Civil Service Investigation.-S. Res. | 1oo, by Senator Robinson, calls for an investigation as to whether favor itism has been practiced i'll the ap- pointment and advancement to office under civil service.
 Compensation for Longshoremen.- s. 745, by Senator Johnson, has been | recommended favorably and placed on
 the House calendar The bill is in the I interest of the longshoremen, who
 under a decision of the supreme court
 do not come under the state work
 mems compensation laws. It IS very
 meritorious measure.
 Legislation in the States.-The New
 York legislature has under considera- l ton one of the most remarkable bills
 ever presented in a legislative body. | It provides that where employees have
 grievance against employers or the
 employers against the workmen they
 can not sit around table and thrash
 out their differences but they must 1 6pnhne their negotiations in writing
 to each other If they fail to reach an agreement they must go into court