The Connecticut labor news., 1924-07-26
FIRST SUMMER LABOR COLLEGE IS
 A BIG SUCCESS
Entertains and Instructs Many Leaders at Open
 ing Course.

women and teachers stopped at Brook wood Labor College, Katonah, N. Y, for periods of from one day to two weeks during the special summer ses- sions held there on June 23-28 and July 7-ZO. The weather was ideal nearly every minute of the time, the hills, woods, brooks and skies of Westches- ter county never combined to provide a more ideal spot than these labor summer school students enjoyed.
 The first session during the week of June was held in cooperation with the League. Discussion centered on some of the important problems confronting the labor movement at the present time. During the preceding week the w. T. U. L. had held its biennial na tiona1 convention in New York City. About thirty of the delegates were brought to Brookwood for the lnstl ute. This is the first instance on rec ord of a labor organization following its business convention with an educa- tiona1 institute for the delegates, an example which will perhaps be follow ed by many others in the future.
 This gathering, as wei las the one held during July, was remarkably rep resentative in its makeup. Labor peo- pei were present from as far west as Kansas City, Kan, as far east-as Salem. Mass, and as far south as Atlanta, Ga International officials representative of central labor unions and local offl- cers were included in the number. Members were present from an inn posing list of international unions, in cluding machinists, pattern makers, iron workers, teachers, librarians, fur riers, amalgamated clothing workers, garment workers, telephone operators electricians, carpenters, cloth hat and cap makers, bookkeepers and steno- graphers, federal employees, musicians, painters, typographers, Photographers, glove workers and shoe workers.
 Each morning of the session atten- tion was directed to some pressing la bor problem. The discussion was opened either by trade unionist who had had practical experience in the matter, or by some expert who had 1n- vestigated the subject. This leader pre- sented the salient facts and opened up the possible lines of discussion There followed full and frank statements by all those in attendance. That the in terest was great is evidenced by the fact that very frequently these discus sions lasted for more than three hours.
 On the opening day, July 7, Chris Golden, president of District 9, United Mine Workers of America, pointed out the millions of dollars being collected each year in royalties by the descend ants of those who bought mining prop erty for song in the old pioneer days. He told of accidents in the mines an nually outnumbering the wounded III the American army during the World War and of the two miners who sui fer death by accident every day that the mines are worked. He went on to outline what seems to progressive min CTS the only permanent way out, name ly, naturalization of the mines with democratic control of their operation by the workers and the techniCians in volved.
 On succeeding days the discussion centered on such problems as Labors Responsibility in Production, the B. x o. Plan, Company Unions, Labor Banks and the Labor Press. Such authorities as Stuart Chase, Otto Bey- CT, Dr. Wm. M. Leiserson, Norman Thomas and Leroy Peterson were heard The problem of the eight mil lion women in industry, less than five per cent of whom are organized, was presented by Miss Theresa Wolfson, who has been studying this subject during the past winter in cooperation with the A. F. of L., which IS planning a great campaign for organizing wom- en workers.
 Miss Ellen Kennan, of the School for Printers Apprentices, conducted by Big Six Typographical Union in New York, held conferences on sev- eral days with those students who were interested in the problem of teaching English to workers
 Dr. Alfred D. Sheffield, of the Bos ton Trade Union College, held several conferences on the important subjects of conducting meetings of shop com mittees, executive committees, locals and conventions. in such way as to "Give all members a chance to express their point of view, keep professional orators from monopolizing all the time and keeping the meeting from arriving at intelligent and workable decisions"