The Connecticut labor news., 1925-01-24
LABOR HEAD DEMANDS
 GOVERNMENT INVESTIGATION
 OF CHARGES OF CORRUPTION.

By International Labor News Service | Washington, D. C., Jan. 24.-Santiago
 Iglesias, the fighting president of the Porto Rican Federation of Labor, is in Washington to see whether the United State Government can be induced to dig into his charges of wholesale fraud and I corruption in the recent Porto Rican elections
 Official Washington has come to have The United State Government watches over Porto Rico through the Bureau of Insular Affairs, presided over by General Mcintyre. This bureau is a part of the War Department presided over by Secretary John w Weeks, who ! is in turn presided over by Calvin Coo hdge. | % i When Iglesias saw what happened in the Porto Rican elections he started on the war path This led him first to Fl Paso, Texas, where the American Federation of Labor was in convention ] For fully Is years Iglesias has been kgoing to American Federation of La bor conventions, fighting for justice for the Porto Ricans workers. He has in reality made the United States sit up and take notice. In Porto Rico he has built up solid, fighting movement of organized wage earners, always work ;~,cr ,,,da~ +La :neo;-, +;,,,, o,J ,.,:+b +Lo backing of the late President Com pers.
 And with the backing and frequently with Gompers going ahead of him to get hearing, Iglesias has gone time after time to the War Department, 10 the President, to Congress, fighting for Porto Rico. When Iglesias comes call- ing officials know there is wrong to be righted-and they know that event t1ally it will have to be righted.
 So now Iglesias is in Washington to see what can be done about the charges that he laid before the American Fed eration of Labor convention in Fl Paso.
 President Green of the American Fed eration of Labor has placed in the hands of President Coolidge copy of the Fl Paso resolution and other informa- ton about the Porto Rican elections. Mr. Iglesias has placed his protest with General Mcintyre and he plans next to call on the Secretary of War. ~
 Senator Smith Brookhart has intro duced in the Senate resolution which, while it does not deal specifically with the elections, will, if adopted, reach the charges that have been made about fraud in that connection. The Brook hart resolution, broad and sweeping in it's terms, reads:
 Whereas, 1t has been repeatedly re- ported to the national authorities facts about the deplorable conditions which exist among the people of the Island of Porto Rico and which unbearable con- ditions do not credit to the Government of the United States; and
 Whereas, the petitions for thor ough investigation of the conditions of the people of Porto Rico have been re- peatedly requested by the various com missions in charge of the investigations of the United States; and
 Whereas, the reports and statements of said commission herein referred have demonstrated that there exists in Porto Rico deplorable condition which is affecting the economic and political conditions and the very life of the great bulk of the people of the island, and the only way to find out the truth is by means of an investigation and study of the situation, with the purpose of find ing remedy for such conditions that at least give no credit to our country; therefore be 1t
 Resolved " the tSenate (the House of Representative concurring), that joint committee of the Senate and the House be directed to investigate and study the conditions now prevailing in Porto Rico, industrially, economically, and politicall, affecting the living stan dards and civilization of the people of ing and recommendations to the Senate and the House and the President of the United States as speedily as possible.
 Resolved further, that this joint committee of the Senate and the House shall be composed of two members of the Senate and three members of the House, and shall have authority to send for persons and papers and to take tes- timony in San Juan, Ponce and else where in Porto Rico and the United States, before said committee, and to sit during the sessions of the Congress or when Congress is in recess or vaca- tion"