The Waterbury Democrat., 1934-04-18

StateWlQe campaign lO StlIHu-
 late interest in the passage of an
 Old Age Pension Act in Connecti- cut has been launched by the state aerie of the Fraternal Order of Eagles. More than $50,000 has been expended to date in this state in providing the necessary educa- tional background and sympathetic understanding for the success of state is rallying to the appeal for the elimination of poor houses and town farms" and sponsoring movements to support aged citizens in their declining years.
 Judge Martin Gormley has open- ed the state recovery drive for the Eagles of Connecticut. His address in Bridgeport Monday evening was broadcast over Station WIG and the response of various organiza- tions and individuals has been most gratifying. State Deputy William F. Kelly is directing the campaign for the support of the Old Age Pension bill. The Eagles are also concentrating their efforts to have Mothers day on Sunday, May 18th, more fitting and more widely ob- served than ever.
 The appeal made by Judge Gormley was as follows:
 am glad of this opportunity to address the membership of the Fraternal Order of Eagles, and the ladies' auxiliary, on the opening of the statewide national recovery drive, conducted by every aerie in the state of Connecticut; also to say 8 word to the citizens of Con- necticut in behalf of this great or der, that has accomplished so much in the past, and is destined to do so much in the future. The principles of the order are the very principles of the nation, Lib- erty, Truth, Justice and Equality. We are national patriotic order of 60O,000 men, who have respond ed at all times to the call of the nation, either in times of war or in times of peace.
 The Call to COlors
 In 1917-1S, 47,000 members of this great fraternity responded to the call of our nation. Three weeks after war was declared, the leaders of this fraternity proposed the assessment of ten cents a month for Q period of thirty-six consecutive months, guaranteeing one thousand dollars gratuity to the dependent family of every en- listed member of this fraternity, who gave his life in defense of his country. And approximately sev- enteen years afterward, we find our order still paying and keeping faith with the enlisted member of 1917-18. My friends. let us pause for a minute. Let us look back to the days, when at our own railroad stations, we were giving an enthusiastic send-off to the youths of our respective communi- ties, who were leaving their homes
 and entering the contonment camps of our nation. The civic and fraternal groups of our communi- ties had gathered to give them this enthusiastic send-off. Let us look again to November II, 1918. in the early hours of the morning, when, by the blow of the whistles. and the blasting of sirens, we were aroused from our slumbers by the news that the war had ended. Let us look back again to the return of the different divisions, and the greetings that were extended In each community. In all of these. the Fraternal Order of Eagles played their part, and again I say, we are still keeping faith with the soldier boys of our fraternity, who participated in the World war. Educational Campaign
 As a peace time army, we have accomplished the foll ow through the educational campaigns. hu fo tliVat ttnn n l. ways working in the interest of
 humanity:
 An educational campaign that has meant 80 much to this nation was the campaign for mothers pensions. This law was enacted through the efforts of our frater- nity, in thirty-nine states of the Union. We are justly proud of this
 accomplishment.
 Workmen's compensation law. Although for many years, this was sponsored and fought for by labor organizations, it wasn't until the FraternaI Order of Eagles, then with a membership of 300,000 members, conducted an education al campaign through its cooper ation with labor, placed the first workman's compensation law upon any statute books of our country. Old age pension law. now en- acted in twenty-e eight states of tho Union. was an educational cam paign of which the Fraternal Or der of Eagles are justly proud. We are proud because of the fact that our organization has received Twenty-Five of those pens that were fused by the governors of these