The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-05-19
Congressman Citron Lauds
 Principles Of Odd FeLLOuOs

in other countries or should fan to extend the hand of help to them. There can be no question of the right course for odd Fellow ship. Individually and collectively our oath creates the responsibility of pointing out the errors of per- secution of our friends all over the world.
 We have seen in the last few years economic and Industrial chaos sweep our country and other countries. The financial ruin ot many was followed by disaster ana privation for millions. The laborer was without work or daily bread and his future appeared dark. Thousands lost their names and life savings. Yes, you and I saw this disaster not in time of war, but in a time of peace.
 Who can forget the despair of business men, the actual hunger endured by the unemployed, and the acute distress of farmers? You know what this organization in its local encampments and in the state and nation had to go through. While we as individuals can help an individual here and there, while societies can assist their sick and afflicted, such an overwhelming economic catastro- phe is too complicated in our highly mechanical civilization to be prevented by individual efforts. It takes the effort of an entire nation, marshalling its brains and economic resources, to restore normal conditions and to prevent the recurrence of such a depres- sion.
 Today we are out of the depres- sion and despair is gone. Our government has brought us back again into the land of plenty. But should we travel along carelessly as in the past, allowing blind greed, wrongs and errors to threaten our institutions again in the future, or should we face the situation and utilizc the nations brain and willpower to keep us on a level of prosperity and pre- vent conditions from arising which precipitate these depressions?
 Your government has declared that in this land of plenty there should be no one hungry or starv- ing, that in this land of wealth, able-bodied men and women should not be denied the means of livelihood, that in this, the mightiest of nations, young men and women should not be thrust on the streets and highways for casual charity. What the govern ment did to meet these problems was an expression of your will and desire.
 The day has come when people, through the power of government, must watch over the welfare of human beings, over the safety ot banks, over stock markets, over security issues, to protect them selves. The day is gone when we will allow thousands of workers to be thrown out of work and go hum gry through no fault of their own, or will ignore the vital problems of illness, old age, insecurity and lack of shelter.
 We recognize that in this com plicated machine era, government must protect the small business man and manufacturer from the selfish greed of monopolies.
 The day is over for shrugging our shoulders and saying, Brother, l cant help" Ages ago, another man in the dawn of history stood up and said,- Am my brothers keeper?" And the mark of Cain was on his brow. But you and are the government. Ours is a government of and by and for the people, and you and I say, Tt shall not be! Yes, I am my brothers keeper"
 What constitutes a greater waste of our natural resources ana human wealth than millions Of idle men? When they work, they produce wealth!
 For years we have talked about sweatshops, child labor, unfair wages and long hours of work for men, women and children. Leg islation has been and will be pro- mulgated to improve these condi- tions. A Connecticut factory caa- not compete against sweatshop in Georgia. It is not right or fair to stand idly by and permit child labor and sweatships in other states, even of abolished in our own.
 As members of an order preach ing the brotherhood of man and helping those in need, we have a