The union times., 1943-09-04

through labor's active and increas- ing participation in the political life of the nation.
 TODAY THERE is being fOrcibly brought home to every worker the realization that even his most inn mediate bread-and-butter problems can no longer be solved by ''econ- omic'' action alone, through col Iective bargaining between his un- ion and his employer. His wages and hours of work, the prices which he must pay for food, clothing and housing, and the extent of his con- tribution to the cost of government are all finally determined by legis- lative and executive agencies of the State and nation. To suggest that his trade union should disinterest itself in the character of the gov ernment charged with these vital decisions is to propose that it stul- tify itself as an instrument for his protection.
 TODAY LABOR recognizes that the first condition for the mainte- nance and improvement of its s'econOmic" conditions is victory over the Axis and the establishment of secure and lasting peace, based upon an economy of abundance which will give jobs to all able to work and provide an adequate sys- tenn of social security for those who can find no gainful employment. This program can be won only by labor's active. participation in the political life of the nation, in al- liance with all other progressive groups in agreement with it.
 LABOR IN HARTFORD is com ing to be more generally recOg- nized as an important factor in the life of community which has had a wide, though unfair, reputation as an open-shop town. This change of attitude in some quarters is shown in the friendly overtures re- gently made by the Y.M.C.A. and the local chapter of the Red Cross in letters addressed to the Central Labor Council.
 EFFECTS OF LABOR'S unity of action have been potently illus trated in Hartford by the work of the United Labor Elections Cam paign Committee last fall, and more recently by the accomplish ments of the Joint Public Affairs Committee. The results of these united cooperative efforts by all organized labor demonstrates the workers power of accomplishment on the home fronts. They serve notice on the powers that have tried to play down labor and to deny it due credit for its cOmmun- ity contributions, that the organized workers are on the march and they will not be stopped by campaign of silence.
 THOSE WHO say labor isn't in terested in legislative and political action should have been at the United Labor Conference held at the New Haven Labor Temple Sat urday night. In addition to the New Haven unions, there were delegates from Meriden, WalIingfOrd and BranfOrd. Hartford Joint Labor Committee sent its executive board to observe, in preparation for the Conference of their own the Hart fordites will hold on Sept. l2. UNIONISTS in territory covered by COngressmen McWilliams and Talbot should stage similar confer ences. The voting record of Talbot and McWilliams smell of very old fish.
 ON THE EVE of our two great Labor conventions, it would be we'll for our leaders to realize that there are moments when bOldness is pre- ferable to hesitation and when te- merity is better than caution.
 NEW YORK and Massachusetts Federations of Labor have just con-