The sub., 1945-12-06
The Old Order Changeth
(Continned from Pagk Sixl

DOulCVdIA dIO1lB tAc WdtCAALO OubS
 after the railroad has been moved,
 and a great name as summer re-
 sort and cultural center. This is
 all very nice in way, but ninety
 per cent of the people around here
 work with their hands, in one way
 or another, many thousands of
 them as skilled craftsmen and ex-
 perienced longShoremen. Many
 thousands more want opportunities
 to be something more than help
 CTS, laborers, or clerks. And many
 thousands of young people come
 out of high school, trade school and
 college each year, eagerly look
 ing for opportunities. What have we to offer them, with the largest
 employer in the area slowly clos ing down, with sea-commerce on
 the down grade, and little prospect
 of any real industrial activity? We
 have mighty little to offer them
 it seems to me. But we COULD have.
 There are some who say, You
 working people should not look at the future here in terms of jobs
 or wages. Instead, you should be interested in developing a beauti- ful city, as cultural and recrea- tional center" What better ambi- ton could we working people have than to want to see our home area,
 New London County, place where ALL the people can have chance
 to own comfortable homes, drive fairly new cars, give their children good educations, and be well clothed and well fed. Then we
 could build REALLY beautiful cities, cities that would live up to line in one of Americas great songs = Thine alabaster cities
 gleam, undimmed by human tears"
 THAT is what we are fighting for here.
 The world owes every person a chance to earn a living, and not just a bare subsistence living in a great, rich country like ours. Ma ture gave us wonderful harbor, and opportunity has been dang ling before our eyes great many years, only to be ignored or pushed away by blind or selfish minorities.
 A few weeks ago State offi-
 cial with no ax to grind, Ait. Gen. Delacour, spoke some very inter-
 esting words up Norwich way. He said that Eastern Connecticut is sleeping in the moonlight" doing nothing about having one of the best natural harbors in the coun- try, along with excellent rail con- nections with the country to the north and west of us, as we'll as with the industrial centerS of New
 England. He could have added that the Thames Valley is an ex- cellent place for manufacturing,
 and that many thousands of skilled workers in this area have no fu- ture to look forward to (unless you
 call fifty or sixty cents an hour
 a future).
 Some of us, at least, are walk
 ing up. Braving the wrath of the
 Evening Day" paper, Organized
 Labor is starting vigorous cam
 paign to force a change. By the time this is in print the City Council of New London will have
 been put on the spot in an effort to persuade them to really try to attract new industry by offering
 assistance, and to explore and act
 upon methods to develop the port
 facilities and attract shipping here. A publicity campaign will be under way, to tell the working folks just what is slipping through their fin
 gers, and why, and also what they can do about it. A great many people outside Organized Labor, such as farmers, fishermen, gas station operators and other small
 businessmen have great stake in this. In fact the prosperity of Southeastern Connecticut is at stake. Good wages for all the working people, as is possible here,
 means plenty of business the year
 around for everyone.
 The turnover now taking place
 in Groton could be duplicated with far more potent results across the
 river. Plenty of men and women
 who work with their hands pos-
 sess the abilities and the sheer. -H--