The sub., 1946-01-17

ton for its continued activity. I hope that steps will be taken to permit a like committee, to carry on it's work on a proper scale in the future. It should be fortnight in evaluating the records of candi- dates and push our program for ward militantly.>
 Connecticut should have not one progressive U. s. Senator, but two. It should have not only four Rep resentatives i'm Congress sympa- thetic to labor, but six. We can elect such men and women to the national legislature and as officials and legislators in the state and mu- inequalities if we act unitedly and vigorously.
 In my report to the 59th conven- ton, recommended the creation of an Organization Department.
 Many opportunities exist for or-
 ganization i'm the industries and
 businesses of the state which fOl-
 low the practice of paying low
 wages. Building service, hotel and
 restaurant, laundry, office workers
 and retail clerks are among those
 that badly need the benefits union
 izatiOn offers.
 Tn report referred to I also rec
 commended the establishment of Research, Statistical and Public Re-
 lations Department. While the con-
 vention voted to postpone consider
 ation of the research and statistical
 bureau it referred the question of the proposed Public Relations De- partment to the Executive Council. Tn acting favorably on this pro- posal the Executive Council showed
 enterprise and good judgment. The
 work of this department deserves the highest praise, for it has dem- onstrated that 1t has the "know- how" to get the American Fedora tion of Labor's viewpoint on fm- portant issues before the public in
 the press and in radio broadcasts.
 Our constitution calls for the Sup- port of the labor press pending the
 establishment of the State Fedora tion's own organ. The labor press which carries more news of A. F. of
 L. activities in this state than ever
 before is great force for the edu-
 cation of the officers and members
 of our labor organizations. Union publicity committees should furnish the labor newspapers with all avail able information and ali cOopera- tion possible should be afforded to increase their circulation.
 The menace of imitation is great CT now than ever. It will be re- membered that prices rose consid- erably more in the years following World War I than during the war years of 1917-18 There Is not only
 a severe shortage in housing, but also in various commodities Until supply and demand are in balance OPA controls should be continued. Price ceilings should be established for new housing. with the OPA re- quired to take into account in- creased wage rates for building trades workers. During the war hourly rates were held rigidly within the Little Steel formula, and the workers in these trades, of course, are entitled to raises at least commensurate with the increase in the cost of living. Price ceilings should also be set on existing hous- ing. A merry game is going on with houses changing hands at outrage ously inflated prices without bene- fitting home owners in the long run
 but enriching real estate brokers and spectators. Our full support should be thrown behind Chester Bowles, the OPA Director, in his gallant fight to prevent prices from spiralling upward out of reach of the working people and against the tremendous pressures of greedy businessmen and their supporters in Congress.
 The unrest that prevails in some industries among workers is easy to understand It is due primarily to the unwillingness of corporation heads to bargain collectively in good faith. Most workers since the war are living on deficit basis. That is, their "take-home* pay is ~s-