The union times., 1946-01-12
Reports Propose
 Work To Elect Labor'sFriiends
Sen. McMahon, Baldwin, Tone And Geelan Among
 Convention Speakers

Organized labor in this state will not only continue, but will intensity its non-partisan polit- ical activity, in order to protect the gains the working people have made, and in order to elect representatives to Congress and to the State Capital in Hartford who represent the great majority of the people, and not special in- terestS.
 This became crystal clear when President Timothy M. Collins and Secretary-Treas- urer Harold V. Feinmark pre- sented their annual reports to the sixtieth annual convention of the Connecticut Federation of Labor, which is now being held at the Hotel Elton, Wa terbury.
 NOn-Partisan Committees
 Collins told the delegates:
 'tCOnnecticut should have not only one progressive U. S. Senator but two. It should have not only four Representatives in Congress sympathetic to labor, but six. We can elect such men and women to the national legislature and as off. cials and legislators i'm the state and municipalities if we act unitedIy and vigorously"
 Feinmark recommended:
 ''I hope that this convention will again act to authorize the setting up of nOn-partisan political conn mittee, and that this committee will go into action soon. We cannot af- ford to wait until month or two before the election if we are to get maximum results"
 Legislative MadhOuse''
 Passage of the State Labor Re- lations Act by the Legislature was considered by both men as one of the high spots of the years activities. Feirmark sharply criticized both po- litical parties in Connecticut for the Legislative madhouse" at the last seS- sion of the Legislature, saying that "once again our Representatives and Senators placed political partisanship ahead of the common welfare" The dickering and squabbling, he said, was over which party would get the most jobs.
 Catching Up"
 Collins sharply took to task the Connecticut Manufacturers AssO- citation and ''business groups, in- cluding the Hartford Chamber of Commerce. for their opposition to legislation proposed by the Conn. Federation of Labor. He pointed out that a spokesman from these groups ''called for halt on all labor and social legislation until other states have caught up with Connecticut" Collins answered this by showing that Connecticut is still far from being in the lead, and de- scribed the great amount of work to be done before this can be ac- cOmplished.
 Important Resolutions
 The convention, one of the best at tended in many years, has a number of important resolutions before it which will help determine the Fed eration's policy during the coming year. Legislation is an important part of these resolutions, a number of them expressing the resentment of or ganized labor at the failure of Con- gress to enact such vital laws as Full Employment, minimurH wage rate of 65c an hour, more adequate unemploy- ment compensation, improved Social Security, and a Fair Employment Practices Act. A number of import ant resolutions, dealing with state matters, are also before the conven- tion.
 Convention speakers have been selected for the contributions they can make to the solution of the problems before labor. On Wed. nesday the speakers were Rep. James P. Ceelan of New Haven. a former vice-president of the New Haven Central Labor Council: and Abraham Bluesten, executive direc- tor of the A.F.L. Labor League for Human Rights. Gov. Raymond E. Baldwin was the speaker Thursday at II AM. Thursdays speakers also included Ellis Ranen. general organizer of the American Federa- tiOn of State, County, and Munich pal Employees.
 US. Senator Brien McMahon. who, of course, is the progressive senator referred to by Pres. Col ins, will speak on Friday at II AM. Joseph M. Tone, personal representative of Secretary of La bOr Schwellenbach, will speak at time to be determined by his ar rival at the convention. This also applies to John J. Murphy, New England director of the ALL.
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