The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-01-03
HARD TIMES In BRIDGEPORT.
FACTORIES sHUr DoWv ON RUNNING
ON PART TIME.


worhisE Full TI-s-Ths Proposed TnriR
Change Given ss the Cause OF the Troubie.
BmDeEPoRT. Jan. "A dozen Of the big fac
tories in this city are shut down. Nearly all
the others are running on half time and with
largely reduced forces OF employees. The
Wheeler q Wilson sewing machine factory.
which employs more than 1000 hands and
which for some weeks has been running only
three days week. has shutdown entirely for
three weeks Although their shut down is an
annual thing for inventory purposes and to
make repairs. there never has been year since
the factory was built here that the shutdown
was regarded by the managers as IL 10 this
year. To the employees IL never came harder.
working as they have been on such short time
and earning so little money The latest OF the
factories to be added to the list OF those closed
In that Of the Yost Company. 1t is announced
that that place will be closed indefinitely.
The shutting down Of factories and the re-
duction OF forces In those that are kept going
has resulted in q condition OF affairs among
the wage earners OF tho city that has not been
eQualled since the hard times OF 1873. In
deed. II things continue as they are going no ".
there isevery probability that tho record OF
dsstitution will surpass that Of ninety years
ago The people say the agitation Of the tariff
question II the cause OF the trouble.
The 0verseer OF the Poor alone has more
than 1000 women on his books. and 80 per
cent OF tbese are the names OF heads OF fami-
lies that will average at least Ave in number.
A rough calculation would TX the number OF
persons thus dependent on official public
charity at about 5000. But the persons who
are assisted By the overseer OF the Poor do
not by any means represent the total number
OF destitute persons In the city. The churches
Of the city are all taxed to their capacity In
earring for the poor who apply to them for aid
There In an Emergency Committee which
hunts up cases Of restitution among families
who are too proud to ask aid. This committee
Is now providing for not less than 100 families.
and probably the number Is greater. Then
there IL the Organized Charity Association.
the Ladies' Charitable Society. and half q
dozen other organizations all working over
time. Il might be said. There are various In
diyidud citizens. too. who are devotinR large
sums to relieving distress. One OF them. Mr..
A. r Logic has given away this season more
than 900 tons Of coal Mr.. Logic is
ayerss TO any publicity. He manages to
keep the extent Of his charity from
most people and especially from local
newspapera How many families he is at
the number is not short OF one. hundred fami:
Hes. He sends them flour and groceries, and
who to thank for their good fortune. Your
correspondent called At the ONCE Of superln-
TSs s was NOT the city BUT
his representative gave some facts about the
Last year" he said. this office aided 2, $50
persons which comprised 4s8 families. The
year might be called an ordinary. one. and that
e the sag etS
the exact figures Of the present years WORK.
rsDresentins families Of ten ten and twelve per.
that that the number Of destitate Depend snt Wholly
than three times greater than 1t was this time
The large increase In he destitntlon e due
20 s5' sSSp or the s ss cut
crease from this cause because the stories s
say until bu siness got so bad and the boss be-
the the women who o Come L is; nv husband had
u hi d 'SsH III mSsa sss p
sants for aid Is getting larger oil the time
asa noS . 100 to n iS6 month"; as
month IL was about $50. The worst part OF the
+ Be "a nGr cp ans
time. Even II all the factories and shors
started up at full tine to,dsy and and all the men
THE hard times have continued SO long
grocer and other local tradesmen Just as much
eases soSd dSs h
inorease OF wages In place OF possible redHo-
sp ZIP n 5sugH Fl Ss GOOD C an ae
preston, the nose Of the wage Garner would
e aS with d9as
ana 81 ssh q d Pha sg n
mittee: he said: THE work Of our Commit.
applicants for charity, The, aid L has given
has been almost exclusively to families OF
thoush they might almost BE- said to be star:
a%sy; to R.GvS 70
They have been out OF work 20 long that their
the trsdesmsn Is eose because the trSdes mem
pave not got the capital necessary to carry on
bushes: and give large credits In NEST cases
fortunate themseIyes' Our inyestigators have
them. The number We are HELPING now Is sf be.
the distisss NJ Staples said: = 70 tho cause OF
tSs Is S Ssz Ii
lack Of conndsnce IN the manufacturers and
msnuiasturs goods Tor which there is no de- .
s i. r., tS obtain in the future Is an unEnowR
IN NE Staples s nsntiSHsd a several Industries
Visited several Of these. One was the salt
Plush Mill II has Peen shut down for some
there have agreed to return TO work at the
wages the company can AFFORD TO pay In case
added that II the Wilson bill is defeated
old wages will be resumed. The present tariff
SS e
Dor cent The concern 10 an English one.
When the Mckinley Tariff bill passed the Pres
tdent. who came here looking for site for
This Ubiquitous tArin bill has driven US out
OF the American market completely. and to
save our market We have got TO open a mill in
America"
When the Wilson bill was reported the same
This iniquitous Wilson bill will force US to
flose our factory here or else We must reduce
the wages OF the men from IS to 40 per cent"
The new taTtn hxes duty OF 40 per cent ad
xalorum on all plush goods. The Bridgeport
Brass Company ls one OF the largest concerns
In the country, Mr.. Hamilton OF the company
was seen at it's ofiice. He said
-, The condition OF Affairs here Is Just this: