The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-11-03
Why 1eamster Flood Did Not
 Get City Work
be Editor of the Farmer.

To the Editor of the Farmer:
 S1r;-On Oct. 23, 1912, after I had had a team working for the city from early in the summer, Dennis Kelly. the seaIer Of weights and measures, came to me, and asked me if I could give him $20 to help the Republican party campaign fund I refused asked h1rn why he wanted the $20 from me- Democrat, to cover the expense of a RepubEcan campaign fund. Mfcha eI L1lI1s, another Democrat who had a team working for the city, was also visited by MT. Kelly.
 MT. Kelly told me if would give $2O my team would be kept at work Tor the city longer. I didn't give it. Next day was laid off That was the 24th of October.
 On that day, MT. Courtade, the df- rector of public works came to the job, the new road at the foot of Orange street. and told John Garter to Iay smy team off MT. Carter did as he was ordered. My team has not been work for the city since then.
 A close friend of mine told me he had seen MT. Courtade to inquire why my team was not at work this year and MT. Courtade told him that knew what I had done a year ago. That was the only explanation he gave him.
 may add that there has been no trouble about finding work for team sters who have been friendly with the administration. For instance. the city cleaned out all the cellar dirt of a store at Stratford and Carroll avenues, using three teams and nine men for five days. On August g. 1912 the city cleaned out a private yard. and ash bin, using three men and one double team for two days.
 I used to get $7 for cleaning out this citizens ash box, but the city stepped in and it took away the work from private teamsters under the Wilson adninistra ton.
 I visited the pastor of an East End church about cleaning out the ash bin in the church cellar, about three days work. He told me that man who held some position in his church and was also a foreman upon the city, was going to do the work, and only for that he would give it to me, but this man got city employees to do the work for nothing.
 l saw two of John T. Kings teams and MT. O'ReiIly and MT. Casey shov-, cling the ashes there while others carried the ashes out.
 MT. Lillis and I had our teams at work at a job at Stratford and Will mot avenues, in April when Garry Paddock came to the job and told Lillis he was to report at the city yard. I got no such order While
 
 not directed to report with my team. I did not know definitely what the reason was until MT. Kenny told me what Director Courtade said to him.
 MT. Rice, the foreman, made it his business to clean out ashes and cin- ders in different places, and they were hauled in John T. Kings teams, long distances, even as far as Boston ave- hue bridge, where they were used for filling. MT. Rice had no trouble finding plenty of work for the King teams and for himself but my team has not done any city work since refused to contribute to the RepubIi- can campaign fund.
 I used to have g. single team and was satisfied with it. But Mir Courtade advised me to get a double team and assured me that there would be plenty of work for it. That's why I got the double team, but Courtade changed his mind about things after I refused to deliver the $2o to MT. Kelly.
 JOHN J. FLOOD,
 1858 Stra tford Avenue