The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-09-01
HOUSING CONDITIONS HERE CRITICAL; MANY
 CAN'T BUY LODGINGS
Continued from Page I

that my business Sconnecuons requir- ed me to do so. I went to several hotels asking for accommodation. At one the rate was $3.50 per day and si1lg been sold. thought nothing of this at Sthe time until I had visited all the other hotels in the city in cluding one far out on< State street. There was not a room to be had at 8 o'clock at night and when I had returned to the place where the $S.50 rate was offered I found that even that had been taken and the accom- ;modationsIwer gone. Though I had ia list of nearly 20 lodging houses 1 found that there was little hope of getting even a bed. went to the railr pad station and was going to rest until a@late train took me to another city for the night. there found the policeman evicting sleepers, for he woke me as I dozed. He demanded a ticket to permit to lounge there- I had my mileage but nearly 50 others had purchased tickets to gain the 5riviIege I learned later that nearly 1sO persons, most. of them with bag gage and well appearing paid in this way for the privilege of staying in the depot
 s The stratfield, Atlantic, Arcade, Royal, Alpine and other hotels in this city report turn-aways- for the past two weeks, with no available lodgings even for those well supplied with money.
 At the Bridgeport Protective asso- ciation on Myrtle avenue. it was said that the girls were permitted to sleep. in the railways rather than have them submitted to the vicissitudes of the streetst at night. They Slept on hard aoors rolled in blankets. During the past three months such conditions have been frequent, and even though a list of 12 reputable houses had been hHed with the overflow and two girls Of the institution had opened an am mex this also was crowded to the doors
 Somebody in Bridgeport should do sonaething,'' said an assistant. to Miss Kather1ne Hewitt, the superintenden who was absent today. When a grown man with a wife and two cI1il-8 fdren becomes discouraged tramping the streets in search of a. home, what must be the lot of unchaperoned girls who come here to make a living and after getting work and having money in their purse. cannot find lodgings
 Tn some lodging houses we have found rooms for 'one-nighters.' These houses may always have accommodate ton but they rent only to the tram sient couple and when g, person looks for weekly acconm odation they are refused
 Factory owners or those having large floor spaces should put them at the disposal of the city or some pub lie spirited citizen who will equip them with regulation army cots, blan- ketss and pillow. This was done in San Francisco and would relieve con- ditions here at thiS time when they are most serious and may tend to cast 2 blot upon this city. Those who seek protection here now are not the straggIers, but people that will make good residents and citizens in times to scome.''
 Secretary Gilmore of the Y. M c. A., said: ''Are there any lodgings to be obtained in Bridgeport? No! They have been filled up for months. We usually keep a list of several hundred lodging houses in all parts of the city on our register but they were all filled up some time ago. Factories or some institution should come to the front now and provide some lodging houses well superintended for it is not the hobo or undesirable citizen that now seeks to enter Bridgeport but the better class of workman. clerk and even travelling salesman that seeks nightly accommodation Fan1iI- lies that never have taken lodgers should be willing at this time to open their spare rooms to these homeless persons with money. We would be glad to have any so disposed to com 7nunicate with us"