The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-11-01
MUN|TION SHOPS
WORKERS FAVOR
The PRESIDENT
Wilson to Get Big Share of
Vote From Plants In
Connecticut
(New York World.)


ers in the states then most celebrated
industry They reasoned that be
cause the wooden nutmeg workers
had lived in Connecticut for years and
years, there would be no abnormal
change in the direction of their polls
support.
But the situation is different now.
The high, price Of lumber bringing up
the manufacturing cost Of the imita
ton to about that Of the genuine nut
meg, the Industry has been aban-
doned. But thousands of other
workers have been streaming into the
Bridgeport and New Haven districts
to engage in the making Of munitions
of war.
War Jobs Bring in 10000.
The average increase in popula-
ton in the state for the last five years
has been about 10000 a year. Since
the spring Of 1915, when the making
10000 persons have come into the
state.
1t is not possible easily to determine
how many Of these new residents Of
Connecticut left other states to do
munitions work, and nobody has at
tempted to classify the influx. How
ever, Democratic and Republican
Town Chairmen. estimate the NUM-
ton newcomers aS numbering from
5000 to 10000.
Bridgeport, New Haven and Water
bury have felt this growth in popula-
ton more than any other cities In the
state. Ansonia., Derby and other
small towns have felt it slightly.
Hartford, the site Of an arms plant,
also shows gains. Therefore, New
Haven county, which embraces New
Haven AMI Waterbury, and Fairfield
county, which confines Bridgeport,
came in for closest study.
OF the men who migrated from
other places fully 80 per cent. were
foreigners, not eligible to vote. Most
Of those who have taken out first pa
pers have not gone any further. The
Connecticut law requires that voter
must be ful1-fledged citizen of the
United States.
Residence Trips Up Many.
This would leave, at the outside.
about 5000 possible voters who could
first establish their right ito vote by
residence of a year in Connecticut.
But when the investigation reached
more definite ground it was seen
that another requirement would trip
many Of them up.
That Is the part of the statute
which makes necessary a six months
residence in the, town prior to appli-
cation to be made a voter. This ap-
plies to new voters Natives Of
the state reaching majority and
older voters rome in from other
states are classed as new voters. A
Connecticut voter registers only once
the first time he intends to vote
Once he is made a voter he has no
formalities to go through between
elections. OF course, every voter
must have lived in the town for al
least six months before Election Day
At this point in the inquiry the
figures showed that in New Haven
and Fairfield Counties about 1850
newcomers would be qualified to ap-
ply for admission to the voting lists
They were given six days, ending
last Saturday night, jim which to
qualify. The result was discourag-
ing. Less than SO per cent of the
new male residents made any effort
to qualify, and many of those who
took the trouble were rejected.
That disposed-at least to the sat-
number of new voters from the out
side. They devoted themselves to
looking into other features of the
general munitions vote.
Rush to Munition Towns.
There are between $4,000 and 3d.
900 possible voters engaged in mu-
nitions work or it's offshoots in the
state. The majority are longtime
residents. They have worked in the
towns where they lived and their
wages have been small.
The boom, as they call it, came
along. Colossal wealth seemed to be
offered them for as little effort as
they had been expending for just
enough to live on. They 1ocked to
New Haven, Bridgeport and Water
bury. The rush to the munition towns
became so great that housing &C
commodations could not be found for
the workers. Just now it is impos-
sible for thousands Of the workers to
find living quarters within five miles
of their place Of employment.
Others, quartered in the towns,
earned wages which they felt entitled
them to better accommodations. So
they moved, sometimes from Bridges
port to New Haven or to Milford or
to some other place outside the coun-
ty in which they had lived.
Consequently, the continuity of the
required six months residence in the
town has been broken, disqualifying
the prospective voter. Now it is not
possible to count on much over 40
per cent. of the states munition
workers going to the polls.
Democrats Most Active.
Democratic campaign workers have
shown the greater activity in seeking
to overcome this nomadic barrier.
Former Congressman Thomas Reilly
of Meriden, seeking reelection on the
Democratic ticket, has organized a
club of ESQ Bridgeport munition
workers who have a legal residence
in Meriden, though they are living in
Bridgeport. They work on different
shifts He has made preparations to
bring them to and from Meriden on
election day. Other candidates are
taking similar steps to help them
selves at the polls.
From statements of both parties, it
seems probable that the bulk of the
munition vote will go to Wilson. The
only issue the workers can see is
nrosnerity Thew are making mOney