Republican farmer., 1918-11-22
Announcement Made Today 2yy Bridgeport District
 Ordnance Office. ELIMINATE WAR
 WORK VERY SLOWLY All Night Work, Overtime and Sunday Labor Will be
 Done Away With.

Immediate cancellation of war contracts to the amount of $350,000,000 by the United States government, which will materially affect Bridgeport manufacturing plants, has been made public by the Bridgeport District Ordnance office. Every war contract in the city, in fact practically every war contract in the entire country has been cancelled.
 Local manufacturers have been noti- fled not only to gradually eliminate war work, but to bring the change about in such manner as to cause the minimum amount of disturbance to the employees. That the wholesale stoppage of labor during the period of readjustment would work an injustice to those who have been engaged in war work has been recognized by gov ernment officials. A committee has been aprtointed to make a thorough study of conditions and to put into operation any measures which will alleviate unpleasant conditions.
 The manufactturers have been asked to return to pre-war conditions as soon as possible, but have been au- thorlzea to do away on November 15 with all night work, overtime and Sunday labor. Only in conditions where repairs or the cessation of work on the products would be damaging will these classes of labor of work be allowed.
 It has been recognized that no gen. eCal solution for all cases is possible. Many manufacturers have individual conditions which could not be adjust ed Joy general rulings, For such, the committee will make a thorough in vestIgation, and will make such rec concentrations as will be for the best interests of both the manufacturers and the employees. While the com mittee cannot secure contracts for the plants, or provide for the immediate continuation of work, the best bus fness heads of the country will be members and their experience and ability will be at the disposal of all manufacturers who have problems which are too difficult for their own personal solution. An extension of time will be given to those who could not at once stop government work without causing too much hardship tc their employees, but undue delay vii not be allowed by the government.
 Every effort must be made to stol manufacture of war products as soo1 as possible, and provision has beer made for the supervision and can cellation of all the now unnecessar! output of munitions. Plants whicf were built for the manufacture O. munitions, or which were turned into munitlon manufacturing plants by the necessities of war, will not bt debarred from securing contract! from foreign countries, and alsC may continue the manufacture 0 rifles and ammunition and othe sporting lines which are to be uset in times of peace. In fact the govern ment will make the return to peac, conditions as easy as possible for al concerned.
 Manufacturers and the working
 
 headed manner as possible, to us their best judgment and not to be come panic stricken during the re adjustment period. The labor prob lems are the principal ones befor the country, the notifications say, an will be handled in an efficient man ner.
 The Bridgeport District Ordnanc office, which has controlled the con tracts of all the war products for tn State of Connecticut, and the fou western counties or Massachusetts and which has been recognized as tn most efficient organization of It's kin in the country, will soon be but matter of history. Already severs of the minor offices have been abol ished, and in a period of from tw to three months, nothing will remai of the branch of war industry whic was instrumental in the distributio of from $1,O00,000 to $2,00O,000 ( government contracts a day since fl establishment Although the smalle! in area, it was the largest in Wa manufacture, and the only other al! trict which in any way approache the amount ofw ork handled was tn;
  which had its headquarters in Phils delphia. Even this office in the thi1 largest city in America did not eau the amount of work handled was tn the Bridgeport office.
 The personnel of the local office il cluded some of the best known bus ness men of the country, men who names in the manufacturing world a recognized as the highest type of bu mess efficiency. As the necessity b came apparent, their services we offered to the government and mai have given their time and the bene of their vast experience for the su cessful prosecution of the war.
 It was stated at the office of u Bridgeport district today that imm diate steps were to be taken to vii up the affairs now pending, and was but a matter of two or thr months before the dissolution of t ordnance office would be accomplis Ad