The sun., 1918-12-14
Ending of War Brings Prob
lens to Manufacturers
and Workmen.
OPTIMISM is PREVALENT
City Counts on It's Adaptable
ity to Bridge Transi-
ton Period.

bility, its normal diversity of manu-
features, TO carry the community
through the readjustment months
without serious trouble. 1t believes it
is now standing on the edge of bust
ness depression, but will be able to
bridge the cut between war and peace
prosperity far better than towns which
mushroomed as munition centres and
are nothing more.
Before the war il was Bridgeports
proudest boast that it produced about
every conceivable thing. from corset
strings to submarine boats. The city's
conversion to war production; the
overnight erection of new plants and
expansion of old ones; the doubling
OF population as workers from every
where were attracted by the hysteria
of competitive bidding for their serv-
ices before America entered the war;
the strikes of men and women already
getting fabulous wages; the restora-
ton of economic order by the Presi-
dent and the Federal war boards-all
this is an old story.
1t was to get the new story-what
is happening to Bridgeport now-that
a Sun reporter explored the city to-
day. And everywhere he heard the
prediction that the city can take care
of itself. after few sagging months,
by the mere restoration of its normal
industry, enlarged by the greater de-
mands for normal products that are
expected as soon as the channels OF
business everywhere are cleared.
Is Not n Munitions City.
The visitor was assured that the
rest of the world had a wrong idea
about Bridgeport. 1t is not munitions
city. 1t had merely become so tenn
porarily. Its fortunes did not depend
on war. OF all the great factories that
have been making the instruments of
war on a large scare only one, the
Remington plant. which first made
guns for the Russians and later
Browning machine guns. was wholly
new. The Remington plant, with its
10000 employees--at one time there
were 14,000-presented the greatest
problem. According to one rumor, il
would manufacture cash registers; ac-
cording to another, automobiles. the
, company itself saying nothing at all.
perhaps not having come TO any de-
cision yet.
Admittedly 1t would take some time
for the Remington" to mako over for
any sort of peace time product; ad-
mitteily there was danger of a big
layoff. but it hadn't come yet.
As for the other big factories it was
said that most OF them had their plans
made. The Lake Torpedo Boat Com
panS would be busy for two years at
least on its present contracts in the
American naval programme. The
Union Metallic Cartridge Company was
always busy in peace time and would
continue to be. The corset companies
would be only too glad TO turn from
gas masks to their ordinary line. The
American Graphophone Company,
which had been OH war work, had
plenty OF normal business ahead.
Such was the more optimistic view.
The manufacturers themselves are not
30 confident. They are sure that
eventually they will have all the work
they can attend to. but they are not
at all sure about their supplies. AL
though the Government has reversed
its priority schedule. now giving the
materials that were mon essential
the right OF way over the materials
that were "6 ssential." the ouickening
OF traffic is not nearly as quick as the
Photographers would like to have it.
High Prices Drawback.
Moreover, there is disposition 10
postpone ordering supplies because
present prices are deemed prohibitive
in q world restored 10 a competitive
basis. And as for the labor question il
Is far from answered. The unions in
Bridgeport, as elsewhere, profess to be
intent on maintaining the war stand
ard Of wages. They insist that moth
ing they have gained shall be let go.
Machinists who have been getting
eighty cents an hour on war work say
they must get eighty cents an hour on
peace work.
Three hundred of them recently
went TO Housatonic as day labOrers
al fifty-five cents an hour rather than
accept slXty-five cents offered by
Bridgeport manufacturers. For their
part the manufacturers speak of the
increase in wage scales caused by the
warns war bonus" and say that the
bonus naturally ceases with war.
Whereupon the worker replies that as
they were enabled to meet war time
living conditions only by the so-called
"war bonus" the cost of living must go
down before they can think OF accnpt-
ing a Cut in wages.
The manufacturers are rather en-
harrassed by this logic, for thus far
the living cost in Bridgeport hasn't
atated at all. Rents, groceries and
clothes are no cheaper than they were
"a month ago. In fact several Bridge
port restaurants raised their prices )
cents per portion only yesterday. In
Only one single item has peace in any
way affected the worth of dollar for
the better, and that should be heralded
far and wide. The price of shayes and
hair cuts has been cut 10 cents.
AS Bridgeport is essentially an open
town and less than 10 per cent. of its
workers were unionized, the manufac-
turers do not expect any widespread
trouble before labor is persuaded to
accept the view that the war is over.
No Enforced IdIeness.
There is no enforced idleness in
Bridgeport now, This Is asserted by
the United States Employment Ser
vice, the manufacturers and others
and attested by the appearance of the
city. The saloon is an infallibe barom-
eter Of idleness. The Bridgeport sa-
looms were so bare to-day that their