Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1919-01-14
BRIDGEPORT, WAR ESSEN
NOW FILLED WITH IDLE
City Had Tremendous Boom Dur
ing War; Paid Millions in Wages;
Prosperity Flees.

Bridgeport. Jan. 14-Connecticut's
war prosperity has faded and thousands
OF workers attracted to its war munitlon
centres by the bait Of high wages have
been discharged This city, called the
|, Essen of America" and others now have
| thousands of unemployed.
| a correspondent, sent here to asoer-
tam conditions and what was being done TO
solve the problem of industrial rcadlust-
mcnt, found that the situation is n serious
one, but that the Department OF Labor
gives promise of clearing it. The method ls
this: The free employment agencies u
established in the cities to provide the
war wants are now being utilized to place
the workers no longer needed IN war work
in peace work The agencies are acting rs
a link between employer and employe
This chain has been extended to other
States and Connecticut's oversupply OF
labor is being distributed as rapidly as
possible In positions opened up cisewhere'
CLOSE COOPERATION.
There is close cooperation Of the manu-
facturcrs with the Federal and city officials
and all are working with the community
interest IN mind.
1t has been figured that 40 per cent of
the war munitions were turned out III
Connecticut. so IL was only natural the
State would be oyerhurdened with labor
with the cessation of the war Bridge
port is a striking example II tins. Its
peace industries despite the diversity of
them, cannot absorb tho oversupply OF
workers
Just how many unemployed there arc
here is difficult 10 figure Estimates Of
Federal and municipal officials place tho
number at approximately 1000. Some oi
the manufacturers say the number Is not
much more than 900. Some labor lead
crs claim as high as 10000.
CIVILIZATIONS CONF IN.
The cancellations Of war contracts he
gan Christmas week II was really q
suspension order Extensions were made
on those contracts that were left IN force
This insured longer employment 10 some
workers, but a shortening Of the hours
With the cancellations Of government
orders. about :, 900 workers were laid of.
This number has since been increased To
about 5000, officials say. Ii takes 30
days on the average 20 complete a NUM-
ton order IS they are completed others
must be released
Bv far the largest plant here is that Of
the Remington Arns-t mon Metallic
Cartridge Company. 1t employed more
ttitn 1tN,ptj lttiA anu NtiiBth III iAH t1iit-
bined plants in October It's force has been |
reduced about 10 per cent since then. |
MANY Of those discharged found employ |
mcnt in other plants. The influenza also /,
laid off many, whose places had to ~ /
filed But the number Of unemployed /
grew steadily ana was augmented by the !.
homecoming soldiers, who have been |
gwen preference In filling positions. |
In this the Federal officials have been |
aided by the manufacturers II is Cstlmat- |
ed that 600 former soldiers and sailors /
have been put TO work Positions for |
coo have been found hv the Bridgeport |
office of the United States Employment |
Service the Department of I.abors local |
bureau. which is in charge Of Supcrintond- |
cnt A " Burrctt with W b. Smith TO |
assist him.
POPULATION DOUBLED.
This was city that grew from 100 900 |
population to almost double that size /
during the short period of the war Its |
boom started in 1914, when the Allies |
placed their orders for munitions Much |
Of its increase WAS what was considered a |
population. They were the |
men and women who overflow cd the !
boarding houses Bridgeport would like to |
keep them. but IL cannot.
In normal times the manufactures here |
included almost every article from q shoe |
string To an automobile When the war |
necessities arose. iathes were turned from |
ordinary pursuits TO war needs. Not only |
must the mills readjust their machinery |
but they are without stock Of raw mater |
ais 10 warrant their accepting large con-
tracts for peace orders in many instances /
This condition prevents the employment /
of hn frb4 EpA thor
wanted later But il is q certainty in the |
minds of the officials who have studied |
the situation that the business to come |
will not provide for the employment Of |
anywhere near all the workers that have /
come here.
Then there is the price Of labor to con
slider There has been no reduction In
wages in the factories Some plants had |
war bonuses which have been gwen up, |
but they are keeping up their wage scale. |
The war plants adopted and carried a |
wage scale that drew from non-essential |
work How long this can be kept up is 4 |
question.
UNMARRIED FIRST TO co
The Remington Arms-U NJ c Com- |
pany adopted a plan of first laying off |,
eingle men without dependents and mar t
ried women, whose husbands arc able to |
work This has been adopted by Others /
Many women have been released whose /
husbands are employed Other women |
have returned to household work The |
Iayoff of skilled workmcn to date has not |
amounted 10 more than 5000 The En- |
pIovrnent Service bases it's figures on re- |
turns from "a concerns.
There is very little distress at present, |
but there is expected TO be considerable t
before operations on peace basis can be /
set in full swing and the overflow has gone
to other cities Superintendent Of CHAR
ties Angus p Thorne expects many ap- |
for stance.