The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-03-28
MANY ARE IDLE
 IN NEW YORK

New York. Mar 2S Hundreds of unemployed were found last night crowding into the East Side rescue missions asking for jobs, clothing shelter and food. Since the large war plants have discharged veritabIe armies of labOrers and unskllled workers the ranks of idle men have increased so rapidly that their mum bers have taxed the capacity of the city.
 The missions have placed all their available space at the disposal of the unemployed men who come for work; they have increased their accomno- dations, in some cases, as high as tenfold.
 The Hadley Rescue Mission, at 293 Bowery, has sheltered 5000 men dur ing the first eighteen days of March. During the same period last year their records show shelter was given to HOO men. Their average for last year was 500 men a month; this year 1t has totalled as high as 5000 some months.
 The Bowery Mission, a. few blocks south, has increased its capacity from a normal rate of 200 men a night to 8 maximum of 400. Last night there were $50 men there. most of them unemployed, seeking for places to sleep and places to work.
 The Holy Name Mission, at 219 Bowery, has doubled its capacity since last year. Father William J. Rafter said last night. "We find men who worked in the large industrial plants, and especially the munitions factories in New York, form the ma iority of those who are out of work. They have come here from places as far as Wilmington, from points in New Jersey and along the Delaware River. New York is a clearing house for the unemployed. They have come here in great numbers from the plants in Connecticut, around Bridge port. These are the men that are out of work
 'eWe find them clothes and provide meals for them, and places to sleep. There are very few soldiers among them. Last week we had about five discharged army men who asked for jobs. They are mostly good, solid, hard working men who are unable to help themselves and we must do what we can for them.''
 The Municipal Lodging House, at 432 East Twenty-F1fth Street, was the only place not crowded to it's ca pacity. The men have to pass through a delousing process in this place, and civilians are required to work out their lodging and meals the next day. Few soldiers have stopped there, all though they are not required to work tor their meals like the civilians,
 John Callahan. of the Hadley Mie- sion, showed the Mission hall filled with sleeping men. I've can't turn them out,' he said, land so we let them sleep on the chairs. We have the fifty beds in the dornitory filled, and we have the basement fully oc- cupied with men sleeping on the floor, all of whom we'll give a break fast in the morning.
 The records for this place show also that in February 5000 men were sheltered; during the same month in 1918 only 1,70O had to be cared for. During the first part of this month 2,2O0 meals have been served to the idle men, and the little employment bureau of the mission is working overtime.
 Missions of the section have ar rangements with the ten, fifteen and twenty cent lodging houses for hous- ing men, but they assert even these arrangements are d1fT1culC to nam tain now, With the increase in the unemployed who are virtually desti- ute, the number of shiftless char acters has increased, and they arc overcrowding the cheap lodging plac- es. Occasionally men come to the missions because the lodging houses are full,
 The Salvation, Army Is cooperating with the mission, and when the rush begins at night beds are obtained by the mission superintendents by tele- phone, They use up the available spaces and then allot the mission halls and extra rooms to the limit imposed by the fire regulations
 The number of discharged service men in the missions has not reached a high figure, the workers say, but they anticipate that if the condition is not checked soon the former sol- diers and sailors will join the daily throng that asks for shelter and food Only two discharged sailors were list ed in the Hadley Mission last night, and none were in the Bowery Ms -tz