The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1920-08-11

The Spaniard has found Bridgeport. He Is coming here in large numbers and despite all protests to the con trary by employing agents, works su- perintendents, or others, has become D large element in the labor supply sf this city. As many as two thous end have reached here within the last three months and it is estimated that there are close to four thous- and now living in Bridgeport. Some have come from the province of Lugo amongst the Cantabrian noun tatns in Northwestern Spain, some from among the Pyrenees farther to tho East. a few from the West near She border of Portugal, but the greater part of them, at least sixty Or seventy per cent, are from the fields and orange groves of the pro- vince of Valencia whose hills slope off to the east and whose streams Dow into the blue waters of the Med tterranean in the Gulf of Valencia
 It~is a complex set of influences, moro or less the result of the ~Eorld wide econIimc diStur rbances set up by the great war, which has sent them here. Before the war Valencia sent uuantfties of oranges to England. The war ruined the trade. It has not re- powered since and the prosperity of the orange growers has shrunk. In addition there has come a sudden and rapid rise of the cost of living bringing it up almost to a level with thait of the United States with no corresponding rise in wages. As a result the young and strong men are leaving in search of better conditions and wages. To what an extent they are leaving home can be judged from the fact that according to SpaniardS who have recently come from Spain almost the entire population of the village of Pogo in the province of Ali cante is now in Bridgeport.
 Previous to the digging of the Panama Canal few Spaniards came Ito the United States in search of work. The difficulties of the English language and the ignorance of Amer dcan ways with perhaps little feel hng over the Spanish war on hhe one hand and the fact that Spanish was the language of South and Central America and their population a large part Spanish caused most of the Spanish emigrants to go to the latter places.
 During the work on the canal a Large number of Spaniards were em- ployed and in that way became ac- quainlted with American ways and methods and more especially Ameri- can wages. The more intelligent and Senturesome of them picked up some English and began making trips to the StateJ. Their letters, ana hhei1 accounts on their return to Spain brought more. During the war when labor was so hard to find and men o1 She races with which we were fight 4pg were looked upon with suspicion SA the great plants the Spaniard found an opportunity and before the wal was over there were quite a mum. yber employed here.
 When the slack came following the Eigning of the armdstice nose these went back to Spain There were SC few Jeff dn the town that a Spantard says 'T walked the streets for months and almost never met a Spaniard.' But now these men are hurrying back rto America again and they are bring, ling their families and their frterd, 6ntend to stay.
 That there have been some effort, made by a few of the big -Bridgepor tconcerns to acceIrate this movemen of Spania ds to this town and Lhei shops Is much more than probable The Spandards tell of being met a New York by agents of the factorie and promised wages and condition (which have not seemed quite tn same in reality as in prospect.
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