The New York herald., 1921-04-30
HUNGER HITS TOWN
WHEN WORK FAILS
Half Population of STRAIT
ford, Conn.,, Now Out of
Employment.
$4,000 FUND NEEDED
HIncin ~ of MafoI Eonn ~ oc
$4,000 FUND NEEDED
Closing of Metal Foundries
in Bridgeport Makes
Thousands Idle.
FOOD SENT TO SCHOOLS
Many Families in Foreign Sec
tion Near Starvation-Char-
ity Funds Give Out.

Special Despatch to THE NEW YORK HERALD
BRIDGEPORT. Conn, April 2s.-With
so per cent. of her population out of
work since last fall, when many of
the factories OF this city shut down,
Stratford, town four miles northeast
OF here, is facing a condition Of
poverty among her populace almost
without parallel in the industrial his
tory of New England. The township
found it necessary two weeks ago to
begin feeding the children in the pub
lie schools in the poorer districts. and
to-day steps were taken to begin a
drive for $4,000 to alleviate the suf-
fering among the families of the un-
employed workers.
Stratford might be called the home
borough of Bridgeport There is vrtu-
ally no business in the town, as all Of
the workers living there have been en-
ployed in the metal foundries In this
city. When the shutdown came last fall
$4,000 men were thrown out of work,
of which about 5000 lived in Stratford.
These workers had saved somewhat dur
AHS thc war; UuL IHe pTOuaCteQ perlOQ
OF idleness has exhausted their re-
sources. and they now are faced with
the alternative of finding work or sit
ting and watching their families slowly
starve to death. And work is nowhere
to be found
The situation that exists among the
unemployed, most OF whom are rtal-
ians. Hungarians and Siovenes. was re-
vealed two weeks ago when Ave chill
dren tainted In Honeyspot School which
is in the heart of the foreign colony
Mrs. Hulda Brown, principal Of the
school. called upon James Lally, First
Selectman. and Harry B. Barnum. Tru-
ant Officer. to make an investigation.
What Mr.. Lally and Mr. Barnum found
resulted In an appeal to the towns citi-
zenry to send food and clothing to the
two schools. The response enabled the
school authorities to feed and clothe 365
rs the 752 pupils.
Eliot W. Peck. president Of the Civic
Charities Commission announced to-day
that the drive for $4,000 would begin
May 8. Associated with Mr. Peck in d.
recting the campaign will be Mrs. Harry
Wilcox and Walter E. Goddard. The
appeal will include one for jobs for the
towns unemployed.
Superintendent Of Schools Thompson
sent circular letter TO the 1000 chill
dren in the schools last week asking
that they forward their old clothing TO
the school board. One family Of five
was found living on bottle of milk and
a loaf OF bread day. Another family
of nine had such a limited food supply
that its members alternated In eating
meals Those who had breakfast would
have to fast until supper time, and those
who ate luncheon would have to subsist
as best they could until breakfast next
morning
The charity appropriation of Stratford
for the year was exhausted before the
winter was half over. Mr.. Lally. who
has the directing of this appropriation.
has been criticised by the Board of
Finance, but he declares he will con-
tinue to issue orders on town funds to
feed the poor whether the board likes II
or not
In the Honeyspot School 100 children
Of the unemployed are served milk and
peanut butter sandwiches every morning
and 175 are fed in the afternoon. AT
Sedgwick School the number fed ranges
from 35 to 40. In order to thus feed
these children 115 persons living in the
town have agreed to supply a pint of
milk a day. and almost the same num-
ber loaf Of bread and certain guam
tity Of jam or peanut butter each day.