The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1921-04-28

Resentment of unemployed
 ex-service men over alleged unjust treatment reached fever
 heat this morning, and nearly
 precipitated serious trouble. Weeks of compulsory idleness,
 hand to mouth existence, dis courteous and aggravating
 treatment by officials have caused intense feeling on the
 part of the unemployed, many of whom fairly seethe with bit
 terness towards the officials
 who they claim jockey them
 back and forth like a herd of cattle"
 Gangs of men daily throng the coz riders of the City Hall, lying in war for Director Courtade, of the Public Works Department, and Mayor Will son with tales of acute sufferings, and appeals for work. Never a day passes without these men being in evidence. and some days as many as 100 have been waiting in the corridors on the lower floors, on the street, and in the waiting room of Mayor Wilson's office.
 The first real trouble developed this morning when the smouldering re- sentiment of the men burst into a flame that fortunately was quenched before serious harm had been done More than score of ex-service men forced their way into the office of Captain Edward Mora, acting secre- tary of the Chamber of Commerce charging that the Chamber was hold ing back the money with which the city might supply employment. They admitted they had been sent to Cap- tain Mora by a person whose nam. refused I1-bn they claimed informed them they could not obtain employment ''as the Chamber of Commerce was holding back the money-'
 The impronptu conference soon took on a dangerous hue when the men became angered with Captain Mora's repeated denials that it lay within power of his organization to supply the men with work, and their attitude became so threatening that the official was forced to call the po- lice. Before the arrival of the blue coats, however, the crowd had dis persed to congregate again in the City Hall
 Not alone are the unemployed up in arms but the Chamber of Com merce as well as they charge that Di- rector Courtade, of the Public Works is responsible for sending the men to the office of the Chamber, and through his alleged discourtesy has aggravated the bitter feeling of the unemployed.
 From time to time this morning various delegations of unemployed called upon Captain Mora, each bear ing the same message that they had been sent by "a certain party" 10 tn- tercede with the Chamber of Com merce to grant the city money to carry on construction work. They all bore the impression that it lay within power of the organization to give employment to the hundreds out of work, and were not in the least backward towards assailing the Chamber.
 The spokesman of one delegation later admitted to Times reporter that they had been sent to the Cham Der of Commerce by Director Cour- tade. The man ably voiced the senti- the reporter, and clearly laid their ease before him.
 ''Ninety-five per cent. of the fe1- lows over there (pointing to the crowd in front of the City HaH) are eX-service men out of work from three to eight months. Everyone of them has families many have chil- dren. We gave our services for mere $30 Q, month, and served as long as the government needed us while the men now holding jobs stayed at home laying up money that really belonged to us.
 We have applied and appealed for work until we are disgusted and sick of taking the rebuffs that meet us every time. We go to Courtade and ne tells us that he cannot give any work as the Chamber of Commerce s holding him back and he tells us O go to them. We do and they say he city has the money and to go to Courtade.
 ''The papers are always yelling about s110 900 in a fund the city has. md yet they won't spend a cent to give us fellows work. I have two 1iddies at home, and at this minute don't know where they are going to get a crust of bread for dinner.
 We were sent to the Welfare Build ng yesterday, and while standing
 Continued on Page Five.