The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1873-06-14

Our Working Population.

The ordinary estimate Of the number Of
working people ot a country Is that II con
sIsts of one-third Of the population. Thus
the number Of the inhabitants Of the Unit
ed States being in round numbers 80, 900,
900, the working population is estimated
At $1,000, 900 This is very nearly correct
according To- the last census The returns
81 1860 gave the number Of working peo-
pie as scarcely exceeding one quarter IF
the population. which is evidently errone-
pus t. a great extent, and due To the omis-
sion t. count large number uf people oc-
cupying useful and active positions ia life
as not hclungin. tu the working class 1t
appears To us however, that the ordinary
estimate as Well As the census err in not
counting as workers the women which are
at the head II the S.UU. .O1 families into
estimated to be divided Many uf these
women, especially the wives Of the poor,
and also many Of those belonging to the
middle class have more labor ~ perform
than most OF the single women counted
among the workers because they are EN-
ployed ia some factory eight or ten hours
a day Many Of the servant girls who, to
the number Of two Or three millions, are
occupied in many of the 5000. go fami-
lies. are real workers But We wish To call
especial attention 70 those mothers Of
households who are charged with all the
cares OF housekeeping and the rearing Of
children These are the heaviest nf ali
burdens, because such woman performs
an unendIng labor, usually the most mo-
notonous and thankless IN existence. and
If she consclentiouslv fultils her perpetual
round uf useful duties. she ought surely
be classed at the head Of those Who earn
their bread by hard work The last census
estlu ate, therefore, which returns 10. 700. w
OOU maies and less than go, uUD females
a. workers, Is erroneous, and the true bal
anc,. in riacc If being Al the side uf the
Wurkngmrn, Is undoubtedly tp he reversed
The bdsy women surely uutnuuber the
busy men.
Some of the statistics. however. re1 eal
interesting and undoubtedly correct de-
tails Thus, the number Of working peu-
pie, mae aud female, IL the United States.
is nearly ii. H'h %, NhIle scarceiy 3. 900 900
are foreigners. 6.WU. OOu are occupied With
agriculture, nearly 5000, 600 with manu-
f.,cturys, mining and mechanical pursuits
almost 3. Wp 600 render Professional and
personal scrS ices. and a Ii tie more than
] 600 900 are engaged ID trade and trans
turJatIun. In the manufacturing and me-
chanical occupations the carpenters take
the lead they number so, 600, then the.
boot aud shormahers, ttlluIs and black
smiths, l1U Ouo to 40 900 each; then The.
brick and stone masunS, painters and mill
Iners, about 81. OOO each; machlnists, %,
900. butchers cabinet makers, carriage
makers, c"oprrs ana uIIllrrs, ~. 600 each
printers and timers, 3. 900, tanners. ba-
kers, plasterers and cigar makers. 25. 900
each. There are over 63 O0J physicians
Al 900 cl,rgymen, and 40 COZ lawyers.
each Of the former has thus charge ut 600
bodies. the second of $50 souls. ana the
latter Of nearly loo pockets. The youth
Is taught by 49, .oJ1 teachers, and the
washing done by 81 900 launderers and
laundr, sses There are 100 musicians.
nearly q. 600 editors, ahd 300 officers Ia
the army and navy Finally. there are as
many as 6S,OOO political office holders
while it takes only "a 600 BARRIERS to shave
the whole nation.