West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1878-10-05
Army of the Unemployed.

Philadelphia Ledger.
Several months ago the Lefger called
attention 10 the tact that estimates of
the number of unemployed workmen i'm
the United States used by demagogues i'm
and out of Congress were gross exagger-
ations. II has been said and repeated
over and over again that there were
three million able-bOdies workmen i'm the
country who could not find employment
at any wages. II was impossible 10 de-
termine what was the real number out
of work, but the census reports gave am
| pie proof of the absurdity of this esti-
mate, showing il TO be gross exaggera-
ton. Since then an examination of the
mills and workshops of PHILADELPHIA bv
reporters of the Ledger showed clearly
enough that in this city, AT least. there
was not that lack of employment which
had been supposed to exist, although the
returns were not complete enough to en-
| able one TO make an intelligent estimate
OF the number of unemployed. The
Massachusetts, Bureau of Statistics is
first in furnishing reliable data The
Bureau has canvassed each city in the
State, and secured reports of the number
OF unemployed in three hundred and
twenty-five towns from authorities of
those towns and has just published the
results OF this examination of the condi.
ton OF the laboring population Of
the State, and produce only about two
per cent. OF the manufactured products
oil the Commonwealth. They are agri-
cultural communities, presumably fully
employed in midsummer, and the
authorities neglected To send returns AZ
ter being notified that such neglect
he IL
effect that there were no unemployed i'm
their towns.
The inquiries related only To the mum
Der Of able-bodied males over eighteen
years of age who were out of work and
really wanted cmployment-and the ag-
gregate numbers reported were. of
skilled wOrkmeD, s, 800; unskilled labor
ers, 1922; total 21,812. OF the potal
number of unemployed, 1915 were con-
gregated i'm nineteen cities, and 9.677 i'm
$50 towns. The Bureau compares this
number with the population of the
state according to the census of 1875. L.
Col ,9l2, of which 5S4, 600 were classcd Az
skilled and unskilled laborers. After
showing from returns of the births and
deaths that the population has not ma
terlally increased since 1875, the Bureau
estimates on these returns the whole
number of unemployed in the State. in
Guiding males aud females, at Is, sos.
This is believed to bcgreater rather than
less, than the real number out Of work.
since wherever two estimates were made
Tor one town the Bureau did not take the
average but the higher estimate. 1t will
be noted that, although these returns are
estimates only, they are not the esti-
mates OF one man for State or nation.
but OF two thousand qualified public
oiilclals, who carefully examined small
districts with which they were per
sonally familiar.
IL Is not a safe thing to make estimates
upon estimates which may themselves
be- wrong, but with such good founda-
ton rs this Massachusetts report affords,
it is worth while TO note that the same
proportion of unemployed TO the whole
number of workers would give $40, 600
men out of work in the United States.
That is q great number, but much less
than the three millions of whom such
orators as Kearney talk when they get
upon public platform. Business has
been dull for long time; there are
many men in all communities unable TO
obtain work, and there has been CORES
ponGlng distress, but business will not
be improved, nor work supplied to labor.
ers, nor distress relieved, by exaggerat-
ing the true condition of affairs. There
mas been Tor some months past a slow
but steady improvement in business,
and the Massachusetts report comes at a
good time as evidence calculated to i'm.
spire greater confidence, and so to hasten
recovery. " We have had enough of in
dustrial hypochondria, and it is time the
public recognized the facts i'm the case
and acted accordingly"
Labor orators of the revolutionary
kind, especially those of Massachusetts,.
will doubtless feel aggrieved when they
find their staple text" 5000, 900 work
men in the United States, 100000 i'm
Massachusetts and 10000 in Boston, are
out OF work" is disprovcd by statistical
estimates and returns, and that, AS a
matter of fact, there are less than thirty
thousand idle men and women i'm Massa-
chusetts. But the true workmen will be
glad to hear that ninety-fve per cent. of
his fellow-wOrkmen i'm Massachusetts,
have something to do, even though some
of them may be working a short time at
low wages. A revival such as is here
indicated must produce more work or
more wages, or both, and cannot be con
fined to Massachusetts alone.