Ottumwa weekly courier., 1878-07-24
The Number OF the Une mploved


hackers, the socialists, and the dema-
gogue to make the most cxtravagant
assertions about the business depres.
sion and the number of honest work
ingmen out of employment. Last
summer, the political tramp, Sam
Cary, went about the country telling
his audiences that three millions OF
men were tramping about seeking
employment, and unable to get a
days work at any wages: that three
millions more were working on half
pay and half time, and that even this
employment was given them as a
matter of charity; and that three
millions more were so poor that they
couldn't live thirty days without
work unless supported by charity.
The babbling Ohio tramp has since
reduced his statement Of the number
of poverty-stricken people to six
millions, instead of nine millions.
Mr.. Z. M. Nichol, of the Honest Mon
ey league, answers this assertion by
pointing to the fact that there were
only nine and three-quarters mill
ions of able-bodied men in the coun-
try, and showing the absurdity of as
suming that on an average nine men
are dependent for support upon
three-quarters of one man, or, that
six men, as Sam Cary now puts it,
are dependent upon three men and
three-quarters of man. Assuming
that the population has increased 20
per cent. since 1870, there cannot now
be more than twelve millions of
able-bodied men, and according to
Cary, one-third of them have to live
on the earnings of one-half, while the
remaining one-sixth are barely able
to keep the wolf from the door.
So common has it been been for
demagogues to assert that from one
half to nine-teenths of our people are
in state bordering on beggary, that
Col. Wright, chief of the Massachu.
setts bureau of labor statistics, has
thought it worth while to investi-
gate the matter carefully, and get at
the true state of facts as nearly as
possible. What he wanted to test
more particularly was the truth of
the story that three hundred thous-
and men were roaming about Massa-
chusetts. Col. Wright, after making
the investigation, sisted at a club
dinner recently that not more than
seven to ten thousand persons in the
state we're honestly seeking work and
that many Of these would find steady
employment in the fall, when nearly
all the factories in the state would be
running on full time for the first time
in three years. Taking the highest
of these estimates, and assuming
that the proportion of the unemploy-
ed to the total population is the same
throughout the country as in Msssa.
chueetts, the whole number of unem-
ployed persons in the country who
are honestly seeking employment
does not exceed 255, 900, or only about
one-eighth of Tramp Cary's lowest
estimate. Taking Col. Wright's low
est estimate as the basis of the calcu-
lation, we find that the number of
persons in the country who are hon.
estly seeking work is 10000, or less
than one in seventy of the adult male
population. The number is large
enough, both absolutely and relative
ly, but 1t is not so alarming as Tramp
Cary and the rest Of the blatherskite
demagogues would have us believe.
Seventy adult men can upon pinch
manage to tide one over the dull
times.
Col Wrights statement that nearly
all the factories would be running on
full time in the fall for the first time
in three years is an encouraging one.
He does not estimate the number .of
additional hands that they will EN-.
ploy, but it is not unreasonable to
suppose that they will employ one.
half of those who are honestly seek.
ing work, reducing the number OF
that class to 5000 or less. A CORES.
ponding industrial revival through.
out the country would soon put an
end to the croaking. Those obtain.
ing employ ment would increase their
consumption, which in turn would
give work to more of the unemploy-
ed. and SO before long all who were
willing and able to do anything use
full could find something useful to do,
and the country would once more re.
joice in prosperity. Workingmen
cannot expect to get as many dollars
q week as they did when wages par
took of the general imitation, but they
will be able to buy enough more
with q given number of dollars TO
make up the difference.
1t will be observed that that terri
BILE bugbear, resumption, is not going
to prevent the Massachusetts factory
owners from resuming full time in
the fall. Possibly the near prospect
Of resumption and the hope of stabil-
ity in the future value of the currency
is the very thing that encourages them
to extend their production and en-
ploy more hands. Possibly the same
thing will encourage capitalists
throughout the country to invest
their means in productive industry,
and so give employment to working
men at good wages. If SO, what will
the greenbackers do about it? Will
they insist upon the repeal Of the re-
sumption act and the institution OF
absolute money" which, as it's desti
ny would be to be worth absolutely
nothing, would force capitalists and
all business men to shorten sail more
than ever, and put their means in pls
ces of safety, if possible. without re-
gard to the wants of workingmen
Some of them are undoubtedly infat-
uated enough to do that, but the
Times is unwilling to believe that
any great number of honest men will
follow their example. - Chicago
Times.