The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-02-21
THE PROBLEM OF LABOR.
INTERESTING RESULTS or A CAREFUL
INQUIRY ~ MISS4CHUSETTS


A Much smaller number of the Unemployed
than Generally Supposed-The Advance In
Wages Compared with the Increased Cost
of LiVing-1he Convict Labor ouestion.
d Boston, Feb. 2O.--Thc tenth annual report
OF the Bureau of Statistics Of Labor was pre-
scented to the Legislature of Massachusetts, this
afternoon, and is signed by Col Carroll d.
Wright. Chief Of the Bureau. In tho introduce
ton he calls attention to the fact that those only
who owe rs much as $780, and can pay tho OK
pcnses Of Insolvency TAT least 500 morel. can
avail themselves OF the insolvency laws. and
suggests that us this is one OF the heaviest bur
dens OF the workingmen. some cheap and ex-
pcditious method be devised 10 enable work
tnGmen to avail themselves of the law No
specific recommendation is made. however.
Tho truck system" or the payment of wages
In goods. is deprecated.
The first chapter Of the report is devoted to
The Unemployed IN Massachusetts" In June
last n special investigation was made by n can
vass OF all the cities. and by sending a circular
OF inquiry to the assessors of every town.
Answers were received from all but flftyono
towns representing population OF only H.
459. out Of u total OF .651 .9l2 and producing
only s13 900 900 worth Of goods out Of n total Of
t592 1891 062 and t5.GS9 9s3 worth OF agricul-
tural products out OF total Of $ll .52l .799. BY
tho reports received 1t appeared that there were
21.Sl2 unemployed laborers. of which {. $50 were
skilled and 1922 unskilled. The nineteen
cities showed 1875 unemployed. and the 1875
towns 9.677 unemployed Col. Wright denies
the oit-repeated report that there arc from 2O0.-
900 to 100000 persons out of work in this State.
10000 In Boston. and 100000 in the United
States. &c. and claims tina; this is tho first or
gnnized attempt 10 get at the facts.
Taking the vital statistics OF the State for
~ lfaF "a MuFltf .sh
show 1877 ,905 births. ~. sos deaths and natural
'tncrcnse OF 2SiS9-it II argued that the popula-
tion OF the State is no larger than three years
ago, because emigration has exceeded immi-
grafton. IL was thought by some that June was
pot the proper time TO gather such statistics.
because so many were then engaged IN agrcu-
tural pursuits. AMI that "A canvass In November
or December would show a, larger number Of
believed thatShs fact would be offset by the
Increase ole operatives IN manufacturing
establishments. In November he instituted
another investigation. and found that while
Massachusetts had in June 81 .Sl2 unemployed
bodied males over eighteen years of age.
she mad In November not over 10000 OF tho
same class. and. including women. about 23. 900
against 2S.5OS males and females in June.
A large part Of the report is devoted TO con-
Wet labor. the Investigation being ordered by a
resolution OF the last Legislature, and occupy
various States have been agtated annually by
claims that convict labor WIS robbng the tree
Iahorers and even now Especial committee Is
engaged daily IN prutracted hearings upon
propositions looking TO reform, or az lcnst to
change in this matter. Last winter Mary
land passed law that the products OF the State
prison should not be sold within the State.
IL has been ascertained that the total num-
Der Of State convicts in the United States
IN 1873 WIS 30 1877 and OF these 1876 were
under contract, or employed in mechanical in
dustries. OF this New York had the largest
number. 1862. OF which 2,5i6 were employed.
Pennsylvania comes next with .S29 prisoners.
and 500 employed; while Massachusetts has
757 convicts. Of which number GIG are en-
ployed.
The total number Of inmates of State and
county institutions in this State on Nov. / was
bO46-4O97 males and 951 icmales. or these
there were 757 males In the State Prison. 4sl in
the Reformatory Prison for Women at Sher-
born, 269 in the State Workhouse ut Bridge
water. and the remainder in county institu-
lions. The contract price ranges from % 45
cents per day. The total number at work was
3.710. of which 1862 were males and 74s fe-
males. The total earnings of the Institutions
were tl56 ,959.lo; the total expenses SPA SS3 49,
The number al work under the contract system
was 1858, Of which only 10 were females. The
eubJoined exhibit shows the classification us to
Industries Of the prison population of Massa-
chuseuts in all penal institutions: