New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-02-21

mon and women ordinarily having work who arc
ont OF employment
The facts In regard 10 the number OF the unem-
Logged I'm this country were presented to the Legsa-
ture Of Massachusetts, Yesterday. by Mr. Carroll ID.
Wright Chief OF the Bureau Of Statistics OF La
Dor Of that State, in hls tenth annual
report, Of which We have an advance copy.
Mr.. Wright, is statstician who in past years has
been subjected TO good deal OF that sort
of criticism which the railroad superintcnd-
ents of Ncw-England layshed at one
timo on Charles Francis Adams. IT,, whom
they called doctrnaire because he required
the railroads 90 report exactly how much the flags
on the pilot Of the en- gnes and the oil and cotton
waste applied to the aXles of the cars cost them
The conclusions of Mr.. Wright, however being
based on exact information, have been seldom over
TUNED His figures nave been repeatedly subjected
to private examination by unincndly critics, ana
his reports are now REGARDED a. authoritative. This
explanation is perhaps necessary. because the
figure, given ny M Wright in regard to nc num-
Der of the unemployed in thu, country may cause
SURPRISE and 1t - well 20 know that dependence can
I've placed upon them.
Tho orator of the sand lots who Camc East last
SIMMER to instruct us in finance" used ~ one Of hrs
most effective campaign arguments the statement
the United States, 300 900 OF them being IN Nassa-
chusctt-. and 10000 Ia the City of Boston. These
figures were extensively quoted and used III
spccchcs in Congress. They were carefully layesti-
gated by Mr.. Wright who caused thor
ough canvas, of Massachusetts, to be made
twice during the year of 1873, one" IN
August aud once in November. The canvass was
made either 10y the authorities Of the cities and
towns, OF by immediate representatives, OF
the Bureau. The report states mat
with rare exceptions, the town and
ely officials have not only responded
cnccrfuly to the request OF the state but have in
mos. instances spent q great deal OF time in obtain
ing the actual number Of persons out Of employ
mrnt" The result OF the August canvass
TO show that there were 2S,j0S persons nm
Massachusetts,, including men and women, seeing
and a. want OF work, who were at that time uucn-
ployyd. In November the number was $4,000.
The report states that The public can place
the utmost confidence in this statement. and
we have no fear Of successful refutation. Against
it can only be placed the wild guess of some one
who does not stop to consider his statement and
who has not the slightest foundation for his fig
urr." ON the basis Of the November canvass the
report states that there we're 10000 unemployed
abic-bodicd men aud women IN the United
States. ordinarily having work. who were
ont Of employment. The contrast between
this statement aud the one which has
passed current for 50 long, and has been SO
generally believed, j. very striking. The
unemployed in Massachusetts appear from
the report to be chiefly residents of cities.
The rural towns, 32J in number reported
only about 10000 unemployed and the
nineteen cities $4,000. Attention il called 10 the
point that there are really more people unemployed
q. a.. han
are making money they generally allow their
children to be dependent on them. The
present large number Of the unemployed
is due 10 the fact thai the late business distress has
compelled large number Of those ordinarily Idle
to seek for work.
The question Of wages and prices il also taken mp
in this report and considered at much length. Long
tables of figures given to show what the average
weekly wages Of the working people of Nassachn-
sets were IN 1860. 1872 and 1879.
These tables are elaborate and give the fg
urrs for more than 800 different occupations.
They also present the retail prices paid IN
the years named for rent and board and for fifty
two of the most necessary and important articles OF
food aud clothing Summed up, these tables show |
an average aud pretty general advance of 40 per
cent in the weekly rate of wages from 1860 10 |
1873. and an increase in the cost of ly-
ing of 1Il2 per cent. In other words 1.-The
AVERAGE weekly wages of wOrkngmen in manufac-
turing and mechanical Industries in Massachusetts,,
allowing for the advance the cost Of
living, were 10 per cent higher in 1873
than they were IN 1860, no account being
made of the fact that the wages in 1873 were
paid for fewer hours of labor per week in
many industries than were required In
1850" These are interesting facts, and the
more so because they are probably true Of the
other industrial States. 1t is pity that statements
of the same eXactness IN regard 10 wages
prices, etc. cannot be obtained from New
York, Pennsylvania and the West, but even
without them it is easy to see, by the
and OF Mr.. Wright's report that the condition
of the worhngman is far botter at this time than
Kearney and that class Of men have represented.
and even than many who are better informed have
believed.