The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1891-02-25
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 25, 1891.

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 25, 1891.
LOOKING FOR EMPLOYMENT.
There are in the United States, in
this year 1891, FIVE hundred thous-
and seekers for work. half mil
lion people, of both sexes and all
ages, looking for employment in
gainful occupations-and only 46O-
900 places to be filled. This is the
computation Of Hon. Carroll D.
Wright, United States Commission
er Of Labor, and formerly for many
years superintendent Of labor Stats
tics for the State Of Massachusetts,,
IN authority than whom there is
none higher in this branch Of inves-
tigation. The figures are based
upon actual returns, from the census
and other sources, Of the total num-
Der of persons employed at different
periods, and the increase Of the pop
ulation, showing an average percent
sge added yearly to the number Of
persons engaged in oil occupations.
That is, to keep up the integrity Of
the work of the country-to keep it
up to its full average standard Of
progression, and ELL up the places
naturally made vacant-46o, 600 new
places will have to be filed, while
the increase Of the population shows
that there will, in natural order, be
100000 applicants for these places,
without counting, in either case,
-athe great army of unemployed
which through all ages has hung
upon the outskirts Of civilization.
These figures are arrived at, not only
by the ordinary process Of division
over decade Of years, but by sep
arate calculations based on the death
rate and other elements.
What, then, is the duty ofthe boy
or young man, impelled by praise
worthy ambition, or forced by ne
eessity, to seek occupation whereby
he may rise in the world, or At least
make sure of q comfortable mainte-
nance? 1t il evident from the bare
statements Of the case that the prob.
lem will be, as it ever has been,
most serious one for . large proper
ton Of the seekers for work. But
there are other elements. to be taken
into the calculation. The figures
1iven include women and children
engaged - we'll - men. and, accord
ing to the census Of 1880, the em-
plsyed in all occupations wero IS
per cent male aud Is per cent f.
male. In the different kinds Of
work, agriculture employed A.lO
per cent. Of the laborers, profession
al and personal service required
23.43 per cent. trade and Transports
ton 10.41 per cent. and msnufsc-
turing, mining and mechanical in
dustries 22.06 per cent It will DO
seen, therefore, that there is not
emily great diversity Of employ
ments offered to the upcoming seek
>ers for works wide range Of in
-dustries, to which new additions are
being daily made-but that the COM
putaticn includes all probable can
didates for work from the young Of
both sexes.
an competition that is 90 gener-
al, among competitors urged by mo-
lives Of every degree Of forcefulness,
it can hardly he said that there is
any memorable law which DEGREES
that only the most fit shall survive.
1t may well be, nevertheless, tina,
the manner of survival, the degree
of success obtained by each, will, as
a rule, be determined according as
the competitors are most fit for the
places they are moving forward to
fill. The world is full ofpeople no,
lacking in a certain degree ofwilling.
ness to work, or in general intelli.
gence and ability, but who yet ap.
pear to find the greatest difficulty in
obtaining permanent employment
The trouble with most of them is
that they have no special fitness fol
any particular kind Of work, and
) this is what employers Of labor are
. everywhere seeking, with a decree
y,af ynsrticutaritv navor hofnra ri