, 1892-02-27
WRIGHT'S ERRORS.
THE LABOR COMMISSIONERS MIS-
STATEMENTS BECOMING FREQUENT.

The head of the nations department of
labor has taken to writing a great deal
for the newspapers and magazines lately,
and he has also shown a fondness for
facing, as a lecturer upon economics, as
semblages of people. / have before sug-
gested that Mr.. Wright could render the
country greater service by sticking to
his regular work in the department, at
least until he becomes sufficiently ia
miliar with the condition of labor and
the laboring people to avoid the blunders
that he is constantly making in his
lectures and letters.
have before me now a copy of a SYM
dictate letter from Mr.. Wright's pen
which appeared recently in several lead
ing newspapers, and the February num-
Der of The Popular Science Monthly con-
tanning an article on urban Popula-
ton" by the same gentleman. l want
to call attention to one paragraph in
each article, and in doing 30 hope l will
not be misunderstood. Mr.. Wright says
many good things in his letters, but some
of his mistakes are inexcusable. l have
no quarrel with the department of which
the gentleman is the head, but claim the
right to criticise misstatements made
over a signature which has been made
valuable in the literary market through
its connection with that department.
The first two sentences in the closing
paragraph of the newspaper article, re-
ferred to are as follows: 81 believe the
era of strikes in this country for the pres
ent practically over. They have been
expensive educators, exacting large tut
ton bills, but they have taught labor and
capital each to respect the rights of the
other"
Does the reader ask, What is the
matter with that statement? The mat
ter is that it is not true. On the day
that Mr.. Wright penned the words
quoted, or two weeks either way from
it, there were more than 100 strikes on
in the United States. 1t is true many of
them were small affairs, SO far as the
number involved was concerned, but
the principle was the same as if ten
times as many persons had been inter
ested. And how about the coal miners
of Indiana, the telegraphers of the south
and southwest, the Fall River opera
tives, the indianapolis street car men,
all Of whom were engaged in strikes
which Mr.. Wright's agents and clerks
wiz SiaooiJ 40 lhipOlIdlbE
Do you ask, What does it matter if Mr..
Wright is in error? 1t matters much.
Leaving out the point that a depart
ment whose head is so poorly informed
on a question directly related to it must
fail in obtaining confidence and support,
the working people have just cause tc
complain of any statement which tends
to create the impression that the labor
question is almost solved. While the
intelligent workingman understands
that the emancipation of labor must be
accomplished through its w efforts,
he fully realizes the assistance that may
be and is rendered by the sympathy
and cooperation of that large class
which is not understood by the word
workingman, as we use it, and it is an
important part of the work of labor or
CARNATIONS to keep that sympathy alive.
Nothing tends more to do this than the
knowledge that conditions compel work.
ingmen to quit work and lay down their
breadwinning tools.
When Mr.. Wright, who should know
what he is talking about, says "the era
of strikes is practically over" the unin-
formed or only partially informed reader
naturally concludes that labor is ''prac-
tically" contented, and that the lion and
the lamb have kissed and made it all up.
The truth is that, with some few excep-
tons, where trades have obtained reduc-
ions in hours of labor, the conditions in
the field of labor are as deplorable as
they were ten years ago, and in some
even worse. The EZRA of strikes is not
over and it does no show signs of soon
ending, and the conditions which make
strikes are little improved.
That portion of Mr.. Wright's article
in The Popular Science Monthly to which
exception is taken is as follows:
In New York tho increase in the congested
wards (and | have taken for this purpose all
the wards south OF Fourteenth street, was in
the twenty years from 1870 to 1890 but 81 ,l7S, or
9.3S per cent; while the increase for the whole
city for the twenty years was 613,OO9, or 60.Sl
per cent. The remaining wards, or those north
OF Fourteenth street, were the territory where
nearly all this last named gain took place. 1t
was 52l ,s3l, or a gain from 1870 to 1890 OF 1871. SO
per cent. Certainly during the twenty years
there has been no perceptible Increase of popu-
lation in the congested territory described.
One who is not acquainted with New
York or one who does not think would
probably conclude that the foregoing is
an answer to the agitation against the
crowding of human beings in the tene-
ment districts of the lower part of the
city. There are people who thought the
district south of Fourteenth street was
overcrowded in 1870, and according to
Mr.. Wright more than sc, 900 residents
have been added since then. The addi-
ton is enough to make a good sized city.
But there is another very important
point which must not be overlooked.
Since 1870 enough space to shelter 90, 900
more-as they are sheltered in New York
slums-has been taken from what was
then used for residence and converted
into business and manufacturing estab-
lishments, thus diminishing to that
extent the facilities of the district for
sheltering those who dwell in it. Again
the census from which Mr.. Wright takes
his figures is very deficient in its count
of the thousands upon thousands of
foreigners who nave taken residence in
the slunis since 1870.
The upper part of the city, where MIR.
Wright shows the great increase in the
city's population has been. was largely
opan pround in 1870 and thera ia yet