Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1893-12-28

DiscOUraRing outlook
It was generally hoped that a marked i'm
provemcnt in the business and industrial
situation would begin after the special SEES
sion of Congress had completed its work,
although that hope in many cases was not
unmiglcd with fear that uncertainty regard
ing the tariff might delay the era of return
ing prosperity. In this instance fear proved to
be better founded than hope, and the people
of this country have waited in vain
for indications of a permanent i'm
piovcmeut in the condition of manufacturing
and trade On the contrary the situation
seems to have become more discouragng
with the development of uncertainty into
certainty that the party in power would
carry out its tarfI-smashing programme;
and, since Judging from precedent it will he
well along in the coming season when the
tariff is finally disposed of, il will be some
time before there can be any material on
permanent Improvement in the situation.
The outlool; could not well be moro dis
couraging for the business and manufacture
ing interests of the country than it is at
present Factories and mills are starting up
here and there in isolated eases in various
parts Of the country. but in most cases bust
less is being done with II largely reduced
force on abbreviated time. and in some
places even in favored Vermont production
has been reduced from onc-haf TO two
thirds
When compared with the unparalleled
prosperity which was being enjoyed through
oUt the country last year the present situa-
ton is painful to contemplate. The record
of closing factories, reduced pay rolls, and
increased demands on organized charities in
| tine industrial world has its complement in
business circles in the reports of increased
| failures. decreased railroad earnings, dunn-
| shed bank clearings and small transactions
i'll trade and speculation. The business de
preston has struck the industries Of the
country now with full force and is deprving
hundreds of thousands Of wage-earncrs Of
the means of livelihood.
One of the saddest features of the indus
trial depression is the immense amount o.
deprivation, hunger and Other forms OF suf-
fcring which must inevitably follow upon
! the enforced illenoss of the vast army %!
laborcrs now out Of employment III Tho
United States. President Gomprls of the
American Federation of Labor has estimated
that there are 5000. 600 wagc-carncrs idlC
in this country, not including those belong
ing to the trades unions. This is undoubt
edly an exaggerated estimate. but dividing
these figures by three would make the mum
Der of laborers in the Untcd States ont o
| employment in the vicinity of a million
The indications are that this number is a.
nearly correct as can he reached approx
matolv. Bradstrcct'S estimates that thcr,
are over 800, COO unemployed wage -calmcr
in the United States at this time baSing it,
estimates OH the reports Of correspondents in
over hundred cities. and the chances ar,
that there are quarter of that number il
smaller places unaccountcd for i'll tn
reports When it is remembered that a
large proportion of these are of the hand to
mouth class. and that there are about
2.OOO 600 persons dependent upon them. tho
reader can form some idea of the eXtrcm,
suffering in store for the poor of this coun
try during the winter which has begun Sc
severely and SO iuauspiciously for the pow
crty stricken ones.