The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-09-03
Fire Buster Than
Rny Other Nation
From the Providence Journal.


The census report, just issued, on the
number of persons at work in the United
States in 1890 comes rather late; but, as
a matter OF record and comparison, II
not of contemporary Importance, 1t is of
interest, confirming as II does some COM
mon impressions regarding the industri-
al conditions of the country and bring
ing out some facts that are not, per-
haps, generally known. 1t shows, for ex-
| ample, that there is truth in the asser-
| tion that Americans are pre- -eminently
nation of workers and that the proper
| tion of idlers is smaller here than in any
| other part of the civilized world. The
| proportion of workers to population has,
| indeed, been steadily increasing of late
years. In 1870, according to the census
| figures, 3243 per cent. Of the American
people were engaged In gainful occupa-
| tions; in 1890 the proportion was 36.31.
Put in another FORM that means that at
| the former date 32i persons out Of a
| thousand were working for pay and that
| at the latter date the number was 1863
| out of a thousand, an increase Of 80 per
| thousand.
| Exact figures from other countries on
| this subject are not at hand, but 1t Is
| safe to say that any comparison along
| that line would be favorable to us. Ger
| tainly, not only in the aggregate but in
I
| more people working in the United
| States now than ever before in our his
| tory. The somewhat common belief that
| the number of idlers and tramps is in
| creasing among us is not borne out by
| the ascertained facts. The increase In
| the proportion of workers is in large
part due to the fact that a great many
women who had previously done no gain
| full work have of late crowded into the
| trades and professions, either because
| they desire greater independence or be-
| cause the necessities of their families re-
quire that all the members of them shall
| labor to support them. The struggle for
| existence has become greater and more
| intense; and the revealed willingness of
| the American people to respond to the
| greater demands made upon them is one
| reason for that immense and rapidly in
| creasng wealth of the country which
astonishes the European statisticians.
The women workers have, of course,
| increased more rapidly, relatively, than
| the male. In 1870 of the women over ten
| years of age 14.14 per cent. were at work;
| in 1890 the proportion was 1857 per cent.
During the same period the number of
| all persons, both male and female, over
| ten years of age who were employed in
| creased from 443 per cent. to ABS per
| cent. That is the gain of women work.
| ers per thousand was 49, while the gain
| of all workers, of the classes considered,
| was 36 per thousand. Notwithstanding
| this increase of women workers. however,
there was still in 1890 only one woman
| working to five men, so that what we
| are pleased to call the weaker sex is
still very far from full equality in the
field of labor.
Turning to the classification Of work.
ers by industries, we find interesting evil
| dences of the economic changes that
have been going on in the country. In
the earlier days the proportion of Ameri-
| can workers who were engaged in agri-
| culture was far greater than the proper
| ton engaged in any other industry; II
| still remains greater but the difference
Is less. Thus in 1920, out of a total OF
2,492. $40 workers in the whole country,
the number engaged in agriculture was
2,07O,6 or IS per cent. Then we were,
| obviously, very nearly a pNrely agricul-
tural people. By 1910 our Industries had
become somewhat diversified, and though
| the total number of agricultural work
ers had increased to 3,719957 their pro-
portion to the total number of workers
of the country had fallen to rs per cent
In 1870 the proportion was 49 per cent
In 1880 1t was 46 per cent. and in 1890 II
was SO per cent.
Perhaps not everybody fully realizes
that, Notwithstanding the extraordinary
development during recent years in man.
ufactures, trade and transportation, more
people still get their living directly from
the soil of the United States than from
any other source. AS things are now
going. however, that will hardly be true
1t would SEEM when the next census is
taken in 1900 In the twenty years prior
to 1890 the number of agricultural work.
ers increased only AZ per cent, while ir
the ten years between 1880 and 1890 the
number of persons engaged In manu-.
factures increased 1l2 per cent. In the
same decade the number in the profes
sions multiplied three fold which Is ex
planation enough of why these lines OF
employment are overcrowded. On the
other hand, the number engaged in per.
sonal and domestic service has barelH
kept pace with the growth of population
An explanation of the so-called "servant
problem and suggestion of some o.
the most serious of our social and econ
omic questions is in that fact.