New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-11-06
TIE GIN OF TIE WORKERS.

The report OF the State Labor Bureau bears
strong testimony as 20 the improvement In ON.
ploymcnt Of skilled labor during the last six
months. The Bureau now receives direct 70.
ports from every trades union IN the State. IL Il
| said 900 IN number. and embracing a
membership Of 1850 workers. or these lcSs
than half have yet reported for September 80.
but they embrace 90. 100 members. against S0.Sll
June 30 and of these 77.Gi6 are az work or
Sc per cent. against G63iG, or 50 per cent, June
80. II Is 10 be presumed that the Increase In
employment was fully as great in the other
unions not yet reporting, 50 that Of the estimate
ed membership September 30 amounting to
lGGsG1, not quite onc-scvcnth was ont of work.
But this noteworthy gain followed much great
or Improvement from March 81 to June 80, when
the proportion at work increased from 60 to So
per cent for the whole number Of 92c unions
with 1850 members ut that date
1t IS necessary to interpret these figures In
the light Of the fact that Tie organized unions
do not embrace anything like the whole num-
Der Of wagecarncrs. OF whom there were in the
State, acrogllng 10 the census OF 1890 no less
than S2s,2lG engaged in mechanical and manu-.
featuring occupations, Of whom ga f26 were
male and J27 .5Gl in trade ana transportation.
OF NUDlll INI.iJl WiTt IllIlp, DPSIlpS JJf1II IN
personal service, of whom 327. 552 were male
While great many employers and persons not
properly wagc-carners are included in the cen
sus statement. the number Of these Is relatively
insignificant. The trades unions include n con-
siderable membership In each Of the great d.
visions. and also some among those employed
in professional service. such az musicians but
much the greater part OF their membership Is
employed in mechanical and manufacturing oc-
equations. At the utmost. the unions probably
embrace not I per cent Of the whole number
OF wage earners and not more than fifth OF
the number IN mechanical and manufacturing
occupations, and, in fact, the proportion IL prob
ably smaller.
Hence II becomes m interesting question how
far The gain in employment of organized work
ers affords 4 measure OF the gain IN employmcnt
OF the much greater number not organized In
general the unorganzed in times Of great de-
preston recovery from such depression when
wages are relatively low and below the rates
established by the union, IRE apt to secure at
least as large proportion OF increase as those
organized. because each worker Is free TO make
what terms he can and to accept employment
without regard 10 the fixed rates asked by or
CARNATIONS. In such time II seems reasonable
10 infer that the gain in employment Of the unOr-
ganized would b. greater rather than less than
the gain in the employment Of tradesunon
members. If so, 1t may be estimated that Of the
wape-carncrs not in agricultural pursuits, num-
bering. according to the census, not far from
100000 in this State, fully II per cent more
were employed June 80 than March 81, and at
least per cent more September 80 than June
50. This would make the Increase during the
earlier three months at least $4,000, and dur
ing the last two months at least 10000 or more
than $4,000 in ALI
But there are nbundgne reasons for believing
that the actual increase in all cmplOyments dur
ing the second quarter under consideration has
been greater than these figures indicate. Other
Information In great volume shows tina, work
has been resumed in vast number of estab-
llshmcnts Of which the workers are not or
gained and that many more concerns have
increased the hands employed, 50 that the
number of unskilled or but partially skilled
workers who have found employment has in
creased much more during that period than the
number Of sklled workers. who are more