Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1898-08-05
The Unemployed.

| III his annual report General agent
Peterson Of the Industrial Aid society
OF Boston, Mass, said:
Since 1893, or the date Of the de-
preston in business, the ranks of the
unemployed are kept full, and appar-
emily little progress is made in dimin-
ishing their numbers. In former years
1t was customary for manufacturers to
retain during the entire year a very
large proportion of their help, but late
ly 1t is becoming more and more the
custom to employ large force for GER
tain months in the year and then en-
tirely close their factories, throwing out
OF employment for two or three months
large proportion of their operatives.
Mr.. Peterson here notes situation
that is perplexing many. To produce
at lowest possible cost, 1t Is essential
that establishments be as large as pos
sible, and that when In operation they
be pressed to the utmost. 1t is more
economical to run hard six months and
shut down the rest Of the year, than 1t
Is to run slack twelve months. The
employer cannot help 1t, for to gain
or retain market his prices, quality
Of ware considered, must be "as low as
the lowest" How to remedy the dis
comfort and distress that this method
causes, is one of the questions not yet
answered. One suggestion is that en-
ployers come back to the old system OF
continuous operation. This is hardly
possible, because the employer Is COM
peting with the world, and must accept
the conditions that competition thrusts
upon him. Another suggestion is that
the man or woman who works should
not, as was safe years ago, rely simply
upon one occupation as the means or
deriving support for self and usually
family. There can be no getting away
from the fact that there is abundant
work to be done in the world to keep
all hands busy all the time, and that
the work accomplished should and
would assure those who performed 1t
competence. But old avenues OF en-
ployment are contracting and closing.
The machine takes care Of that. New
avenues are being opened, but not as
fast as would be desirable. Men are
awakening to the knowledge that they
must learn to do new things, and must
bring greater skill and higher intellf-
gence to the task. But they might pos
sibly awaken a bit more readily, and
in greater number than they do. The
man who insists that his trade or occu-
patton must yield him livelihood, and
who declines to entertain the idea OF
ever working at anything else, Is num-
erous. And his lot will grow harder
from year to year unless he awakens.
To assert that the advances made in
industrial fields will not ultimately ac-
crue to the benefit of all, is to assert
something that goes against all expe-
rience. To hope that these advances
may be checked to avoid the present
distress they at times inflict, is vain.
The thing to do is to accommodate
oneself as quickly as possible to the
new order. Even then many will be
temporary sufferers. Without such ac-
commodation, many more will be per-
manent sufferers. Meantime, 1t Is to
be noted that the man who can tell
lust how to at once do all this has not
vet appeared. Judging from the past,
he is not likely to appear. Industrial
matters, like other human affairs, work
out. The end may be measurably hast
ened or retarded, but 1t cannot be pre-
cipitated or avoided. This is above all
else a time where he who works-or
wants to work-must think hard and
regularly, and get all the useful knowl-
edge and skill he can.