The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-06-12
LABOR IN THIS STATE.
BULLETIN FOR THE QUARTER END
ING MARCH 81 LAST.

| $4,000 of the 1890 Trade Cnionists Re-
| ported Were Unemployed, or 4,557 More
| Than Last Year. Due to tho UnsRtisfac c.
| tory Condition OF the Building Trades.
ALBANY June 1.-THE quarterly bulletin on
| the condition OF labor in this State during the
| quarter ended last March 81 has been issued
| by Com m issioner John McMackin OF the State
| Bureau OF Labor Statistics. The bulletin snys
that early In May the bureau made inquiries Of
leading manufacturers OF the State concerning
the condition OF business. Their answers are
summarized In about twenty-five reports. Five
reported an advance Of wages since the st OF
January fourteen others reported an increase
o! working force while only three reported a
declining or stationary business. The indus
tries most favoraby situated were the iron and
steel industries including foundrics and ayr
cultural implement and stove fnctoriesl. cotton
goods. clothing Including boots and shoes. col
lars and cuffs. and straw hats, canned goods.
cigars and lumber
The complete returns collected from the
trade unions OF the State enable the bureau to
make comparisons concerning tho state OF en-
ployment in the first thrce months OF 1890 and
the corresponding period In 1873: This year
1855 unions report 1880 members. Of
whom 1921 are women. The mum Ne Of unem-
ployod on March II last was 81 .0l3 or 1924
less than on March 81, 1888. while the number
Of unemployed during the entire quarter this
year was 22,65H. or 1887 more than during
the corresponding quarter last year, Com
mcnting upon this table the Commissioner
says:
THE striking facts OF this table are the large
numbers OF the unemployed IN each OF the
periods covered. Tho economic situation OF
trade uninnists is popularity supposed to DO
moro secure than that Of the average working
man. and yet "a 600 out OF ~. 900 trade union
lists were reported in idleness on March 81,
1897. while $4,000 had been unemployed for
the entire three months between Jan. and
March n. 1897, being almost exactly ono
fourth OF tho total mem bership. These large
percentages OF idleness pertain to the winter
season. and do not hold good for tho whole
year.
Since 1907 the conditions OF employment
have improved The percentage OF tho total
membership idle on the last day OF the FIRST
quarter of 1897 was BOG; 1909, 21.0 1890. 1874
while tho conditions OF 1919 showed an
improvement over those Of 1907. tho improve
ment since 1898 has not been so noticeable.
In fact, the percentage Of those Idle for the
whole three months period In the present
year exceeded that Of 1909. The explanation
Of this apparent decline Of employment will be
found by studying the percentages for each
trade. An analysis OF the situation shows that
VIC DullulHk tEuuce WtTc Ill u less ballbINgtOTy
condition in 1900 than In the preceding year.
while the remaining trades. in the agg regate.
showed improvement. 1t thus clearly appears
that It was the unfavorable situation OF the
building trades in the frat quarter in 1900
which so unfavorably affected the general
totals
ii ia further shown that the condition of en-
p'ovment has improved in oil tho leading
trades represented in organized labor. with the
exception Of the tobacco trade Tho change
In the conditions OF employment In the tobacco
trade affects tho women workers with especial
SEVERITY Women IN tho rothinG trnIcs were
In March. 1879. while those In printing and
book binding were in about 4, he same condition.
cially notlcrahi" In the clothing and iron and
stS"i indmsiriSs and the nSrccHitage Of dGnsss
g out 'SE 4SSST was almost reduced I" "a"EA'
quartet G endns TpE SnHs asTHT ass
than one-haf tho trade union members who
V wsrc rcrGrted worked full tine Asmal ner.
and over. The, aggregate number OF days
worked during the quarter wns n.47l.0l The
psh tho same work under the, conditions OF
continuous employment throughout tho, quar-
i2+.Gin As a matter oi isct. this pum6er was
only l34 per cent. 81 the entire number
] Gdy. S Es T@G H Hd
41,N'2 who were internationally employed:
changes Of residence and occupation. in,em.
pernnre, &c., may account for part OF the waste
involved In the holding Of l7OOUO persons for
the work that could he properly performed by
l25,OOO persons. the largest part OF tho waste
Is due to causes beyond the reach OF the work
men. such enforced or Involuntary idleness is |
especially characteristic az great cities
The up-StatJ" employees are in better
situation than those OF the metropolis so far as
tho amount Of employment ia concerned. While
l4.b per cent. Of the working People IN New
York city were idle throughout the quarter
ending March ~. lSb. tho percentage else
whore in the State was only lO.l. In New York
city only I7.G per cent. Of the unOnists worked
full time H. e.. seventy days or over but in the
other towns G2S per cent were steadily em-
pnyed throughout the quarter. The same
relation holds good OF both the sexes, and ii
In worth noting that the 1900 women
tionally well situated TAD per cent. OF them
being occupied on virtually every working day
In tho quarter. while only IS per cent were
Idle Tho largest absolute amount NJ idleness
Is found among the builders. stone workers
and lonEshorsmon buffalo,. which 10 mainly
accounted for by the season
comparison OF the earnings of men and
women shows that 0b, 2 per cent. OF the women
earned between 800 and Sl25 during the quar-
ter, while ~ X per cent earned between SIS aud
500: the number that earned over $3.50 in the
cant On the other hand more than one. half
the men 90, z per CENT earned over $50 each
As between New YORK city and the remainder
OF the State the earnings are higher In the
metropolis. although. as before noted, employ
mont 10 less continuous. But even after al
lowance has been made for the greater amount
OF idleness among the city workers. as is done