Evening star., 1933-03-26
Shifting American Occupations
BY FREDERIC ]. HASKIN.

smaller, as there was a temporary
movement back to the farms IN 1880
As this 20-year period Is that in
which greatest strides were made by
the machine age, 1t Is not surprising
to md, In adaptable America, q move
ment into manufacturing. In 1910
there were employed In the manufae-
turing industries 1o,656,545 persons. b
1920 this figure had increased to 49,
83l, ,s7o and by 1880 to Il,ll0,eS2. II
will be noted that while the farms lo4
1,916.0 In this 20-year period, manu-
featuring gained 3,454 900. This means,
not that other branches Of work were
drawn from, but that the normal IN
crement Of population followed not In
the footsteps Of farming fathers but
followed the running belts Of the ma
chine age.
Employment Of Women Increases.
Every other line OF endeavor gained
at the expense Of rural life. In 1910
transportation and communication
utilized the services Of 1865 5,269 per-
sons. In 1920 there were 3,0s6, 6,a29 so
employed and In 1880 3,843,147. The
latter part Of this period was not one
OF railroad expansion but rather Of
contraction. The added Thousands in
the transportation end becs ne oper-
ators Of busses, airplanes a. .-::otor
trucks, but the field, as whole, showed
large net gain.
Trade Is, perhaps, the oldest calling
save agriculture, warfare and religion.
In the older countries d shop Is handed
down from father to son and there Is
comparatively little change IN total
numbers engaged. In America In 1910
there were $3.50 ,265. In 1920 this figure
had risen to 4,257 ,684 and IN 1890 to
6,c6l .467. Here was gain Of 2,44S, 900
for the period-a greater number than
the same period. The biggest gain, pro-
portionately, was made by women. Half
a century ago one could occasionally
hnd, in Q small town, little notion
store run by struggling widow and
there were woman clerks In larger
establishments. But. as q concomitant
OF the machine age came q remarkable
expansion Of trade conducted by women.
The tea room, the gift shop, the beauty
parlor, all blossomed forth under the
guidance Of women. In 1910 there
were but 472.702 women engaged In
trade. In 1890 there were s62. $50.
Here was an increase Of some 490. 900
more than 100 per cent tn brief 20
years.
The growth Of governmental debt,
OF the expense OF government. can be
understood better by . realization Of
the increase in numbers which have
gone into that field. In 1910 there
were 43l ,442 persons engaged In public
service, In 1880 this figure had risen
to 856,205. Here was an increase Of
Just under 100 per cent in 20 years.
The advance Of women In public life Is
Interestingly reflected by the figures.
In 1910 only 1856 women were In pub
hc service. In 1920 there were lo,586
women so employed. This increase Of
more than 100 per cent can not be ac-
counted for by the advent Of woman
suffrage, for the suffrage amendment
was not ratified until after the 1870
census had been taken. In 1890 there
were 1883 women holding public Jobs.
While the total number Of public work
ers had increased less than 100 per
cent in the period. the number Of
women increased more than 800 per
cent.
There has been q remarkable move
ment into the professions. In 1910
there were 1.7l1.275 persons in the
professions. In 1890 this had increased
to 3.253,884.
While the more ancient lands move
along in much the same way as they
did generations ago, in America one
may say upon beholding q doctor, law
yer, mechanical foreman, locomotive
engineer, foorwalker or ofice holder:
There. but for the machine age, might
walk q farmer"