AMERICA'S UNEMPLOYED.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 151, 17 June 1908, Page 2

AMERICA'S UNEMPLOYED.

According to statements published Sin 2\ew Vork, on 7th April, more tii.ui •1 J.">n.«lllt) mechanics and Laborers were then unemployed in the I nited States It Iln'>e iigiiros are accurate, thev show that the conM'i|iien<:cs of the financial panic ami business depression al'e more x-rioits and widespread than U generally believed. These figures have not been contradicted in tho |.ublic press, in which tlwy aj»]>cavvi|. teat {writes the New Y->rk c.'».'ie.->|inndenl of the Umdon Daily Telc-raphl 1 fed justified, alter careful iinjuiry, in saying thai they are <iucstionable. They wei'e based on a very imperfect canvass, and emanated, it now appears, from labor leaders mure c:»;u.(-rued in the promotion of soc alistatM(|iti;i (];.!!• in liie di>>emimt I ion ofamirale industrial information. Jh ' ma''liitiery for gathering information regarding (tie unemployed in America is wholly inadequate, and lags a long wa\

behind the Kugli-jh system. Sucli figures are availatiV are in many case- open to (iucs!!• >n and to varying interpretations. It is only possible at best to nialcc inijiiiiy in the big industrial centres, and to arrive at reasonable t.'lals by deduction. While, therefore, il is impossible to say officially what is I lie total number of unemployed-- it varies greatly, indeed, from week to week -a moderate estimate for March, accordi'ig lii jrood authorities outside the political and socialistic bodies, is I :i,(lllll,nno. a figure which includes men and women of all classes. One factor ! worth recalling is that between October. | IIIIIT. and- Mnreh last nim'e than (1011,000 ' persons have left for Kurope. such an exodus being unparalleled, ill tile State of New York the amount of unemployment is admittedly greater than it is 'in other States. in December, liltlll. j according to the reports of the Department of tabor, in the Stale of Now York 12.S per cent, of union labor was unemployed. Lan in December. 1!)07. the percentage was .'it.2. Mr. Herman I'obinson. general organiser of the American Federation of tabor, which has good machinery for collecting statistics, says that ltf.2 is too low. and declares than in New York City on Ist April at least 40 pel- ''cut. of the members of the labor unions were unemployed. The las! report of the State Department of Labor gives the membership of the labor unions in New York City in September. I!1(I7. as 281U711. and the present membership about tilin.linn. According to .Mr. liobinson. then, about 120.000 union men are now out of work in New York City alone. Without accepting the statistics of the socialistic organisations, therefore, it may be safely said that the state of the labor market in America just now is exceptionally bad. and that the noo.oito v. ho have migrated since November ueii' well advised. Tt should also lie remembered that until thcPresidential election is over no great permanent improvement is anticipated.