The Industrial Situation; Its Effect Upon the Home, the School, the Wage Earner and the Employer (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1914. Excerpt: ... vn EMPLOYMENT NUMBER of Persons Engaged in Different Occupations.--In 1900, 29,074,117 persons were reported as gainfully employed in the United States. These were in five large classes: --10,381,765 in agricultural pursuits, 1,258,739 in professional service, 5,580,657 in domestic and personal service, 4,766,964 in trade and transportation, 7,085,992 in manufacturing and mechanical pursuits. In 1910, 7,678,578 persons were reported as engaged in manufacture, of whom 6,615,046 were wage earners. The remainder were proprietors and salaried employees. Housewives are not considered by our Census statisticians as gainfully employed. The absolute and relative number of workers engaged in routine work and in highly subdivided forms of labor is increasing. These kinds of work are usually called unskilled; but we are beginning to realize that the term unskilled labor is a misnomer. There are, however, many unskilled or inefficient laborers in all trades or occupations. The term, unskilled, ought to be applied to the workers rather than to the occupation. A large fraction of the routine and monotonous work, not requiring considerable physical strength, is being turned over to women wage earners. 2. Overwork.--In the preceding chapter, it was shown that from the standpoint of profits, the short--eight-or nine-hour--day was more desirable than the ten-or twelve-hour day. Prom another, and a broader, view-point the short working day is desirable. Long hours and intensity of exertion wear out the worker at a time when he ought to be in his prime. "Old at forty" is too often at present the result of modern factory life. To reduce the intensity of exertion during working hours would undoubtedly involve grave difficulties. The most feasible method of conserving human ener...