Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 3.djvu/372

 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY

The writer regrets that his discussion of this question so largely involves a discussion of Colonel Wright's statements and conclusions as to be perhaps mistaken for a personal attack upon that gentleman. As Colonel Wright's interpretations of statistics as presented in magazine articles and quoted by the press are generally accepted by our busy people who lack both time and opportunity for personal investigation, and as from them public opinion is formed, it is important that Colonel Wright's errors should be pointed out. Acknowledging the ability of Colonel Wright as an investigator and the efficiency of the department of which he is the chief, we should expect the recent investigation of the Department of Labor regarding the employ- ment of women and children to show conclusively the tendency of the times as to such employment. It is therefore most sur- prising to discover that in his report, Colonel Wright discredits the results of this investigation by quoting census statistics to prove the contrary of what this investigation shows, a largely increased employment of children as well as women.

Another strange circumstance relating to this investigation is that when Colonel Wright's report was submitted to Congress last February, the press throughout the country announced that this investigation showed a decreased employment of children.

The figures given, it is true, when analyzed showed the con- trary, but the newspaper correspondents instead of making the analysis seem to have accepted the statement from some source that they considered reliable that a decrease in the proportion of children employed had been discovered. While the Depart- ment of Labor may not be responsible for the error of the agents of the press, it is very certain that it has taken no pains to correct the false impression thus conveyed to the public.

According to Colonel Wright's report of this investigation made in pursuance of a joint resolution of the LIII Congress, complete information was obtained for 931 establishments in two periods designated as the former and the present periods. By the present period is meant some week in the years 1895 and 1896 in which the canvass was made, and by the former period is