Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 3.djvu/97

 ECCENTRIC OFFICIAL STATISTICS

and eleventh censuses indicates an increase of 69.31 per cent, in production and 120.78 per cent, in the amount of capital invested. The worthlessness of census statistics of capital, and the manner in which a large part of the apparent total increase of product as well as capital is obtained, is shown in the following table compiled from the tables of the eleventh census. Accepting these figures we must conclude that in these five trades there were almost four times as many employes and four times as large a product in 1890 as in 1880, and that five and a half times as much capital was invested, though there had been an increase in the numbers of those reporting themselves as engaged in these occupations (as shown by the tables of occupation) of but 68 per cent.

Year

Average number of employes

Capital

Value of product

Carpentry.

1880

54,138

D 519,541,358

594,152,139

Masonry, brick and stone

I8 9 1880

140,021 16,020

81,542,845 3,990,706

281,195,162 29,586,553

Painting and paper hanging. . . Plumbing and gas fitting

I8 9 1880 I8 9 1880

119,029 17,711 56,281 2,165

54,969,408 5,645,950 23,135,781 5,950,512

204,165,642 22,457,560 72,067,998 18,133,250

1890

' 1880*

5,327

29,235,247

80,905,925

Plastering and stucco work

,1890

10,624

3,309,297

13,460,824

Total

1880

90,034

535,128,520


 * I64,329,502

Increase per cent ...

1890

331,282 267

192,192,578

44 c

651,795,551 2Q6

To one acquainted with the manner of letting building con- tracts and conducting the business of these trades the amount of capital reported seems greatly out of proportion to the prod- uct and the number of employe's and amount of wages. One of Chicago's most experienced architects, to whom the table was submitted, declared it absurd, and expressed the opinion that Chicago contractors have not capital invested in their business to the extent of 10 per cent, of the value of the work executed.

'Tabulated in 1880 under head of Masonry, brick and stone.