Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 4.djvu/103

 ECCENTRIC OFFICIAL STATISTICS S?

that a lot of political heelers who considered their jobs rewards for other services would in many instances do otherwise than fill out their schedules with very little regard to facts. The writer cannot, of course, say that these instances are fair illustrations of the manner in which appointments were made and the work done at the last census, but an examination of the returns made by this class of officials, and a comparison with the work of special agents, indicate that these cases are not exceptional. Taking, for example, the returns of occupation from which Colonel Wright has sought to demonstrate that there was during the census year practically no unemployment, we find them simply absurd. For instance, of 12,369 paper hangers we find it reported that but 3,452 were unemployed for a month or more at their principal occupation. Nearly everyone knows that paper hanging is done almost exclusively at house-cleaning time, and it is impossible that this class of workmen could have averaged more than six months' employment."

It may be said for the enumerators that as the schedules called for information which it would be utterly impossible for them to obtain with 'The following is a statement of the percentage of the total sales for the last year in each month furnished by the business manager of the wall paper firm of Alfred Peats & Co., 143 and 145 Wabash avenue. This firm is undoubtedly the most exten- sive retail dealer in this line of goods in the West, and claims to have larger sales than any other retail firm in the United States. As wall paper is retailed for immediate use, these figures may be taken as a fair indication of the proportion of work done by paper hangers in each month of the year:

Per cent.

January, 2. So

February, -..-...- 4.94

March, ---.--... 14.76

April, 22.87

May, 20.55

June, 9.67

July. 4-73

August, - 3.61

September, --.-..-. 3.86

October, 5.39

November, .... 4.05

December, --..... 2.27

Taking April and May as months in which paper hangers were fully employed, it

appears that for one-half the year five-sixths of the workers were unemployed at their

principal occupation. The census statistics of unemployment for this class are as

follows :

Total number Total number 1 to 3 4 to 6 7 to 12

employes unemployed months months months

12,369 3,452 1,550 1.525 377