º º i- . . . . ** * {, 4. • *. Py — — *4 ºf 3. * | Reed College Record P o R T L A N D : O R E G O N NUMBER EIGHTEEN : DECEMBER 1914 \ A STUDY OF THE UNEMPLOYD By ARTHUR Evans wood A Study of the Unemployd in Portland, Oregon By ARTHUR Evans Wood Instructor in Social Sciences Reed College PUBLISHT BY REED COLLEGE Social Servis Bulletin No. 3, 1914 ENTERD. As second CLASS MATTER FEBRUARY 21, 1911, AT THE PostorFIS AT PORTLAND, OREGON, UNDER THE ACT OF JULY 16, 1894. PUBLISHT SIX TIMEs A YEAR I N J A N U A R Y, M A R C H, M A Y NUMBER I8 SEPTEMBER, N o V K M BER, DECEMBER DEC., I914 INTRODUCTION By William Trufant Foster President of Reed College In our attempts to solv the labor problems of today our first and fundamental need is accurate knowledge of the facts, and the last source of possible help is opin- ions based on ignorance. Yet a large proportion of those who have anything to say about the unemployd appear to be under one or the other of the following erroneous impressions: roughly speaking, they believe either that all who are out of work are honest, industrious, sober and thrifty persons, maltreated by society, or that all of the unemployd are shiftless, lazy, improvident and un- willing to work. The truth lies evidently at neither of these extremes. And no person is likely to discover the truth who draws his conclusions hastily from the few cases that happen to come under his observation. The personal experience of nearly everybody is exceptional. Consequently we all need large bodies of facts, gatherd in the patient spirit of scientific inquiry by unbiased in- vestigators, and covering a sufficient number of cases. To furnish some of this needed information is the object of this study of the unemployd in Portland, Oregon, dur- ing the winter of 1913-14. We hope that this study, and others now in prepara- tion by the students and faculty of Reed College, will help to show that the problem presented last winter in the City of Portland by the presence of a few thou- sand unemployd men is not mysterious, not an emer- gency, but the inevitable outcome of the seasonal and casual employment, which does not now balance in the Northwest, and of business cycles, all of which could be foretold with accuracy sufficient for the care of the unemployd, if we but gatherd the information which is redily available and prepared in time to meet the pre- dictable outcome of known causes. An illustration of our failure to profit by our experience is found in the fact 3 that altho we have had thousands of unemployd men and women coming, year after year, to our Municipal Free Employment Bureau, we have not even attempted to find out where they came from, why they were out of work, what they could do, or even to what extent they profited by the servises of the Bureau. A private business which met its serious problems as carelessly and innocently as the typical American city would go to the wall. We hope that this study gives further evidence of the truth that the unemployd are made up of various groups, each of which constitutes a separate problem, concerning each of which we must have further knowledge, and that consequently any solution will be but partially successful that lumps all of the unemployd in one class. After reading the proof of these pages, Mr. Levi John- son, speaking from his personal knowledge of thousands of unemployd men, who have sought the Men’s Resort in Portland from year to year, said: “Two things impress me—first, we shall get no help in the solution of the question from the agitator who ignores the rights of the successful or the follies of the helpless, nor from the smug, self-satisfied man who feels that because he has succeeded everybody else may, and, if they do not, it is their own fault; second, any plan that leaves out the per- sonal element, or value of character, as exprest in habits of industry, economy and friendliness is doomd to fail- ure in the effort to solv the problem.” A STUDY OF THE UNEMPLOYD IN PORTLAND, OREGON January-February, 1914 BY ARTHUR EVANs WooD, INSTRUCTOR IN REED COLLEGE During the winter of 1913-1914 Portland, Oregon, like other large cities all over the country, was the center of a large group of unemployd men. Overcrowding the lodging houses, and relief stations, such as the Men's Resort, Salvation Army, Portland Commons, the 1ſhen organized themselvs into an Unemployd League, and petitiond the city to open for their use a large building formerly used for revival meetings, and known as the Gipsy Smith Tabernacle. Permission was granted and the City Council appropriated $500 for the purchase of blankets and a small number of meal tickets. After these tickets were gone, the men were sustaind thru contributions of food and money, solicited by the men, with the help of the Oregon Civic League. While the hall was open, the men themselvs were responsible for the management and disciplin, and it is to be said to their great credit that, under peculiarly trying circumstances, things proceeded with exemplary order, and the general morale of the city was said to be so favorably affected that the crime rate was lower than it had been for years. The Tabernacle was open from January 1st to April 1st, except for a few days when it was closed and fumi- gated on account of a small-pox scare. During this time about 900 men were housed each night, and from 1200 to 1500 men were fed twice a day. Reports were renderd each day to the Secretary of the Oregon Civic League, concerning the number of men who had been housed and fed, and those who were sick; and lists of donations. The following is a specimen report: 5 Report for January 18, 1914 Sick List” Temperature John Brandon . 99.6 John H. Murphy 103.2 Charles O’Leary 98.6 Thomas Clark 103.2 Harry Anderson 100.2 Bed Report Number of men furnisht with beds 394 Number of men furnisht with blankets 150 Number of men who furnisht their own blankets........ 72 Number of men sleeping on floor without blankets.... 330 Total, sleeping in the Tabernacle 946 Number of men for brekfast 1384 Number of men for supper ....1550 The presence of these men out of work and shelterd in the center of the city gave rise to much discussion. Were they genuin workingmen, or tramps and hobos? Could they not find work if they wanted to? Were they improvident with the money they had earnd? Were they “agitators?” Was not the Tabernacle drawing men to Portland who otherwise would not come here? Why were they out of work? These and many other questions were askt by the community. The following study attempts to answer some of these questions not from theory, but by the testimony of the men themselvs. The occasion of the survey was the National Conference on Unemployment that had been cald under the auspices of the American Association for Labor Legislation, to meet in New York City, February 28, 1914. With the help of members of the executiv com- mittee of the Unemployd League, a questionnaire was drawn up for submission to the men. The blank form is printed on the following page. The questionnaires were filled out either by the men themselvs or by men who were selected as clerks. There was no compulsion. The men were told that information was wanted for use at the Conference in New York, the object of which was to *After the Tabernacle had been open for a few days, the City Helth Department sent a physician there each day. 6 obtain legislation in regard to employment agencies and other matters affecting the problem of unemployment. The writer, with Reed College students (Glenn Johnson, J. Marvin Howes and Fred Weber), and with the valuable aid of Mr. John Spicer, mingled with the men as the questionnaires were being filled out, and is satisfied that the 447 men from whom answers were obtaind were chosen at random from the total number of men fre- quenting the Tabernacle, and that there is no reason for douting the truth of their statements. QUESTIONNAIRE Age •º sº º ºs Birthplace ............................ Married or Single ............................. Residence * * * Trade or Occupation ........... Why did you come to Portland? Where did you come from and when 2 QUESTIONS FOR MECHANIC Do you work at your trade exclusivly? * gº What is the average length of time each year your trade furnishes employment? What work, if any, besides your trade do you do?................ Has there been as much work in your trade this year (1913) as last? .............. As in previous years? No. of days employd Jan. 1 to Apr. 1, 1912 Av. Wage per day........................................ No. of days employd Apr. 1 to Dec. 31, 1912........................ Av. Wage per day tº º No. of days employd Jan. 1 to Apr. 1, 1913............................ Av. Wage per day No. of days employd Apr. 1 to Dec. 31, 1913.......................... Av. Wage per day What were your living expenses while working?................ What were your living expenses while not at work?.......... How much money did you have when you last quit work? .................... How was it spent? Why have you not money to keep you thru the winter? 7 How long out of work?.............................................................. Give the last three places you were employd and why you quit. a. . gº ºs s. s = e º sº sº e º sm º ºs º is ºf s sº e = * * * * * * * a----------------------------------------------- b. . tº ſº º º b. sm sº at sº º ºs sº sº º sº tº as ºs sº º s = s. C. ------- 4-3 sº º sº º & sº tº º tº º ºr me tº * * * * * * * * * * * C. * * * * * * * = * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * What are your views on employment agencies?.................. Remarks … * * * * * * * s sº a sº sº º sº sº sº e º ºs º sº º sº, sº * * * * * * * * * s: s sº * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * sº e º sm is tº sº ºn as ºn tº sº sº e º ºs an º ºs = * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * = s ºr ºm º sm as tº º sº as m = sº º ºs º ºs ºr m sº sº sº ºn tº º ºs I. WHY WERE THE MEN OUT OF WORK? The answer to this main question is discoverd thru replies to the following inquiries: A. Why did they leave their jobs? The men were askt to name their last three places of employment, and the reason for leaving each place. Al- together there were 1284 answers. They were as fol- lows: Table I 1. “Laid off” (includes “work shut down,” “job finisht,” “bad wether,” “no more Work”) … 810 2. “Bad conditions” (includes, “low wages,” “poor food,” “long hours”).............................. 189 3. “Quit” (no further reason given).......................... 109 4. “Sick or injured”...................................................... 52 5. “Discharged” ............................................................ 109 6. “Strike” .................................................................... 10 7. “Business faild” ...................................................... 1 8. “Placer exhausted” .................................................. 1 9. “Mexican Revolution” ......... * * * * 1 10. “Servd Time” gº º 1 11. “Deported from Florence, Oregon”.................... 1 Total.…. 1284 Altogether among the 1284 men, 810, or 63%, left their jobs because they were laid off; 298, or 23.2%, just “quit,” or left because of bad conditions; 109, or 8.4%, left because they were discharged; 52, or 4%, left be- 8 cause of sickness and 10, or under 1%, left because of strike. From this it can be seen that among these men involuntary unemployment is far more prevalent than voluntary unemployment. B. What is the relation between the reasons men gave for being out of work, and the length of time they were out of work? The following correlation is made with the view of determining whether the men who leave their jobs be- cause of alleged bad conditions of labor are out of work for a longer period than those who are just “laid off.” Table II Correlation of the reason for leaving last place of work and the length of time out of employment. 3 || 3 # rö # # 3 rd 33 Q) cº gº cº 3 || > | 3 # # # . 25 | 8 || 5 E | 5 | | | 3 || 3 55 Q) § H & § 5 *4 §§ | 3 || 3 | # | f | # # | 3 || 3 || 3 | # >5 | | | | | & | f | ºf à || 5 || = | iſ H 0-1 16 || 10 3 1 .... 1 .... . .... 31 1-2 52 | 16 2 .... 3 2 1 76 2-3 72 | 11 || 9 | .... 3 || 4 ... || 1 || 100 3-4 79 || 19 9 | .... 6 3 - - - - 116 4-5 40 6 8 2 4 1 61 5-6 12 || 2 | 1 | .... . .... . .... 15 6-7 5 1 2 | .... 1 | .... 9 7-8 1 | .... . .... 1 2 8-9 3 .... * * : * * - - 3 9-10 - * * * : - - * * 1 | .... . .... 1 10-11 1 .... . .... . .... 1 2 12- 1 | .... . .... | 1 | .... . . . .... . . . .... 2 Total |282 || 65 || 35 4 | 19 || 11 | .... 1 1 || 418 From the foregoing table it does not appear that those who leave work because of “bad conditions,” or who quit for no assignd reason are out of work for longer periods than those who are laid off. Considering the groups according to months unemployd, the largest single 9 group are those who are out of work from 3 to 4 months, numbering 116. Of these, 79 were laid off, whereas only 28 quit because of bad conditions, or for no given rea- SOIl. C. What does the United States Census tell us about un- employment in Oregon? According to the 1910 Census, the average number of wage earners employd in Oregon manufactures is 28,750. In January (1909), the month of minimum em- ployment, this average fell to a minimum number em- ployd of 23,354; in September this number rose to 30,978, because September is the month of maximum employ- ment in Oregon manufactures. There is then a difference of 7624 in the number of wage-earners employd in the months of maximum and minimum employment. If these men found no new jobs they remaind unemployd dur- ing the slack months. Moreover these 7624 men do not include those who are employd in non-manufacturing industries, e. g. construction work, who are periodically unemployd because of the seasonal and fluctuating char- acter of their employment. The following table taken from the 1910 Census shows the seasonal differences in employment in Oregon industries: 10 TABLE III STATIsTics of WAGE EARNERs IN OREGON MANUFACTURES (ABSTRACT OF 1910 CENSUS) Industry §. Maximum | Minimum | Male #. º: Artificial stone. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Sept. 61 | Feb. 34 64 1. . . . . . . . * * : * Baking powder, yeast. . . . . . . . 6 | Nov. 8 || May 2 5 3 . . . . . Boots, shoes... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 || July 59 || Jan. 53 54 4 || 1 |. Brass, bronze................. 42 Jan. 43 Aug. 39 42 . . . . . . [. * c & I is Bread...................... 613 || Oct. 666 || Jan. 575 477 | 191 || 2 |. Brick, tile.... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 385 July 747 Jan. 78 729 1 || 5 |.... Butter, cheese, con. milk..... 420 || June 515 Jan. 344 || 365 30 || 4 |.... Canning, preserves... . . . . . . . . 661 | Sept. 1588 Feb. 113 | 866 535 | 15 36 Carpets, rugs.... . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 || July 13 || Jan. 9 9 |......l.. * * * * * * * Carriages, wagons. . . . . . . . . . . . 62 July 65 | Feb. 57 62 |......l....l.... Car shop. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 777 | Dec. 856 | Feb. 684 || 856 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Men's clothing............... 544 May 599 || Sept. 487 55 || 485 Confectionery....... . . . . . . . . . 283 || Dec. 336 Jan. 257 108 229 Cooperage, wooden goods..... 23 May 30 Oct. 12 30 l......l....l.... Copper, tin, iron............. 431 Aug. 520 Jan. 320 || 411 34 Cutlery, tools................. 23 || May 25 Jan. 23 23 l......l....l.... Dairyman, etc.; supplies..... 7 | Mch. 12 || June 4 11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Flour, grist mills. . . . . . . . . . . . . 394 | Sept. 469 Mch. 349 || 470 1 . Foundry, machine shop prod- ucts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . s a s e e s = 1055 April 1180 Jan. 925 || 1072 |... . . . . . . . . . . . Fur goods. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 | Sept. 65 || June 36 25 47 |. Furniture, etc................ 552 Oct. 593 Jan. 474 578 7 |. Gas, electric fixtures.......... 59 || Nov. 71 | April 46 50 9 |. Hand stamps, stencils........ 16 | Feb. 17 an. 15 14 2 |. Ice manufacturing. . . . . . . . . . . 69 || Aug. 111 || Jan. 42 70 |......}. Jewelry. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 | Nov. 36 || Jan. 29 34 |... . . . . . . . . . . . Leather goods................ 353 || Dec. 367 || Jan. 332 356 13 |. Leather tanned, finisht....... 49 || June 53 | Jan. 46 49 |... . . . . . . . . . . . Malt liquors... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204 || July 222 Jan. 183 || 191 |... . . . . . & © is e Lumber, timber.............. 15066 June 16462 | Jan. 11545 (17501 59 || 12 . . . . Marble, stone.... . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 || May 90 Jan. 6 74 |......!.. & Mattresses, springs. . . . . . . . . . . 83 || Dec. 105 || Jan. 65 92 13 |. Models, patterns. . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 || Mch. 13 July 9 11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Patent medicines............. 20 | Jan. 38 June 33 5 1. ...l.... Printing, publishing..... . . . . . 1459 || Dec. 1505 July 1424 || 1279 || 219 |25 | 5 Ship building. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212 July 271 Sept. 15 188 |. . . . . . . . . . e Kº gº º Meat packing........ . . . . . . . . . 366 || Dec. 418 Mch. 346 || 414 3 |....l. Steam packing............... 23 Oct. 24 || Jan. 22 23 1 |....l. Stoves, furnaces... . . . . . . . . . . . 86 || Oct. 122 | Mch. 61 || 118 . . . . . . 1 |. Surgical supplies tº dº tº g º º ſº e º ſe & Cº. & 5 | Nov. Jan. 5 4 2 1 |. Tobacco.... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187 | Nov. 198 || July 174 165 25 || 3 |. . . Umbrellas, canes. . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 || Jan. April 5 2 4 |....l.... Woolen, worsted, felt. . . . . . . . . 469 || Dec. 573 || May 420 | 339 214 | 16 || 4 All others. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3456 All industries. . . . . . . . . . . . 28750 30978 23354 11 D. What is the testimony from employers regarding un- employment in Oregon? To a questionnaire sent out to employers, in February, 1914, by Professor William F. Ogburn, of Reed College, concerning the laying off of men, 14 timber and con- struction companies replied that each year, as a usual thing, they lay off a total of 2733 men for an average of 3% months. The companies that replied constitute only a small proportion of the total number of timber and construction companies in the state. E. How long do the occupations of these men furnish employment during each year? Three hundred and twenty-five men answerd this question. The following table shows the distribution of the men with reference to the time their trade usually furnishes employment: Table IV Months No. of Men Per Cent 0- 2 2 2- 4 33 10.1 4- 6 88 27. 6- 8 53 16.3 8-10 21 6.4 10-12 119 36.6 Uncertain 9 2.7 Total .......................... 325 100 Thirty-seven per cent of the men find regular em- ployment at their trades or occupations for only 6 months or less; and 53% of the men find such employment for 8 months or less of each year. F. Was there more employment in 1912 than in 1913? It was the almost unanimous testimony of the men that there was less employment in 1913 than in 1912. 12 Table W Number of days employd in 1913 compared with number in 1912 1912 1913 1912 1913 Days Jan.-Apr. Jan.-Apr. Days Apr.-Dec Apr.-Dec. 90-80 129 53 270-240 59 23 80-70 13 16 240-210 25 29 70-60 9 8 210-180 35 28 60-50 57 57 180–150 82 67 50-40 21 38 150-120 75 81 40-30 26 23 120- 90 54 91 30-20 74 103 90- 60 36 62 20-10 13 25 60- 30 21 45 10- 0 9 6 30- 0 5 21 Total 351 329 Total 392 447 During the short period, January to April, with a maximum of 90 days, a greater number of men were em- ployd for more days in 1912 than in 1913; that is, a majority of the men were employd for over 50 days during this period in 1912, and a majority for under 50 days in 1913. During the long period, April to December, with a maximum of 270 days, a majority of the men were em- ployd for over 150 days in 1912, and for under 150 days in 1913. G. What does the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the State of Oregon say about unemployment in Oregon? The 1913 report of the Oregon Bureau of Labor Statistics has little directly to say about unemployment. However, in the tabulation of industries is to be found data showing the number of male wage earners each in- dustry employs, and the days per year during which many of the industries operate. From this data it can be seen that in 16 industries, employing 26,116 men there is an average unemployment per man of 124.7 days per year, unless the men in these industries found other jobs. The worst industries with respect to seasonal character, and resulting unemployment of their wage earners, are 13 the fruit packing industries operating only 78 days and employing 340 male wage earners; the salmon canneries, operating only 127 days and employing 850 white em- ployees, and 185 Japanese and Chinese; the lumber in- dustry, operating an average of 182 days per year, and affecting 21,613 men; brick and tile manufacturing, op- erating 175 days per year, and affecting 722 men. The list of 16 industries, and their slack periods are to be seen in table VI. Table VI (From the Fifth Biennial Report of the Oregon Bureau of Labor Statistics.) Male Wage-earners and days operating among 16 Oregon Industries Male wage Days Days" not Industry earners operating operating Artificial stone .................... 61 200 112 Barrels and kegs ................ 24 240 72 Bricks and tiles .................. 722 175 137 Carpenters (not including independent workers) .... 1,428 240 72 Cider and vinegar .............. 90 200 112 Dyeing 86 304 8 Grain elevators -------------------- 31 300 12 Fruit packing (omitting piece workers) ................ 340 78 234 Handle manufactures ........ 17 234 78 Ice 299 275 37 Coal mining 165 251 61 Paper boxes 39 300 12 Salmon canneries, Whites. 850 Japanese and Chinese (omitting piece workers) 185 127 185 Sewer pipe 115 200 112 Soap 51 300 12 Lumber 21,613 182 130 Total 26,116 Average number of days of unemployment for each man, 124.7. * Based on 312 working days per year. 14 It is especially to be noted that in the largest industry, lumber, there are 21,613 men unemployd for 130 days. In regard to agricultural labor the following meager but important data is included in the report of the Bureau of Labor Statistics: Cabbage industry, 428 wage earners employd for 60 days of the year. Pruning and spraying trees, 635 wage earners em- ployd for 252 days. Rhubarb industry, 39 wage earners employd for 8 months. Strawberry industry, 9580 wage earners employd for 3 weeks. The foregoing facts bearing upon the seasonal char- acter of Oregon industries, including statements from the unemployd men, from employers, from the Federal Census, and from the report of the Oregon Bureau of Labor Statistics, answer in part the question why men are out of work? But besides seasonal work another cause of unemployment is casual work. To show to what extent this was a factor in the problem of unemploy- ment among the men in the Tabernacle, it was ascertaind what proportion of the men had trades and what pro- portion were common laborers. The presumption is that casual work would be more prevalent among com- mon laborers than among men who said they had trades. By a casual worker we mean not so much one who is unemployd as one who is under employd, and whose reliance is upon work of an unskild character that can be found here and there. H. What proportion of the men were skild laborers? Of the 445 replying as to their occupation, 145 desig- nated their occupation as “laborer;” and 73 designated some form of unskild labor. Two hundred and twenty- seven men claimd some form of skild labor, and rep- resented 86 trades. The list of occupations, skild and unskild, is in table VII. 15 :1 i machinists lather silversmith miners cooks engineers Stonecutter bookkeepers boltmaker linemen trainmen box maker boiler makers mill wright ship wright oil worker brakemen musician iron workers butchers time keeper cigar makers switchmen printers lineoleum printer firemen waiters mill hand carpenters CI’alleIT1621] skinners electricians tallyman metal workers car repairer shoemaker druggist auto mechanics carriage painter Table VII Occupations of 445 Men in the Tabernacle Skild Workers. bridgemen motorman clerks packer varnish mixer paper mill worker paper machee worker glass worker bakers sign painter ship rigger preSSman blacksmiths Illir Se painters molders roofers chauffeur barbers steamfitters plumbers cement workers bricklayers telegraf operators jeweler drill runner watchmaker sack sewer tool maker architect candy maker cleaner and presser tailor film operator furniture finisher nickle plater solicitor marble worker hotel workers 16 1 draughtsman 1 edgeman 1 upholsterer 1 paperhanger 2 gas fitters 1 plasterer 1 salesman -º- 1 stage carpenter 227—Total Unskild Workers 2 hod carriers 1 flunky 2 gardeners 1 stableman 4 ranchmen 2 hotel workers 5 sailors 2 kitchen workers 22 loggers 145 “laborers” 10 railroad cstr. men -*- 22 teamsters 218 I. What proportion of the men follow one occupation eacclusivly? Three hundred and thirty-five men answerd this question. One hundred and twenty-eight stated that they followd one occupation exclusivly, and 207 stated that they did not. The presumption would be that those who workt at one occupation exclusivly would be unem- ployd when they did not find their regular work. J. How many men have alternativ occupations? Eighty-four men gave alternativ occupations. The 363 remaining in the whole group either gave no alter- nativ or stated that it was common labor. This fact, combined with the fact that 53% of the men find work at their regular occupations for only 8 months of the year or less, indicates that there are always at certain times of the year in Portland a large number of laborers who, whether or not they have trades, are forced to take what they can get. In dull seasons the usual army of casual workers is increast by skild tradesmen who find no work in their regular employments, and who must therefore take to common labor. This is confirmd by the number of men who apply for work at the Municipal Free Employment Bureau, 50% of whom, according to the manager of the Bureau, would be clast as casual workers. The Bureau keeps no record of applications for jobs. a' 17 Its record of jobs filled for the first eight months of 1914 is as follows: MALE “HELP” FOR WHOM JOBS WERE OBTAIND JANUARY-AUGUST, 1914 No. of men No. of jobs No. of jobs No. employd given jobs inside the City outside the City by the city January ............ 1135 1076 59 439 February.......... 963 936 27 500 March................ 757 729 28 291 April.................. 676 598 78 ------ May.................... 585 573 12 ...... June .................. 580 560 20 ...... July .................. 639 611 28 ...... August .............. 889 854 35 ...... K. What was the evidence from the public press con- cerning unemployment? Additional evidence as to the presence of large num- bers of common laborers in the city last winter is con- taind in the “Oregonian” for December 16: “Demand for labor was never so scarce in Portland as it is at present. On account of the wonted inactivity in lumber and logging camps, railroad construction and public improve- ment work, thousands of men in various parts of the territory tributary to Portland have been laid off. Many of these men are now walking the streets of Portland looking for work. Other large numbers have left the city, but labor agencies say that for every man who has left another has come. In addition to the thousands of idle working men there are in the city the usual quota of loafers—men who never work—who take advantage of the existing inactivity to enlist in the ‘army of the unemployd.” Employment agents who usually have more orders for help than they can fill now are unable to provide work for a single individual. One of the biggest agencies in town—one that had places for 2000 men, 6 months ago—yesterday was without a single order. Its big black-board on which the jobs, in more activ times, are listed were clean. In one or two instances men were wanted for such places as dishwashers or porters and these were quickly filled. One agency needed 20 men to work in a lumber camp on Coos Bay but the steamer-fare is more than $7 and no man who applied had that much money. And no relief is in sight. Not until wether conditions permit will activity in construction camps and logging districts be resumed. Most labor men look for little or no demand for men until April.” 18 L. What upas the evidence from the Unemployd League? This statement concerning labor conditions in Port- land, January–February, 1914, is from Dan Emmett, a member of the Executiv Committee of the Unemployd League: “I began to get data on the labor conditions in this part of the state about the middle of January. The Terwilliger Boulevard rockpile and the city work in the streets and in the parks Was about all the work there was. There was a little building going on at that time but mostly tradesmen were hired. Mr. Brewster gave us 200 tickets good for a job each day on the rockpile, where a man could make 75c by breaking 4% yard of rock. He was only allowd 75c each day. All the (other) city work was for married men. I interviewd a great many saw-mill and logging companies during the month of January and the first part of February, and was told by most of them that it would be 30 or 60 days before there would be much work to do. They all had more applicants for work than they could use, but most of them told me that they would be glad to help us in any way that they could. I kept in communication with the city and county commissioners who told me that they would recognize the Unemployd League when work was started. Mr. Daly of the City Commissioners said that he would rush the municipal wood-yard as soon as possible and give some of us work, but nothing has been done as yet. So a great many people continue to call us bums and tranps and say that We won’t Work. Mr. Yeon, who is interested in the Sandy River work which will be done by the county, told me it would be only a short time till they would start up a camp of 100 men from the Tabernacle. A few jobs have come in lately, but they were only short Ones. There have been a number of parties interested in annoying us. We have been notified that men were wanted at a certain place. We have sent them out where there was no job to be had. We sent 15 men out to Taggert to cut cord wood. There Was a man there who had been hiring men but needed none just then. A man who had a grudge against him had told us about the work. I have interviewd numerous contractors who tell me they would be glad to remember us when they start work. Some of the logging companies told me they let the foreman do all the hiring. Anyone going out in the country would have to take his chances with another man who might have money to keep him in case he found no work. A great many prefer to hire from the paid employment agencies where they have a standing order for men. One of the Tabernacle men would have to walk or beat his way, for none of them have any money. That is the reason I wanted some of the companies to give some of our men a letter or something which would insure them a job when they arrived. With the exception of Larkin and Green, the Silver Falls, Hammond, and a few more companies, they seemd to think business would be very dull, until they got a better price for their logs.” M. Would the men in the Tabernacle have workt if they had had the opportunity? The evidence appears to show that most of the men in the Tabernacle would have workt if they had had the 19 opportunity. Before the opening of the Tabernacle, the City Council had begun to employ idle men in parks, and rounding street curbs, at $3 per day, working each Iman two days per week, and giving preference to married men and to men who were on the civil servis list. Accord- ing to the “Oregonian” of December 19, there were 5,000 applications for such positions. After the Taber- nacle was opend the City Council put men to work at the rock quarry on the Terwilliger Boulevard, paying 75 cents per half cubic yard of rock. These men reported that there were not tools enough for all who wanted to work, and in less than a month, after 4500 cubic yards of rock had been broken, the city officers felt obliged to close down the quarry. Altogether on relief work up to January 26, 1914, the city paid out in wages over $23,000. On one occasion 80 men were sent out from the Tab- ernacle to Cascade Locks for construction work. These men discoverd that they had been sent out as strike breakers, and refused to work. The company had re- duced the daily wages of 115 Italians and Greeks from $1.75 to $1.50, and the men struck to maintain the higher wage. These facts, printed in the “Oregon Journal” for March 15, were ascertaind by the Secretary of the Ore- gon Civic League. N. Were there any “hobos” among the men in the Taber- nacle? The question remains whether among the genuin workingmen there were some who were not looking for work. Doutless there were such, tho some of us are prone to cover the responsibility of the community, in judging the whole group by those who could be held per- sonally responsible for their unemployment. Let us examin this question of personal responsibility. In any group of unemployd men, there are various classes, each of which is a product of social and indi- vidual circumstances differing from those affecting other classes. For example, besides the unemployd, there are the unemployable. And who are the unemployable? Some are so thru no fault of their own, but because of sickness, old age, injury or even mental deficiency. On the other hand, some are unemployable because of intemperance, indisposition to work, or viciousness. No 20 adequate classification of these men can be made until a work test has been submitted. However, the test should be a fair one, and regard should be had for the physical condition of the men. As one observd the slow file of men coming from the Tabernacle, one could see that the first need of many was medical care. When we eliminate the able-bodied, willing workers, who appeard to constitute the great majority of the men, the sick, the inferior, and the mentally deficient, all of whom needed relief and care, and the alcoholics who were excluded from the Tabernacle by the men themselvs, we have left a small number of men who have become indisposed to work, and who are not discomfited at hav- ing to live upon the community. Even for these men, society cannot entirely disclaim responsibility. The man who can find no work, or who finds it only occasionally, easily drifts into the class of those who are not anxious to work. Several men in the Tabernacle declard that in coming West looking for work, their funds had become exhausted, and for the first time in their lives they had been compeld to take to the freight cars. It is easier to take a second ride than the first, and the third than the second; so gradually the man who wants to work becomes the man who prefers to loaf. Probably there were a few such men in the Tabernacle; they constitute a grave problem for society to solv, no less than the able-bodied men who are looking for work. O. Were there any “agitators” in the Tabernacle? A census was taken of 326 men as to whether they were Union men, or members of the I. W. W. Their re- plies follow: Table VIII Not members of Union ....................... . ...................... .. 126 Members of Union ............................................. ... .......... 102 Formerly members of Union............................................ 12 Have Union belief............................... .............................. 21 Want one big Union......................... .................................. 5 I. W. W.--------------------------------------------…. 14 No reply to question............................................................ 46 Total …--------------… 326 The executiv committee of the Unemployd League had not long been organized when it became apparent that there was a struggle between radical and conservativ members. The outcome of this struggle was that the I. W. W. element was either put out of the Tabernacle, or made to cease creating disturbance. P. What were the ages of the men? Table IX Age No. of men % of men 16-20 16 3.8 21-25 … 86 20.6 26-30 ............... 82 19.7 31-35 … 80 19.2 36-40 …....................................... 54 14.1 41-45 .......... 26 6.2 46-50 ............................................ 36 8.6 Over 50 ........................................ 36 8.6 Total ... ............ .............. 416 100% From table IX it can be seen that 44% of the men are under 30 years of age, and 63% are under 35 years of age. The majority are young men who ought to be adding to the productiv resources of the nation, as well as to their own success and happiness. Q. What percent of the men were foren born? Of 437 who replied to the question as to country of birth, 158 or 36.3% were foren born. Portland has a present foren born poulation of about 21%. There were more foreners among this group than among the popula- tion of the city as a whole. It is certain that when the Panama Canal will have been open 10 years the per cent of foren born among wage-earners coming to Portland will be much larger. R. What proportion of the men were married? Forty men, about 9%, said that they were married. Married men who were residents of the city were first given relief work in the city departments. The Associated Charities were also activ in helping the families of mar- ried men living in Portland. Generally speaking, the 22 Tabernacle was the resort of migratory workers who were not married, and whose only Portland address was the Tabernacle. II. WHY DID THE UNEMPLOYD MEN COME TO PORTLAND 2 A. What reason did the unemployd give for coming to Portland? The men gave two chief reasons for coming to Port- land: (1) Three hundred and seven of the 442 men who replied to the question stated that they came to Portland in search for work. In this city are 18 male employment bureaus, operated for private gain. If a man is in south- ern Oregon in search of work, he must come to a labor agency in Portland, even tho the agency collects fees and sends the man back to a job in the district from which he came. In the Northwest, where the distances between industrial centers are so great, a man without work frequently has the alternativ of consuming a large part of his income in travelling to the nearest industrial center, or of resorting to the illegal practis of riding the freight cars. (2) Eighty-four of the 442 men stated that they came to Portland to “better their condition,” or that they were attracted by the advertizements of the advantages of liv- ing in this state. Commercial Clubs, the state Immigra- tion Commission, and railroad companies publish pam- flets about the opportunities in Oregon. The purpose of this advertizing is to attract persons who have sufficient capital to make an economic success; nevertheless, these publications reach hundreds of workingmen who have nothing to offer but their labor, and who, in spite of warnings in the pamflets, are misled. Once here, they may come to realize, tho only too late, that, as wage- earners, they meet in Oregon, as elsewhere, fluctuating conditions of employment. Publicity should be given to this quotation from page 6 of the Fifth Annual Report of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, “By the automatic action of the law of in- dustrial supply and demand, however, Oregon, as well 23 as other states, rarely holds out any exceptional induce- ments to wage workers, and all such who are comfortably Situated elsewhere should be very sure of their ground before deciding to leave position and friends for uncer- tainties in a strange land.” The sum of the evidence as to why men come to Port- land bears witness to the fact that Portland as the center of an extensiv territory, reaching into Oregon, California, Washington, and Idaho, is of necessity a center for an army of migratory workers who depend upon hearsay, and upon labor agencies for their information concern- ing opportunities for work. If no work is found, men must remain in the city until work turns up; and if their stakes are spent, they become entirely dependent upon the community for the necessities of existence. B. Did the opening of the Tabernacle attract men to Portland? Three hundred and seventy-six men replied to the question as to how long they had been in Portland. The Tabernacle was opend January 1, and the survey was made between February 10 and February 21. The fol- lowing tables show how long the men had been in Port- land: Months . . . . . 6 and over 6-5 5-4 4-3 3-2 2-1 1-0 Total Number Of men . . 84 29 18 27 62 80 76 376 Per cent . . . . . . . . 22.3 7.7 4. 7 7. 1 16, 4 21. 2 20.2 From this it will be seen that 58.2%, or 220 of the men had been in Portland over two months; 80 men, or 21.2% of the men had been here from one to two months. By actual count of 411 replying to the question as to when they came to Portland, 134, or 32%, said they had come since the first of January. As it would have taken a few days for notis of the opening of the Tabernacle to reach men outside of Portland, some of these 80 men, would, in any case, have been in town. Thus approxi- mately 70% of the men surely would have come to Port- land whether or not the Tabernacle was open. As for the remaining 30%, it is unknown whether the Tabernacle brought them here. As additional evidence concerning the effect of the Tabernacle in drawing men to Portland, it will be well to note where the men came from. Of the men who came 24 to Portland from large cities on the Coast between Jan- uary 1 and February 10, 21 came from Seattle, 7 from Tacoma, 9 from Spokane, 2 from San Francisco, 2 from Los Angeles, and 3 from Vancouver, B. C. Concerning the 21 who came from Seattle it can be said that there was no need of their coming to Portland on account of the shelter that was offerd here, inasmuch as Seattle had a shelter like the one in Portland, which was largely supported by the merchants in the community. (See “Welfare” for April, 1914.) Twenty states and 100 towns and cities outside of Oregon were represented by the men in the Tabernacle. It is hardly likely that the accommodations in the Tabernacle were so comfortable as to attract men from New York, Salt Lake City, Denver, and Winnipeg. Finally, if the Tabernacle had been a leading cause of drawing men to Portland, one would expect to find an increasing number of men frequenting the place. The fact is that after the Tabernacle was opend about the same number came there each day during January and February, and towards the end of March the numbers began to decrease. Table X, taken from the daily reports of the Unemployd League, makes this clear. There were 3500 men on the roster of the Unemployd League in the Tabernacle December 29. Table X Number of men eating and sleeping Eating Date Morning Night Sleeping Jan. 15" ................ 1340 1363 897 Jan. 19 .................. 1325 1340 903 Jan. 22 .................. ........ ........ 310 Jan. 24 .................. 650 590 838 Jan. 28 .................. 900 1160 800 Feb. 4 .................. 1140 1390 790 Feb. 8 .................. 1340 1580 852 Feb. 12 .................. 1280 1480 903 Feb. 19 .................. 1355 1480 893 Mar. 12 .................. 1120 1190 910 * On January 15, the first reports were filed with the Secretary of the Oregon Civic League. The small number on January 24 was due to the small pox scare. 25 III. WERE THE MEN IMPROVIDENTº A. How much money did they have when they stopt uork? Among 430 men who also stated the length of time they were out of work, the amounts they had when they left work were as follows: Table XI Amounts No. of men Cumulativ percent Nothing -----------------------. 6 1.3 $ 0-$ 25 .................... 130 31. 25- 49 .................... 76 49.3 50- 74 .................... 66 64.6 75- 99 .................... 37 73.2 100- 124 .................... 34 81.1 125- 149 .................... 18 83. 150- 174 .................... 19 89.7 175- 199 .................... 5 200- 224 .................... 11 93.4 225- 249 .................... 3 94.1 250- 299 .................... 8 96. 300- 399 .................... 6 97.4 400 or over .............. 11 100. Average of the 430 = $80.10 Average of the 391 who had less than $200 =........ 54.21 The 391 men who had less than $200 each constitute 90.9% of the whole group. Details concerning the 39 men who had over $200 are given later. B. What did they spend their money for? Four hundred and forty men replied as follows in regard to what the money was spent for: 1. Living expenses (including board, lodging, travel- ing expenses, fees to employment agencies).... 348 2. Sickness 52 3. Support of others ... ... 17 4. Drink .......................... ... 17 5. Recreation ... - 2 6. Robbed 2 7. Miscellaneous 2 26 Three hundred and forty-eight of the 440 men, or 79%, spent their savings while out of work for living ex- penses. “Traveling,” as an expense was mentiond 91 time. Especially in the West the long distances between industrial centers force upon migratory workers the undesirable alternativs of spending all their funds for traveling expenses, or of resorting to the freight cars. While spending the summer at a point between Portland and Spokane the writer has seen freight and passenger trains with men stealing rides in every conceivable place in and on the cars. These men all told the same story of their attempt to reach the harvest fields where they hoped to find work. “Sickness” was mentiond by 52 men as an expense. Among wage-earners and their families sickness is one of the leading causes of destitution. The economic waste thru sickness could be largely prevented, to say nothing of the waste of human resources, if wage-earners could take advantage of the means which science has discoverd for the prevention and cure of disease. Seventeen of the 440 men said that they had spent their money for “drink.” Drunken men and saloon loafers were not admited into the Tabernacle, and judg- ing from the appearance of the men and the general business-like conduct of affairs in the Tabernacle, the probability is that there was not a large number of ex- cessiv drinkers among them. C. How long were the men out of work? This question is answerd in two divisions: 1. The length of time the group as a whole were out of work, and the correlation of this time with the average “stake” of the group as a whole. 2. The length of time out of work of the 391 men whose stakes were less than $200, and the correlation of this time with the average stake of this group. Table XII * Time unemployd of the group as a whole Months TO- unemployd . . . . 0-1 1-2 2-3 3-4 4-5 5-6 6 6-12 12-|- tal Number of men. 29 83 103 115 63 16 8 9 4 430 Per cent of men. 6.7 19.5 23.9 26.7 14.6 3.7 1.8 2 1. Cumulativ per cent. . . . . . 6.7 26.2 50.1 76.8 91.4 95.1 96.9 98.9 27 The largest single group—115—were out of work from 3 to 4 months. The average unemployment for each man since his last job was tuwo months and tuyenty-two days. D. How fast did the 430 men spend their money? Since the average amount of money possest by each of the 430 men when he left his last job was $80.10, each man spent his money up to the time when he came to the Tabernacle at the rate of about $29 per month. Table XIII Time unemployd of the 391 men whose “stakes” were less than $200 Months TO- unemployd. . . . 0-1 1-2 2-3 3-4 4-5 5-6 6 6-12 12-|- tal Number of men. 29 80 94 108 55 15 7 3 . . .391 Per cent of men. 7.4 20.5 24 27.6 14 3.8 1.7 1 ... 100 These 391 constituted 90% of the whole group of 430. E. How fast did the 391 men spend their money? The average unemployment among these 391 men was 2 months and 14 days. Since the average amount that each of these 391 men had when he stopt work was $54.21, the rate of expenditure of their savings from the time they left their jobs until they went to the Tabernacle was $21.85 per month. This would amount to about $5.46 per week. Considering that $8.64 is the minimum amount that, according to the Oregon Minimum Wage Commis- sion, a factory girl can live upon in decency and com- fort, it does not appear that these men were improvident in the use of their savings during the period of their unemployment. F. Were the 39 men with big stakes improvident? Table XIV shows facts concerning the 39 men who had $200 or more when they stopt work, including data concerning where they came from and when, trades, the age of each man (except in a few instances where the age was not given) the amount of each man’s stake, and the time he was unemployd: 28 TABLE XIV Time M No. Age. Where From | When | Trade Stake How Spent Unem;|. ployed "* 1 | . . Genture, Ore Mar. '13|Cook. . . . . $250|Clothes, food, shelter, traveling, sickness...] 2 mos 2 || 33 Caſifornia ...[Oct. "13|Trainman. *Sºrt mother, trav- 2 €ll Llſº: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . In OS 3 | ... San Francisco Aug. '13|Molder. . . 200|Railway fare, clothes, hotel expenses... . . . . . . . . . 4 26 Nome, Ala...|Dec. 13|Roofer. . . . . 200Lost it prospecting... 3 mos 5 . . [Montana.... [Nov. '13|Lineman . . . 275|Food, shelter, cloth- ing, Ry. fare, sick- IlêSS . . . . . . . . . . . . . |63 days . . . . 6 || 26 |Hoquiam,Wn.|Feb. '13'Stat. Eng. . 200|Clothes, food . . . . . . 4 InoS. [. 7 || 45 ||Nevada. . . . [Dec. '13|Miner . . 400|Living expenses, trav- eling, sickness ... 3 mos. 8 |33 |San Francisco Jan. '13|Paper Mill. 325|Hospital, doctor bills. 5 mos. 9 46 San Francisco Aug. '13|Cook . . . . . 784|Hospital. . . . . . . . . . . ..[14 mos. 10 || 32 |Montana ...|Nov. '13|Roofer . 310|Clothes, food, shelter, whiskey, women. . . .3% mo. . 11 || 35 |Milwaukee...| 1912 |Molder. . . 300|Living expenses. . . . . . 6 mos. | M. 12 || 35 Salt Lake ...|Jan. '14||Timekeeper 250|Living expenses and * support of others... 4 mos. | . . 13 || 25 Seattle. . . . [Dec. '13|Miner. . . . . . 400|Ry, fare and living...] 3 mos. |.... 14 || 35 |Chicago. . . . . May 11|Engineer... 200Doctor's fees......... 6 mos. l. . . . 15 | . . Spokane. . . . [Dec. '13|Fireman...|350|Clothes and other ne- * cessities. . . . . . . . . . . . 7 mos. 1. ... 16 || 29 Wenatcheewn!Nov. '13|Waiter. . . . . 355 Support of mother, clothing, shelter, food, railway fare... . . . . . 17 | 47 Utah. . . . . . . . Dec. 13|R. R. work. 500|Looking for work.... 3 mos 18 || 46 Seattle. . . . . [Feb. '13|Boilermkr 225/Fare to Canada to look at land........ 2 mos 19 || 29 Ottawa . . . .] 1912 Cook. . . . . 425|Doctor's bills. ...... 1 mo. 20 |34 |N. Y. City. . Apr. 13|Mechanic... 750Hillsboro land deal, & auto repair shop. . . 9 mos. | M 21 42 |McCloud, Cal. . Engineer | 490 Traveling,board,help- g ing sick friend...... 2 mos. [.... 22 29 Seattle. . . . . [Oct. "13|Miner. . . . . . 540|Hospital fees, board. 2 mos. . . . . 23 55 |Idaho. . . . . . . ov. 13|Logger....., | 350 Traveling, drinking...] 2 mos. . . . . 24 || 24 San Francisco July 13|Sign paint'r 250Sent to family....... 13 mos. | M 25 || 25 Umatilla . . . . [Feb. '14|Sailor. . . . . . 200Traveling and living...] 2 mos. . . . 26 |32 |Denver. . . . . . Feb. 14|Laborer. ...|200|Ry. fare, living....... 1% mo 27 | 24 Seattle. . . . . . Dec. '13 Candymkr 220 Traveling,living, sick- InêS8. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 mos 28 || 50 ||Wisconsin. . 1898 |Butcher... .] 225 Clothes, living exp. 4 mos 29 |32 ||Chicago. . . . 1907 Machinist...] 200Living (been on 3 yrs. 3 strike). . . . . . . . . . . . .3 yrs. 30 || 32 |Tacoma. . . . . . Dec. 13|Foreman... 200Lº * * * * * * * * * * ..] 4 mos. 31 28 Seattle. . . . . . . Oct. '13|Marine fire- * IIlāIl . . . . . . 280 Clothes. . . . . . . . . . . 6 whºs. 32 || 41 |Imperial, Ore. Dec. '13|Barber..... 286Traveling, sickness. 4 mos. 33 ||33 |Pittsburg. ...|Dec. 13 Machinist. 250Traveling. . . . . . . . . . . e e < * : * * 34 || 45 Lewiston, Mt. Feb. 13|Laborer....|250 Booze and clothing . 12%mo. . 35 | 35 Montreal, Can Feb. '14|Cook... . . . . 921 Hospital............ 10 mos. . . . 36 21 Tacoma, Wn...Jan. '14|Laborer....|400|Clothes. . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 mos. [.. 37 | 20 |San Franciscol. . . . . : Salesman ...| 400 Traveling, clothes....] 3 mos. . . . 38 21 |Pt. Richmond|Feb. '14|Stage Carp. 230 Clothes, money stolen 4 mos. .. 39 || 27 Salt Lake Cy.|Oct. '13|Cook....... 283"Blew it in” . . . . . . . .] 4 mos. | M 29 The following facts are to be noted: 1. Of the 35 men who gave their age, 26 were under 40 years. 2. Excluding the man who said that he had been out of work for three years, the average unemployment of 37 other men who answerd the question was 4 months and 21 days. 3. The average stake of 39 men was $330. 4. The average rate of expenditure would then be $70.23 per month. 5. Sickness was mentiond as an expense 12 times; support of others, 3 times; dissipation, 4 times; travel- ing 16 times. 6. Thirty-six of the 39 men came to Portland from states outside of Oregon. 7. Twenty-seven of the 37 who indicated the date of arrival in Portland said that they had been here over two months. Five had been here over a year. Judging solely from the words of the men, without more detaild inquiry, and allowing for amounts expended for sickness, necessary traveling, and support of others, there appear to be indications of improvidence among this group. Of course, the men who admitted having squanderd their “stakes” were improvident. Even among some of the others, it does not appear why No. 37, for example, who had been out of work 3 months, and who had $400 to spend on clothes and traveling, could not have kept himself from destitution. Again, No. 6, who had $200 and was out of work for 4 months, could have livá upon his stakes unless there were expenses which he did not mention. Only four of the group were mar- ried. G. What were the earnings of the men during 1912 and 1913? Improvidence can be determind only on the basis of the earnings of the men. These it was possible to com- pute because the men gave the number of days employd and the wage per day from January to April, and April to December, 1912, and the same for 1913. The results of this part of the questionnaire are shown in Table XV. 30 TABLE XV Earnings of men in 1912 and 1913 1912 Per cent 1913 Per Cent $ 0-$ 50. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1 tº) 1. 1 $ 50-$ 99. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 1.1 6 2.5 $ 100-$ 149. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 3. 3 12 5.4 $ 150-$ 199. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 6.4 30 12.4 $ 200–$ 249. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 10. 2 35 20. 7 $ 250–$ 299. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 13. 3 37 29.4 $ 300-$ 349 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 22.3 42 39.2 $ 350-$ 399. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 28.7 44 49.6 $ 400-$ 449. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 36. 1 36 58. 2 $ 450-$ 499. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 46. 39 67. 2 $ 500-$ 599 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 57.7 36 75.7 $ 600-$ 699. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 71.9 44 86.1 $ 700-$ 799. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 81 .. 7 27 92. 4 $ 800-$ 899. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 87.1 10 94.7 $ 900-$ 999. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 91.4 7 96.4 $1000-$1199. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 93.8 8 98.3 $1200-$1499. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 98.3 5 99.5 $1500-$1999. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 99.5 2 e e $2000 and Over . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 tº e g g e tº Total number men. . . . . . . . . . . . 421 4.25 Average earnings 421 men in 1912–$591.58. Average earnings 425 men in 1913–$439.81. That over 400 men should earn only $591 on the aver- age during 1912, and $439 on the average during 1913 compares with the statement of Scott Nearing (in “Wages in the United States”) that the average annual wage of adult male workers in that section of the country north of Mason and Dixon’s line, and east of the Rockies, is $650; that sometimes this average goes to $750 and some- times as low as $350. The earnings of the men in the Tabernacle for 1912 and 1913, if distributed evenly over these years, would have been $11.83 per week in 1912 and $8.79 in 1913. These earnings did not permit any considerable degree of improvidence. 31 CONCLUSION This study shows that, during the slack season in Oregon industries, a large number of men are thrown out of employment; that the majority of these men are genuin workers, in the prime of life; that the average time of unemployment for each man since his last job was from two to three months; that during 1913 the majority of the men were out of work for over half the time; that, tho there were instances of improvidence, the earnings of the majority of the men were not adequate to provide against unemployment; that, as a result, dur- ing the slack season men become dependent for food and shelter upon the community; that men have no assistance in looking for work except that offerd by the unscientifically-managed and inadequate private employ- ment agencies conducted for gain, or by the city free employment bureau; that the men spent their savings in some instances for drink and debauchery, but mostly for living expenses, traveling, doctor’s fees and support of others until the point of destitution was reacht. 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