The Boston Transcript says:

"EFFECT OF CHILD LABOR.

"If we are to believe Miss Jane Addams, of Hull House, current jests about the perpetual weariness of the tramp frequently hides a deeper meaning than most suspect. She finds that many persons slip into tramp life through physical and moral exhaustion, resulting from overwork in childhood. In a recent address on this subject before the Chicago Business Woman's Club, Miss Addams said: 'Child labor undertaken too early or performed in excess is responsible for a large number of the tramps and ambitionless way-farers of America. The boy or girl who works too early is surfeited with labor, bankrupt of ambition long before the time when work should begin at all.'

"The belief that trampdom often is recruited from the ranks of youthful toilers who have been overcome by an intense and terrible physical and moral fatigue because they overtaxed their strength is not new, but so far it has hardly been made the subject of careful investigation. At Hull House those facts have been observed for a number of years, and data are being collected. 'We notice,' says Miss Addams, 'that the child workers who were bright and eager and ambitious when commencing work some six or seven years ago, are different now. Nearly all of them are dull and lifeless, lacking energy and without ambition. Many are actual tramps." "

The recital of these facts might be extended indefinately; and evidence piled upon evidence. But it would

be unnecessary. Every trade unionist knows it to be true, as does every newspaper reader, and every resident of our large cities. Like Napoleon who robbed the cradles of France to add to his army, so our much-vaunted captains of industy have robbed our cradles to satisfy their greed. They have extended their army and said, "Suffer little children to come unto us, and forbid them not, for ours is the kingdom of hell."

This is only another unhealthy symptom; another gnawing canker, which plainly shows something is radically wrong, and which will meet with heroic treatment.

CHAPTER X.

THE UNEMPLOYED.

An Unsolved Question; Even in Times of Prosperity Great Perils Only Temporarily Postponed-The Cause Deep-Rooted and Growing-Danger Imminent.

The problem of the unemployed is a most serious one to any nation; even during the brief intervals of good times. It is serious today, will be tomorrow, and more so the day after. There always have been short periods during which work has been plentiful, only to be followed by a reaction. At present this country is enjoying an era of prosperity. But it requires but little study and observation to show that it cannot last. The effect must always be governed by the causes and conditions.

How can there be plenty of work when inventions and labor-saving machinery are being multiplied daily; and with the sole object in view of dispensing with the labor of men? And when children are taking the place of men in mine, factory and shop? Is not this subject properly a continuation of the subjects Machinery and Child Labor? With Child Labor on the increase, and such improvements

in machinery being made, large numbers must necessarily be thrown out of work, and especially when those employed work from eight to sixteen hours per day.

If sufficiently aggravated this evil might produce a revolution alone.

Benjamin Franklin estimated that, if all would work, four hours labor a day, intelligently applied, would supply the wants of all. If that was true in his time what shall we say of the present era, with its wonderful increase in productive power? John Stuart Mill wrote, almost with a wail: "It is questionable if all the mechanical inventions yet made have lightened the day's toil of any human being." This cannot continue. The forces are gathering which will demand that machinery be utilized to lighten the labor and increase the comforts of life for every producer of wealth.

Prof. Hertzka, the Austrian editor and author, in his book entitled, "Laws of Social Evolution," says:

"I have investigated what labor and time will be neces.. sary, with our present machines, etc., to create all common necessaries of life for our Austrian nation of 22,000,000. It takes 10,500,000 hektars of agricultural lands, 3,000,000 of pasturages for all agricultural products. I then allowed a house to be built for every family, consisting of five rooms. I then found that all industries, agriculture, architecture, building, flour, sugar, coal, iron, machine building, clothing and chemical productions, need 615,000 laborers employed 11 hours per day 300 days a

year to satisfy every imaginable want for 22,000,000 inhabitants.

"These 615,000 laborers are only 12.3 per cent of the population able to work, excluding all women and all persons under 16 or over 50 years of age. All these latter io be called not able.

"Should the 5,000,000 able men be engaged in work instead of 615,000, they need only to work 36.9 days every year to produce everything needed for the support of the population of Austria. But should the 5,000,000 work all the year-say 300 days, which they would likely have to do to keep the supply fresh in every department—each one would only work 1 hour and 221⁄2 minutes per day. "But to engage to produce all the luxuries in addition, it would take in round figures 1,000,000 workers, classed and assorted as above, or only 20 per cent. of all those able, excluding every woman, or every person under 16 or over 50, as before. The 20 per cent of able, strong male members could produce everything imaginable for the whole nation of 22,000,000 in 2 hours and 12 minutes per day, working 300 days a year."

These figures are reliable and prove that if everybody worked but two or three hours per day, the world's toil might be accomplished very easily.

From various causes-machinery, trusts, inventions, etc. entire trades and crafts are dispensed with; and the large numbers employed in them thrown out of work and forced to look elsewhere for employment.