CHAPTER XVII. 



TENTH ANNUAL REPORT, BUREAU OF STATISTICS, FOR 

 THE STATE OF MASSACHUSETTS. 



"A /TASSACHUSETTS is largely in advance of any 

 -LVJ_ other State in the collection of valuable labor 

 statistics, and their publication. But, unfortunately, 

 the facts gathered do not appear to be of any special 

 value in assisting its Chief to a proper understand- 

 ing of their bearing upon the social and industrial 

 problems now so pressing. Indeed, many of the facts 

 are so tortured as to be made to support the grossest 

 fallacies. The Tenth Annual Report, of January 22, 

 1879, is preeminently of that character, and presents 

 with much plausibility several typical fallacies that 

 merit attention, because of their general bearing. It 

 is an extraordinary document, both from the conclu- 

 sions to which it comes as to the amount of unem- 

 ployed labor, or idleness, in that State and the Na- 

 tion, and the methods by which its conclusions are 

 reached. Its conclusions are, as stated on page 11, 

 in what is there called, " The Investigation of No- 

 vember, 1878," that 23,000 males and females at 

 that time represented the unemployed in that State, 

 against 28,508 males and females in June, 1878, be- 



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