316 LAND AND LABOR. 



found on page 13, " that all attempts to disprove the 

 June and November reports by figures from the cen- 

 sus simply deceive the public/' is, that either the June 

 and November reports do deceive the public, or the 

 Massachusetts Census Reports, for 1875, are false. It 

 is not necessary here to determine which. Still it 

 may be said that the ascertained facts in the census 

 report appear to agree with all that I have been able 

 to gather, and that there can be no doubt that the 

 June and November reports have done the service de- 

 signed and, possibly, some not anticipated. 



But it is yet to be seen that it is for the interest or 

 honor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, or any 

 portion of its people, that one of its important bureaux 

 should use the large funds it receives, and the power 

 and influence it possesses, to give currency to reports 

 of the character they are here shown to be. What is 

 wanted is a clear and accurate statement of the real 

 condition of the employments and idleness of the 

 people, without reservations, unknown quantities, or 

 quibbles. This information that Bureau can give, 

 and nothing less can be either satisfactory or really 

 useful. 



There are other matters in the Tenth Annual Re- 

 port as fallacious as that regarding the amount of 

 idleness in the Commonwealth ; and particularly so 

 is that which relates to the mechanical industries of 

 the State and the Nation, In part II, page 24, in 

 treating of Convict Labor, is found the following 

 statement : 



*' In this connection it should be remembered that the pro- 



