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tramp。 If he left the 〃road〃 and became a VERY efficient common
laborer； some ORDINARILY EFFICIENT common laborer would have to take
to the 〃road。〃 The nooks and crannies are crowded by the surplus
laborers； and when the first snow flies； and the tramps are driven
into the cities； things become overcrowded and stringent police
regulations are necessary。
The tramp is one of two kinds of men： he is either a discouraged
worker or a discouraged criminal。 Now a discouraged criminal； on
investigation； proves to be a discouraged worker； or the descendant
of discouraged workers； so that； in the last analysis； the tramp is
a discouraged worker。 Since there is not work for all；
discouragement for some is unavoidable。 How； then； does this
process of discouragement operate？
The lower the employment in the industrial scale； the harder the
conditions。 The finer； the more delicate； the more skilled the
trade； the higher is it lifted above the struggle。 There is less
pressure； less sordidness； less savagery。 There are fewer glass…
blowers proportionate to the needs of the glass…blowing industry
than there are ditch…diggers proportionate to the needs of the
ditch…digging industry。 And not only this； for it requires a glass…
blower to take the place of a striking glass…blower； while any kind
of a striker or out…of…work can take the place of a ditch…digger。
So the skilled trades are more independent； have more individuality
and latitude。 They may confer with their masters； make demands；
assert themselves。 The unskilled laborers； on the other hand； have
no voice in their affairs。 The settlement of terms is none of their
business。 〃Free contract〃 is all that remains to them。 They may
take what is offered； or leave it。 There are plenty more of their
kind。 They do not count。 They are members of the surplus labor
army； and must be content with a hand…to…mouth existence。
The reward is likewise proportioned。 The strong； fit worker in a
skilled trade； where there is little labor pressure； is well
compensated。 He is a king compared with his less fortunate brothers
in the unskilled occupations where the labor pressure is great。 The
mediocre worker not only is forced to be idle a large portion of the
time； but when employed is forced to accept a pittance。 A dollar a
day on some days and nothing on other days will hardly support a man
and wife and send children to school。 And not only do the masters
bear heavily upon him； and his own kind struggle for the morsel at
his mouth； but all skilled and organized labor adds to his woe。
Union men do not scab on one another； but in strikes； or when work
is slack； it is considered 〃fair〃 for them to descend and take away
the work of the common laborers。 And take it away they do； for； as
a matter of fact； a well…fed； ambitious machinist or a core…maker
will transiently shovel coal better than an ill…fed； spiritless
laborer。
Thus there is no encouragement for the unfit； inefficient； and
mediocre。 Their very inefficiency and mediocrity make them helpless
as cattle and add to their misery。 And the whole tendency for such
is downward； until； at the bottom of the social pit； they are
wretched； inarticulate beasts； living like beasts； breeding like
beasts； dying like beasts。 And how do they fare； these creatures
born mediocre； whose heritage is neither brains nor brawn nor
endurance？ They are sweated in the slums in an atmosphere of
discouragement and despair。 There is no strength in weakness； no
encouragement in foul air； vile food； and dank dens。 They are there
because they are so made that they are not fit to be higher up； but
filth and obscenity do not strengthen the neck； nor does chronic
emptiness of belly stiffen the back。
For the mediocre there is no hope。 Mediocrity is a sin。 Poverty is
the penalty of failure；poverty； from whose loins spring the
criminal and the tramp； both failures； both discouraged workers。
Poverty is the inferno where ignorance festers and vice corrodes；
and where the physical； mental； and moral parts of nature are
aborted and denied。
That the charge of rashness in splashing the picture be not
incurred； let the following authoritative evidence be considered：
first； the work and wages of mediocrity and inefficiency； and；
second； the habitat：
The New York Sun of February 28； 1901； describes the opening of a
factory in New York City by the American Tobacco Company。 Cheroots
were to be made in this factory in competition with other factories
which refused to be absorbed by the trust。 The trust advertised for
girls。 The crowd of men and boys who wanted work was so great in
front of the building that the police were forced with their clubs
to clear them away。 The wage paid the girls was 2。50 per week；
sixty cents of which went for car fare。 ｛4｝
Miss Nellie Mason Auten； a graduate student of the department of
sociology at the University of Chicago； recently made a thorough
investigation of the garment trades of Chicago。 Her figures were
published in the American Journal of Sociology； and commented upon
by the Literary Digest。 She found women working ten hours a day；
six days a week； for forty cents per week （a rate of two…thirds of a
cent an hour）。 Many women earned less than a dollar a week； and
none of them worked every week。 The following table will best
summarize Miss Auten's investigations among a portion of the
garment…workers：
Industry Average Average Average
Individual Number of Yearly
Weekly Weeks Earnings
Wages Employed
Dressmakers 。90 42。 37。00
Pants…Finishers 1。31 27。58 42。41
Housewives and 1。58 30。21 47。49
Pants…Finishers
Seamstresses 2。03 32。78 64。10
Pants…makers 2。13 30。77 75。61
Miscellaneous 2。77 29。 81。80
Tailors 6。22 31。96 211。92
General Averages 2。48 31。18 76。74
Walter A。 Wyckoff； who is as great an authority upon the worker as
Josiah Flynt is on the tramp； furnishes the following Chicago
experience：
〃Many of the men were so weakened by the want and hardship of the
winter that they were no longer in condition for effective labor。
Some of the bosses who were in need of added hands were obliged to
turn men away because of physical incapacity。 One instance of this
I shall not soon forget。 It was when I overheard； early one morning
at a factory gate； an interview between a would…be laborer and the
boss。 I knew the applicant for a Russian Jew； who had at home an
old mother and a wife and two young children to support。 He had had
intermittent employment throughout the winter in a sweater's den；
｛5｝ barely enough to keep them all alive； and； after the hardships
of the cold season； he was again in desperate straits for work。
〃The boss had all but agreed to take him on for some sort of
unskilled labor； when； struck by the cadaverous look of the man； he
told him to bare his arm。 Up went the sleeve of his coat and his
ragged flannel shirt； exposing a naked arm with the muscles nearly
gone； and the blue…white transparent skin stretched over sinews and
the outlines of the bones。 Pitiful beyond words was his effort to
give a semblance of strength to the biceps which rose faintly to the
upward movement of the forearm。 But the boss sent him off with an
oath and a contemptuous laugh； and I watched the fellow as he turned
down the street； facing the fact of his starving family with a
despair at his heart which only mortal man can feel and no mortal
tongue can speak。〃
Concerning habitat； Mr。 Jacob Riis has stated that in New York City；
in the block bounded by Stanton； Houston； Attorney； and Ridge
streets； the size of which is 200 by 300； there is a warren of 2244
human beings。
In the block bounded by Sixty…first and Sixty…second streets； and
Amsterdam and West End avenues； are over four thousand human
creatures；quite a comfortable New England village to crowd into
one city block。
The Rev。 Dr。 Behrends； speaking of the block bounded by Canal；
Hester； Eldridge； and Forsyth streets； says： 〃In a room 12 by 8 and
5。5 feet high； it was found that nine persons slept and prepared
their food。 。 。 。 In another room； located in a dark cellar； without
screens or partitions； were together two men with their wives and a
girl of fourteen； two single men and a boy of seventeen； two women
and four boys；nine； ten； eleven； and fifteen years old；fourteen
persons in all。〃
Here humanity rots。 Its victims； with grim humor； call it 〃tenant…
house rot。〃 Or； as a legislative report puts it： 〃Here infantile
life unfolds its bud； but perishes before its first anniversary。
Here youth is ugly with loathsome disease； and th