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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
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War of the Classes
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
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War of the Classes
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 the deformities which follow physical degeneration。〃
These are the men and women who are what they are because they
were not better born； or because they happened to be unluckily born in
time and space。 Gauged by the needs of the system； they are weak and
worthless。 The hospital and the pauper's grave await them； and they offer
no encouragement to the mediocre worker who has failed higher up in the
industrial structure。 Such a worker； conscious that he has failed； conscious
from the hard fact that he cannot obtain work in the higher employments；
finds several courses open to him。 He may come down and be a beast in
the social pit； for instance； but if he be of a certain caliber； the effect of the
social pit will be to discourage him from work。 In his blood a rebellion
will quicken； and he will elect to become either a felon or a tramp。
If he have fought the hard fight he is not unacquainted with the lure of
the 〃road。〃 When out of work and still undiscouraged； he has been forced
to 〃hit the road〃 between large cities in his quest for a job。 He has loafed；
seen the country and green things； laughed in joy； lain on his back and
listened to the birds singing overhead； unannoyed by factory whistles and
bosses' harsh commands； and； most significant of all； HE HAS LIVED！
That is the point！ He has not starved to death。 Not only has he been care…
free and happy； but he has lived！ And from the knowledge that he has
idled and is still alive； he achieves a new outlook on life； and the more he
experiences the unenviable lot of the poor worker； the more the
blandishments of the 〃road〃 take hold of him。 And finally he flings his
challenge in the face of society； imposes a valorous boycott on all work；
and joins the far…wanderers of Hoboland； the gypsy folk of this latter day。
But the tramp does not usually come from the slums。 His place of birth
is ordinarily a bit above； and sometimes a very great bit above。 A
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War of the Classes
confessed failure； he yet refuses to accept the punishment； and swerves
aside from the slum to vagabondage。 The average beast in the social pit is
either too much of a beast； or too much of a slave to the bourgeois ethics
and ideals of his masters； to manifest this flicker of rebellion。 But the
social pit； out of its discouragement and viciousness； breeds criminals；
men who prefer being beasts of prey to being beasts of work。 And the
mediocre criminal； in turn； the unfit and inefficient criminal； is
discouraged by the strong arm of the law and goes over to trampdom。
These men； the discouraged worker and the discouraged criminal；
voluntarily withdraw themselves from the struggle for work。 Industry does
not need them。 There are no factories shut down through lack of labor； no
projected railroads unbuilt for want of pick…and…shovel men。 Women are
still glad to toil for a dollar a week； and men and boys to clamor and fight
for work at the factory gates。 No one misses these discouraged men； and in
going away they have made it somewhat easier for those that remain。
So the case stands thus： There being more men than there is work for
men to do； a surplus labor army inevitably results。 The surplus labor army
is an economic necessity； without it； present society would fall to pieces。
Into the surplus labor army are herded the mediocre； the inefficient； the
unfit； and those incapable of satisfying the industrial needs of the system。
The struggle for work between the members of the surplus labor army is
sordid and savage； and at the bottom of the social pit the struggle is
vicious and beastly。 This struggle tends to discouragement； and the victims
of this discouragement are the criminal and the tramp。 The tramp is not an
economic necessity such as the surplus labor army； but he is the by…
product of an economic necessity。
The 〃road〃 is one of the safety…valves through which the waste of the
social organism is given off。 And BEING GIVEN OFF constitutes the
negative function of the tramp。 Society； as at present organized； makes
much waste of human life。 This waste must be eliminated。 Chloroform or
electrocution would be a simple； merciful solution