For purposes of making such comparison this Bureau has prepared the chart appearing on the preceding page, showing, graphically, the extent to which the periods of industrial prosperity and depression in Massachusetts and New York State correspond with those in the United Kingdom and Germany. An examination of the chart shows a remarkable correspondence in the fluctuations of the curves for Massachusetts and New York State during the entire period, 1908 to 1914, with some degree of correspondence between these curves and similar curves for the United Kingdom and Germany. It will be observed that the fluctuations in the curves representing the returns for Germany and the United Kingdom are by no means as violent as the corresponding fluctuations in the curve representing the conditions in New York State and Massachusetts. This, no doubt, may be explained by the fact that the British and German returns refer to far larger numbers1 of employees than do the returns for New York State and Massachusetts, and consequently a large variation in the number unemployed in a few industries does not affect the general percentages in the one case as noticeably as in the other.

On comparing the fluctuations of the curves, year by year, it will be noted that with the exception of the year 1908, when the curves for the United Kingdom and Germany showed a gradual upward trend during the year while the curves for New York State and Massachusetts showed a rapid downward trend, there was, in general, a rather close correspondence in the fluctuations of the curves, and it will be noted that the upward rise during the winter periods of each year is common to each curve. In the main, the Massachusetts curves correspond more closely in their fluctuations during the period with the curves for New York State than with the curves for the United Kingdom and Germany. The violent fluctuation upward of the British curve at the close of March, 1912, represents the effect of the strike of coal miners in England, while a similar fluctuation of the Massachusetts curve (for all causes) represents the effect of the notable strikes in Lawrence, Lowell, and other textile centers, which occurred early in 1912. Following the outbreak of the war in August, 1914, the German curve showed a violent upward fluctuation, while the British curve showed also a similar, but less pronounced, upward fluctuation. At the close of the year both curves showed a rapid downward trend toward normal, this representing, no doubt, the with

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1 At the end of December, 1913, returns relating to unemployment were furnished to the Labor Statistics Division of the German Imperial Statistical Office by a trade union membership of over 2,000,000. Reichs-Arbeitsblatt, Jan., 1914, No. 1, p. 10. The British returns for December, 1914, represented a net trade union membership of 917,580.- Board of Trade Labour Gazette, Jan. 1914, p. 1. The returns for New York State at the end of December, 1914, were supplied by 236 representative unions with an aggregate membership of 139,515. — New York Labor Bulletin No. 69, March, 1915, p. 19. The returns for Massachusetts covered 1,024 unions with an aggregate membership of 165,762 (see Table on p. 38).

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drawal of a large number of men from industry to engage in military pursuits and the re-organization of industry so as to provide for the manufacture of munitions of war. A further comparison of the curves for the United Kingdom and Germany shows that prior to the close of 1912 the curve for the United Kingdom maintained a decidedly higher level than that for Germany, but on that date it actually crossed the German curve and has since been continuously lower.

The Massachusetts curve representing unemployment for all causes shows, in general, a downward inclination from the high point in 1908 until the Fall of 1912, interrupted, however, by upward fluctuations during the winter period of each year, but since the close of 1912 the curve has shown, in general, an upward trend until, at the close of December, 1914, it had reached the highest point recorded during the entire seven-year period.

It will be observed that the Massachusetts curve representing unemployment for lack of work follows closely the trend of the curve for all causes, above described, and at a fairly constant distance below the former curve. A marked exception to this rule is found in the high point. reached at the close of March in 1912 by the curve for all causes, due to the unemployment directly and indirectly resulting from the series of important textile strikes which occurred early in the year 1912.

While no comparison of the general level of the several curves can be safely made, owing to the varying nature of the returns on which they have been based, it may be proper to add that the generally high level of the two curves for New York State has been attributed to the relatively large representation in the returns for that State of certain trades in which usually there is apt to be considerable unemployment, as, for example, in the garment trades in New York City.

4. SUMMARY OF QUARTERLY REPORTS RECEIVED FROM LABOR ORGANIZATIONS IN MASSACHUSETTS DURING THE YEARS 1908

1914.

A. INTRODUCTORY.

In this report are presented statistics relative to the state of employment in the organized industries in the Commonwealth for the sevenyear period, 1908-1914. The quarterly returns have already been published in detail in quarterly reports 2 issued by this Bureau. During this

1 The statistics of unemployment presented in this section of the report were obtained wholly from labor organizations. There is no scurce from which comprehensive information as to the state of employment of unorganized workingmen can be obtained short of a census, and the results of the latter method are always extremely unsatisfactory for reasons inherent in the circumstances under which censuses must necessarily be taken. See Note 1 on page 32.

entire period an endeavor has been made to follow identical methods in the collection and tabulation of the returns in order that the reports for the successive quarters might be strictly comparable in every respect. The returns on which these statistics are based were submitted voluntarily by officers of local labor organizations on inquiry blanks which were mailed to them at the end of each quarter.

The following comparative statement shows the number and membership of the organizations reporting at the close of each quarter since the collection of these returns was inaugurated, also the number of members unemployed and the corresponding percentages:

Number and Membership of Organizations Reporting at the Close of Each Quarter since the Collection of Returns was Inaugurated, and Number of Members Unemployed, with Corresponding Percentages.

on Sunday, the date chosen for the returns in each case was the day preceding.

* In explanation of this unusually high percentage unemployed for all causes it should be stated that over 9,000 organized textile workers in Lowell who were involved in a strike pending on March 30 were included in the aggregate number reported as unemployed on that date.

On reference to the percentages unemployed for all causes, as shown in the preceding table, it will be observed that the percentage, 18.3, for the close of December, 1914, was the highest recorded during the entire seven-year period 1908-1914, even exceeding slightly the percentage, 17.9, for the close of March in 1908, when was experienced the severest stress of the period of industrial depression which began in the Fall of 1907. The high point reached at the close of March, 1912, was due principally to the unemployment of a large number of textile workers who were on strike in Lawrence, Lowell, and other textile centers. The usual high percentages at the close of December and March represent seasonal inactivity which is confined largely to the building trades.

B. CAUSES OF UNEMPLOYMENT.

The following table shows, comparatively, by quarters, for the period 1908 to 1914, the percentages of membership unemployed for the several causes specified.

Percentage Unemployed, 1908-1914: By Causes.

1 Including vacations, temporary shut-downs for repairs, stock-taking, etc.

2 Less than 0.05 per cent.

3 Owing to the fact that the respective dates - December 31, 1911, March 31, 1912, and June 30, 1912on Sunday, the date chosen for the returns in each case was the day preceding.

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