| Persons employed. | Including their families. | |
|---|---|---|
| 1882 | 8.27 | 10.02 |
| 1895 | 10.21 | 11.52 |
| 1907 | 11.50 | 13.41 |
We see, then, that in Germany, at present, 56.16 per cent. of the population (in Saxony even 74.5 per cent.) depend upon industry and commerce, and that not more than 28.65 per cent. (in Saxony only 10.07 per cent.) are engaged in agriculture.
[2.—Increasing Pauperization.—Preponderance of Large Industrial Establishments.]
It is also important to state how the population employed in gainful occupations is divided among independent workers, employes and laborers, and what proportion of each of these is furnished by either sex. This information may be gathered from the table on the following page.
[[Version of the table for narrower screens]]
| Independent Persons | Employees | Wage-workers | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1882 | 1895 | 1907 | 1882 | 1895 | 1907 | 1882 | 1895 | 1907 | |
| Agriculture: | |||||||||
| Male | 2,010,865 | 2,221,826 | 2,172,740 | 60,763 | 78,066 | 82,548 | 3,629,959 | 3,239,646 | 3,028,983 |
| Female | 277,168 | 346,899 | 328,234 | 5,881 | 18,107 | 16,264 | 2,251,860 | 2,388,148 | 4,254,488 |
| Total | 2,288,022 | 2,568,725 | 2,500,974 | 66,644 | 96,173 | 98,812 | 5,881,819 | 5,627,794 | 7,283,471 |
| Industry: | |||||||||
| Male | 1,621,668 | 1,542,272 | 1,499,832 | 96,807 | 254,421 | 622,071 | 3,551,014 | 4,963,409 | 7,030,427 |
| Female | 579,478 | 519,492 | 477,290 | 2,269 | 9,324 | 63,936 | 545,228 | 992,302 | 1,562,698 |
| Total | 2,201,146 | 2,061,764 | 1,978,122 | 99,076 | 263,745 | 686,007 | 4,096,243 | 5,955,711 | 8,593,125 |
| Commerce: | |||||||||
| Male | 550,936 | 640,941 | 765,551 | 138,387 | 249,920 | 426,220 | 582,885 | 836,042 | 1,354,482 |
| Female | 150,572 | 202,616 | 246,641 | 3,161 | 11,987 | 79,689 | 144,377 | 365,005 | 605,043 |
| Total | 701,508 | 843,557 | 1,012,192 | 141,548 | 261,907 | 505,900 | 727,262 | 1,201,047 | 1,959,525 |
| Altogether: | |||||||||
| Male | 4,183,469 | 4,405,039 | 4,338,123 | 295,957 | 582,407 | 1,130,839 | 7,763,858 | 9,071,097 | 13,694,160 |
| Female | 1,007,218 | 1,069,007 | 1,052,165 | 11,311 | 39,418 | 159,889 | 2,941,455 | 3,745,455 | 4,161,961 |
| Total | 5,190,685 | 7,474,046 | 5,390,288 | 307,268 | 621,825 | 1,290,728 | 10,705,324 | 12,816,552 | 17,856,121 |
This table shows that the number of persons independently engaged in agriculture increased by 280,692 from 1882 to 1895, an increase of 12.5 per cent.; but that from 1895 to 1907 it decreased by 67,751, so that from 1882 to 1907 the number of independent persons in agriculture has increased by only 212,941 = 9.2 per cent. On the other hand the number of workingmen that had decreased by 254,025 = 4.3 per cent., from 1882 to 1895, has, since 1895, increased by 1,655,677 = 29.4 per cent. Upon examining this increase more closely we find that it is mainly due to female members helping to support the families. (Among the total increase of 1,990,930 are 170,532 male and 1,820,938 female.) When we take only the rural day-laborers and help into consideration, we find that the male workers have decreased by 381,195 persons, while the female workers have increased by 45,942 persons. Altogether this shows the considerable decrease of 335,253 persons among agricultural laborers. In agriculture, then, not only the number of independent persons, but also the number of help and day laborers has decreased. The increase in the agricultural occupation, compared to the previous census, is due to the greatly increased assistance from members of the families, especially the female members.
The industrial occupation presents a different picture. In a term of 25 years the persons independently employed decreased by 234,024 = 10.6 per cent., while the population increased by 36.48 per cent. Mechanics, working alone or working with two assistants, have mainly disappeared. The number of wage-workers has increased by 1,859,468 from 1882 to 1895, and by 2,637,414 from 1895 to 1907. When we count only the wage-workers proper, not including the members of their families who assist at their work, we find that their number has increased from 5,899,708 in 1895 to 8,460,338 in 1907. Three-quarters of all persons employed in industrial occupations are wage-workers (75.16 per cent.).
In commerce and trade we find the opposite ratio. Here the number of persons independently engaged has greatly increased, but the number of employes and workers has increased likewise. The number of women independently engaged in commerce has increased especially; they chiefly are either widows who seek to make their living as small dealers, or married women who endeavour to increase their husbands’ income. The number of persons independently engaged in commerce increased by 310,584 = 44.3 per cent., from 1882 to 1907. But the number of employes and wage-workers has increased still more (by 364,361 = 258.8, and by 1,232,263 = 169.4 per cent.). This shows how tremendously commerce and trade have developed, particularly from 1895 to 1907. There are almost twice as many employes as prior to that period, and among these almost six times as many female employes.
During the period from 1882 to 1907 the entire number of persons independently engaged in the three occupations increased by 5.7 per cent.; it did not keep pace then with the increase in population (36.48 per cent.). The number of employes increased by 325.4 per cent., and the number of wage-workers by 39.1 per cent. We must furthermore take into consideration that among 5,490,288 independent persons, many lead an entirely proletarian existence. Among the 2,086,368 manufactories enumerated there were no less than 994,743 small producers who worked alone and 875,518 who did not employ over five assistants. In commerce there were, in 1907 among 709,231 establishments, no less than 232,780 maintained by the owners without assistance. There were, besides, 5240 porters, errand-boys, etc., and thousands of insurance agents, book agents, etc.