Mental Capacity of Army Group and of Portland Unemployed as Measured by Stanford-Binet
| Mental Age | Army Group | Portland Unemployed |
| 653 Cases | 105 Cases | |
| Per Cent | Per Cent | |
| 5 | 0.2 | |
| 6 | 0.3 | |
| 7 | 0.2 | 1.9 |
| 8 | 3.4 | 1.9 |
| 9 | 9.5 | 3.8 |
| 10 | 10.1 | 6.7 |
| 11 | 10.6 | 5.7 |
| 12 | 12.4 | 8.6 |
| 13 | 10.6 | 16.2 |
| 14 | 11.8 | 18.1 |
| 15 | 9.6 | 11.4 |
| 16 | 8.3 | 9.5 |
| 17 | 7.2 | 7.6 |
| 18 | 5.2 | 7.6 |
| 19 | 0.8 | 2.9 |
Many individuals not feeble-minded find their way into the group of casual and migratory workers by reason of other defects of personality, for example, emotional instability and egocentricity. Among transient laborers the very great turnover cannot be entirely accounted for by industrial conditions. Much of their shifting from scene to scene is indicative of their emotional instability and restlessness.
19. W. E. was born in a little village in Kentucky. His first job away from home was on the section. When he learned that it was the meanest job on the railroad he decided to change. He got a job on an extra-gang where he moved about considerably, worked in several towns during the summer. Later got a steady job on a farm but he soon tired of “eating at the same table day after day” and he went to Kansas City where he worked in a box factory. He became expert at it but soon tired of using the same tools, and working as fast as possible day after day, and he changed. He worked in several factories making boxes but there was no difference. Then with his meager experience with tools he got in the maintenance of way work of a railroad. Here he had some variety and remained a year. Decided he wanted to work in the mines and he got a job timbering. Later he tried his hand at millwright work but he soon quit that and went back to the bridge gang. He still goes to town every month or two to spend his money and each time he goes out to some different job.
In hard times when work is scarce and wages are low, voluntary quitting of jobs is much less than in good times. Hobos are easily piqued and they will “walk off” the job on the slightest pretext, even when they have the best jobs and living conditions are relatively good. Hobo philosophy is disposed to represent the man who is a long time on the job as a piker. He ought to leave a job once in a while simply to assert his independence and to learn something else about other jobs. The following case shows the relation of instability and egocentricity to labor turnover:
20. Yes, Pete had had plenty of good jobs, but something had always gone against him. At one place not long ago they wanted him to continue work in spite of the dust which was blowing everywhere. Another rude employer never spoke to him (or any other of the employees) politely.
No one should work for a man like that. Upon another occasion the boss suggested reform of a certain habit—as if he had any right to tell an American citizen what he ought to do.
He had worked at almost everything, but it went against his very nature to do one thing very long. He would, in two or three weeks, quit and look for a different occupation. Why he quit, I am sure he didn’t know. “Independence,” “Justice,” and “American Equality” furnished the material for his excuses, but they were only excuses.
A survey of the so-called “intellectuals” of Hobohemia reveals a group of egocentric and rebellious natures who decry most things that are. Intellectuals, just because they are highly organized and specialized, are very likely to become misfits outside of the environment to which they artificially are adapted. When, added to this handicap, they lack the discipline which a regular occupation affords they are likely to become quite impossible.