There is apparent a general increase in the amount of manufacturing business done in the period covered by this table, as indicated by each item considered. This increase is not equally distributed, however, as is shown by the encroachment of the cost of basic material upon the value of the product and by the decreasing ratio of wages, compared with the same item.

cent.

IRON, STEEL, AND TIN PLATE.-In the pig-iron industry, with a capital of $72,188,784 and 15,785 employees in 1900, there was a production of 6,371,688 gross tons, of a realized average value of $16.55 per ton, making a total value of $105,449,923. This was a decrease of 2.6 per cent from the production of the year 1899; but as the value per ton was 10.3 per cent greater, the total value of product showed an increase of 7.4 per cent. The aggregate cost of basic material was 31.5 per cent greater than in 1899, while the cost per ton was greater by 35.0 per cent. In the items affected by wage rates are found the following increases as compared with the previous year: In aggregate wages paid, 11.9 per cent; in average yearly earnings, 8.7 per cent; in average daily wages, 10.6 per cent; and in labor cost per ton, 14.7 per In each of these items there was a considerable advance over the corresponding item for any year shown in the report (1896 to 1900). For steel production in 1900 the amounts were, in gross tons, Bessemer, 3,488,569; open hearth, 2,702,968; crucible, 64,500; by other processes, 738. The total of 6,256,775 gross tons presented a decrease of 2.9 per cent as compared with the year 1899. The detailed figures indicate a tendency of the open-hearth process to supersede all others. The production of iron and steel rolled into finished form amounted in 1900 to 6,649,475 net tons of a value of $249,736,207. This includes bars, rods, strip steel, skelp, shapes, rolled axles, structural iron, plates and sheets, including black plate for tinning, cut nails, cut spikes, rails, etc., but does not include billets or muck bar. The value of basic material was $154,203,643. In this line of industry 73,579 working people received $42,476,589, or an average of $577.29 per employee for the year's earnings. The average daily wages were $2.17. These figures are not comparable with the statistics for this branch of production for previous years, as a wider range of products is included in this report. Rejecting the matter reported on for this year only, and comparing the remainder with the corresponding data for the year 1899, there appears an increase of 4.5 per cent in the value of product and a decrease of 4.4 per cent in the number of tons produced. The average value per ton was 16.3 per cent greater, while the value of the basic material used showed a total increase of 7.9 per cent, or of 20.1 per cent per ton. The aggregate amount paid out in wages was 0.3 per cent less, but as the average number of employees was 2.9 per cent less, the average earnings for the year and the average daily wages were

increased 2.7 per cent and 8.2 per cent, respectively. The number of days in operation was 272 as against 287 for the previous year. Seventeen black-plate works produced 312,002,000 pounds of tin plate in the year 1900, of which 264,306,000 pounds were tinned, the value of the same being $10,936,510. The remainder, 47,696,000 pounds, was disposed of in the untinned state, its value being $1,654,387. There were 7,394 working people employed for an average term of 199 days. The total wages were $3,526,934, being an average of $477 for each employee for the year, or $2.40 per day. As compared with the year 1899, the production fell off 15.4 per cent in quantity, though its value is 3.6 per cent greater. There was a decrease of 3.7 per cent in the number of working people, 13 per cent in the aggregate wages paid, and 9.6 per cent in the average yearly earnings. As the number of days in operation was 10.8 per cent less than in 1899, there was still shown an increase of 1.7 per cent in the average daily wages.

Six tin dipping works, buying all their black plate, produced 33,548,000 pounds of tin and terne, of a value of $2,107,987. These works employed 363 working people for 252 days, paying an aggregate of $134,700 in wages, the average yearly earnings per employee being $371.07. A comparison with 1899 shows a decrease of 10 per cent in the production and an increase of 7.2 per cent in the total value, and of 19.3 per cent in the value per 100 pounds.

GLASS PRODUCTION.-One hundred and twenty-seven establishments, with a capital of $22,162,429, were in operation 235 days during the year ending June 30, 1900, producing goods of a market value of $21,186,246. The labor cost was 49.79 per cent of the market value. Statistics of employees by classes are as follows:

NUMBER AND WAGES OF EMPLOYEES IN GLASS INDUSTRY, YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1900.

Comparing the above statistics with those for 1890, compiled by the United States Census, the following percentages of increase appear: In capital, 68.3; in number of employees, 24.4; in aggregate wages, 20.8; and in value of product, 23.3.

Tables showing the range of daily wages in the glass industry by occupations, and the average daily wages in 90 different industries, complete the statistical presentations of this report.

RHODE ISLAND.

Fourteenth Annual Report of the Commissioner of Industrial Statistics, made to the General Assembly at its January session, 1901. Henry E. Tiepke, Commissioner. viii, 187 pp.

This report presents the following subjects: Statistics of textile manufactures, 53 pages; strikes, lockouts, and shutdowns, 22 pages; free public employment offices, 74 pages; public labor bureaus in England, 22 pages; population of Rhode Island, 4 pages.

TEXTILE MANUFACTURES.-Comparative statistics are given for the years 1898 and 1899 for 175 identical establishments, of which 84 were engaged in the manufacture of cotton goods, 10 in the manufacture of hosiery and knit goods, 18 were bleacheries and dye and print works, 5 manufactured silk goods and 58 woolen goods. A summary of the statistics given follows:

STATISTICS OF 175 TEXTILE MANUFACTURING ESTABLISHMENTS, 1898 AND 1899.

STRIKES, LOCKOUTS, AND SHUTDOWNS IN 1900.-This is a chronological record of various labor troubles within the State, derived from reports given in the newspapers. No statistics are presented.

FREE PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT OFFICES.-Under this caption is found a general consideration of the subject, with extracts of reports of various State officials; statistics of the State offices of Ohio and Illinois, and some account of certain other agencies of similar nature but not under State control.

PUBLIC LABOR BUREAUS IN ENGLAND.-In this chapter is given an account of various labor bureaus or registries which are free but not supported by the Government, with a statistical summary of the operations of selected registries for the years 1897, 1898, and 1899.

WASHINGTON.

Second Biennial Report of the Labor Commissioner of the State of Washington, 1899-1900. W. P. C. Adams, Commissioner. 93 pp.

The present report consists of a large number of short chapters, mostly of one or two pages, relating to a great variety of subjects. Of those containing information relating to labor conditions the following are the most important: Condition of labor in the State, 4 pages; free employment offices, 9 pages; metal mining, 6 pages; agricultural products, 4 pages; flour milling, 3 pages; coal mining, 2 pages; wage scale for the State, 1 page.

CONDITION OF LABOR.-A general statement, based upon letters received from 43 labor organizations in the State, is given regarding the cost of living of working people, stability of employment, changes wages and prices, etc.

in

EMPLOYMENT OFFICES.-An account is given of the municipal employment offices at Seattle, prepared by the municipal labor commissioner. This bureau found employment for 24,183 persons in 1898 and for 22,752 persons in 1899. The total expense of this service was $1,377.13 in 1898 and $1,332.61 in 1899.

METAL MINING.-Information is given regarding the cost of making pack trails, mine roads, tunnels and shafts, the wages of miners, and the percentage of metal in the gold, silver, copper, and lead ore mined. The wages of miners were reported from $3 to $3.50 per day for ten hours' work, and the wages of laborers, $2.50 to $3 per day.

AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS.-Statistics are given of the acreage and the yield of certain crops in the State and of the wages paid for farm labor. On the east side of the Cascades regular farm laborers received $1 per day, and engineers and separator tenders $2.50 to $5 per day. On the west side of the Cascades regular farm laborers received from $1 to $1.50 per day, and engineers and separator tenders from $2.50 to $4 per day.

FLOUR MILLING.-Statistics are given for 21 flour mills in the State for the years 1898 and 1899. These 21 mills ground 4,332,196 bushels of wheat in 1899 and 5,264,001 in 1900, producing 859,961 barrels of flour in 1899 and 1,062,884 in 1900, and 94,967 tons of bran in 1899 and 96,267 in 1900. The wages of millers varied from $65 to $135 per month, and those of laborers from $48 to $70 per month.

COAL MINING.-Statistics are given showing the coal output in 1900, by counties, and the wages paid for different classes of mine labor. Miners employed by the day received from $2.25 to $3, and those on contract work earned from $2.50 to $4 per day.

WAGE SCALE FOR THE STATE.-A list of occupations of millmen, loggers, and other skilled and unskilled workers is given, and the maximum and minimum wages paid in each occupation.

RECENT FOREIGN STATISTICAL PUBLICATIONS.

BELGIUM.

Statistique des Salaires dans les Mines de Houille (Octobre 1896-Mai Office du Travail, Ministère de l'Industrie et du Travail. 104 pp.

1900).

1901.

The object of this report was to present a comparative study of the wages of coal-mine workers at the time of the industrial census of October, 1896, and in May, 1900. The year 1896 may be regarded as a year of average activity in the coal-mining industry in Belgium, while the year 1900 was one of exceptional prosperity. The present report, therefore, enables one to study the effect of such prosperity upon the wages paid in the industry.

While the census statistics cover all coal-mining enterprises in Belgium, the present comparative work covers returns from 63 out of a total of 110 enterprises, or 57 per cent, employing in 1896, 89,512 out of a total of 116,274 mine workers, or 77 per cent. Some of the 63 enterprises reporting in 1900 did not send wage returns of all their mines, and the wage data for such mines were, therefore, omitted from the comparative figures taken from the census returns. In this way the actual number of mine workers considered in the employ of the 63 mining enterprises was reduced to 88,287 in 1896. The same mines employed 100,138 mine workers in 1900. These figures constitute the basis for the statistics shown in the present report. The returns were made by the mine owners and not by the employees.

The detailed tables given in the report show for each coal-mining enterprise, and for each mining district in Belgium, and for the country as a whole, the total number of persons employed in the various classes of underground and surface work, grouped according to wage categories. Separate tables are given for male adults, female adults, boys under 16 years of age, and girls under 16 years of age. A second series of tables shows for each of the 10 principal occupations the proportion coming under each of the wage categories.