The Press., 1889-02-28
AN INTERESTING REPORT.

Of the many departmental reports sub- mitted at the present session of the legis. lature none are of more interest, or show more time and care expended, than that of Labor Commissioner Hotchkiss, which fills . pamphlet of 300 pages. It treats of wages paid in manufacturing, value of material, profits and other matters relating to the industries of the state, while atten- tion is also given to agricultural interests.
 Statistics were obtained from 90 estab. lishments in Connecticut representing 22 industries. It appears that in 1887 the wages paid in those 90 establishments were 29 and 17-100 per cent. of the cost of goods manufactured, while the percentage of net profit on the capital invested was 91. 100 per cent. Of the industries exam- ined bakeries were most profitable to cap. ital, the percentage of the net profits on capital being over 16 per cent. ; knit goods and forging comes next with little over II per cent, then corsets, malleable iron and printing with about 9 per cent. In- dustries which gave least returns to capi- tai were woolen goods, hats, general hard ware and cotton duck. Yet the hat shops paid in wages 35 per cent. of the cost of goods manufactured, hardware 39 per cent, cotton duck % and woolen goods 20 per cent. The highest percentage of wages paid to cost of goods is in cutlery, 69 the next highest is 61 in the machine shops, then comes clocks 49, malleable iron 45, printing 43, and iron foundries 42. The industry with the largest per cent. of re-
 turns on invested capital-bakeries- smallest per cent. in wages on the cost of the product, 13. The next lowest is paper mills, 17 per cent. None of the others fall below 20, and the large majority much no n1,nr Nf employees in the 90 establishments is 2S,- 256. The number employed in 1880 in all
 establishments in the state in the indus.
 tries selected was 72,771. The 90 estab-
 lishments visited are only small propor-
 ton of 5000 in the state. Where it was possible, pay rolls of 1S6u
 were obtained, and the comparison with
 1887, the report says, shows an average advance in the wages of males of 43 per
 cent. and of females 57 per cent, the
 highest percentage of advance being in
 the carpet and silk industries. Between
 those years there has been an average ad-
 vance in the price of groceries and pro.
 visions of 103 per cent, an advance in meats of 36 per cent, reduction in dry
 goods of 39 per cent, and in carpets of SC
 per cent.
 Il The plan of weekly payments has gained
 favor during the year. The commissioner is of the opininion that the majority ol employees prefer such payments, but 1T } many cases decline to state their prefer
 ence for fear of offending their employers The 10 hour law has been generally ob
 served. Many parents of foreign birtt , endeavort to evade the law prohibiting tho ) employment of children under 13 years O : age.
 A chapter is devoted to agriculture. O ] 693 farmers visited 241 were found to b, mortgaged, 314 report average profits O , $362, while 378 report an average def 3 ciency of $25s. Family support is in r cluded in farm expenses. Seventy -fiv r farms in Windham county net receipts o : $1 ,O6S the same number in New London , county of $2, ,906; and SS in Holland coun . ty a deficiency of $4,O31. The report say that 'there is no industry pursued in th } state in which the exercise of inteltigen , and discriminating business ability will } tell to better advantage than in agricul - ture."
 8 The labor commissioner finds stron
 demand for secret ballot among manu 1 lecturers, business men and laboring men 3 and prints the draft of 6 secret ballot bil @ which he recommends to the legislature 1, and which is before that body for consid d eration.