Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-09-09
4 CENSUS OF MANUFACTURES.
The Bulletin on the District to Be the First
One Issued.

in few weeks a bulletin on the manu-
features of the District will be issued from the
census Office. The importance of the bulletin
viii lie III the fact not only that it will give
valuable information on a subject about which
there Is little known but it will also be the
model of bulletins TO be issued in the future
giving the data of manufactures of the other
cities in the country. The District bulletin is
the first one 10 be issued, because the data for
it was received in the census Office ahead
of any other city. Owing to the adj
mirabie work of Mr.. Harrison Dingman,
the special agent of the District this result was
possible. 1t Is intended to publish distinct bull
letIns IN similar forms for the various princi-
pal cities in the order In which their field work
was finished. The bulletin ON st. Louis will
probably he the next one issued. Mr.. Frank
r. Williams. the expert special agent in charge
of the inquiry touching all branches OF manu-
features, has made a careful study OF the sub
ject OF presenting the statistical statement of
manufactures, and in the form in which the
bulletins appear it is believed that the
data will be not only ineligible, but will
also give information not heretofore OBJ
taInable on this subject. In the pres
ent census the manufacturing statistics
Will be given under the following heads: Num-
Der o. establishments reported, capital in
vested, miscellaneous expenses, hands en-
piOyed. wages paid, cost of material used and
value OF goods manufactured. These heads
are identical with those used Ill $780, with the
important exception of miscellaneous expenses
which Include rent, insurance, taxes repail
and all other expenses which enter into the
cost of manufacture other than the cost OF
labor and materials. The next difference be-
tween this inquiry and the ones preceding it
Is the extent OF detail under the various
heads. This is found apparent in the in
crease in the number of manufacturing
Establishments, and especially III the develop
ment OF the actual amount of capital employed.
The items under the head of misc llaneons ex-
penses viii enable comparison to be made be-
tween the different cities as to the cost of doing
business in those cities 1t will also remove q
fruitful source of error In the estimate based
on the figures given in previous censllses of the
profits ot manufacturing. Heretofore all the
data that have been available is the cost of ma
terial, the wages and the value of the product
thus leaving out of the calculation the
cost of the very important items shown
under the head of miscellaneous expenses.
The exhaustive inquiry under the head of labor
and wages will enable a comparison to be made
az to the relative term of employ ment, hours
and rules of wages. In previous censuses the
aggregate number OF men, women and children
employed was reported and the amount of
wages The wages paid to each class were not
given. The Forthcoming bulletins will show
not only the number OF men, women and chill
dIen employed and the wages paid to each, but
Will classify them under the following heads
Firm members. officers profit sharers ceri-
cal labor, productive and skilled labor, nom
productive and unskilled labor and hands en-
Ployed at piece work. For each of these classes
the average number employed. the average
number Of weeks employed and the weekly
wages will be given. Also the average daily
tenn of employment for each class.