The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-01-26
INDUSTRIAL STATISTICS
Commissioner Goodwin's Report
Deals With Child Labor.
BOYS AND GIRLS WHO WORK.
The Number OF Children Employed In
Factories is said to be Decreasing
Reports by Counties-The Ages and oc-
cupations and school Attendance.

The annual report of the Commissioner
of Industrial Statistics, Aimon X. Good
win, was presented to the General Assem-
bly, to-day. Mr.. Goodwin refers TO the
study of child labor as recommended by
the convention of the Chiefs and Com.
missioners of the Bureaus Of Statistics.
''It will be noticed" Mr.. Goodwin says,
"that there is variety Of options as to
some of the questions involved, yet. all
agree that child labor is working evils,
the results of which will be seen and felt,
and most seriously, too, in the near future,
when these children grow into manhood
and womanhood, not only in their physi-
cal development and health, but in their
moral and intellectual condition. What
is the duty of the Statel On the one hand
il is cruel-it is an evil-the half of which
cannot be told, to permit these little chill
dren 10 work when they should be either
at play or at school."
Mr.. Goodwin refers TO parents whose
children are dependent upon their earn
ings for support, parents who could sup
port their their children but compel them
TO labor and then take their wages for
drink and parents who compel children TO
labor from love of gain.
Parents of the two GLASSES mentioned
may be more numerous in this State than
in Massachusetts, or Connecticut. But
this can be accounted for in part when we
come TO consider that in both or these
States no child is allowed to work in fac
tory or workshop under 13 years of age,
while in Rhode Island the law permits the
employment of children at the age of 10.
In fact in Rhode Island children can be
employed at almost any age IL the public
schools are not in session. IL will be
readily seen that Rhode Island would be
likely to have quite an influx OF families
whose children could not be put TO work
i'm either Massachusetts, or Connecticut be-
cause of the age restriction.
Ii Is gratifying TO note that the em-
ployment of children in Rhode Island is
not so extensive as In years past.
IL we 20 back twenty years we find the
percentage of children employed to total
population has been 2.5. In 1870 the total
population was 217, 1853, with 5,534 children
employed, or 2.5 per cent In 1873 the to-
tai population was 25s,259, with 6,133
children employed, or "a per cent. In 1880
the total population was 216,53l, with
G,40S children employed, or 2.3 per cent. In
1885 the total population was 30i, PSI, with
1884 children employed, or 26 per ce mt,
and in in 1890 the total population was
345 SOC, with 5273 children employed, or
l.5 per cent The population of 1890 is
12s1 153 more than in 1870, while the num-
Der of children employed is POI less. The
present total population Is 6S,yI5 more
than in 1880, while the number OF children
employed is l,l35 less.
In the summary which follows table
one we find that the total number of
children employed In the State is 5,273. of
which 2,977 are boys and 2,296 are girls
Iu Providence county, with total popu-
lation of 30, l23, there are employed 3,sl2
children. Kent county, with total pop
ulation of 26,754, employs 95l children.
Bristol county, with total population of
4 nh tnr1
county, with population of 23,649, en-
ploys $50 children. Newport county, with
a total population OF -, 552. employs but
95 children. The city ef Providence en-
ploys ,462, Woonsocket employs 376, Paw
tucket 81 and Newport but 81.
In the towns, Warwick leads with 600,
Lincoln next with 63S. Johnston 233, Gov
entry 2l3, Cumberland 307, Warren ls9,
North Smithfieid 106. All of the remain
ing towns have less than 100 each.
BY table two we find that there are en-
ployed i'm the State 264 children 10 years of
age; $751; IL years of age; 935, l2 years of
age: 1,134, 13 years of age, and 1889, IA
years of age: 2,s92 or 55 per cent. of them
are native born, and 2,3Sl or - per cent.
foreign born.
There are 122 cotton mills in the State,
and 105 of them made returns to the bu-
reau; So of these employ children, 20 do
not: 81 woolen and worsted establish
ments. II of which reported, and of these
81 employ children and 20 do not; l06 iron
and steel establishments, 80 reported, ! of
which employ children and ~ do not 220
jewelry establishments, lis reported, 46
employ children and 1872 do not; manu-
factories of hosiery, reported. and en-
ploy children IA bleacheries and print
works, IL reported, & employ children and
do not; 3 rubber establishments, 3 re-
ported, employ children and does not |;
5 silk establishments, reported, 2employ
children and do not.
For the year 1890 we find the total school
population of the State between the ages
of 10 and IA inclusive TO be -, l5S. Total
number attending school over II weeks,
"A, ,4l6. Total number attending school
Just IL weeks, l,119. Total number at
tending school less than - weeks, 464
Total number of absentees 3.099,