The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-05-29
Large Growth Of the Industry Under .
Protective TAriH.

Protective Tariff.
The census bureau has issued bulletin
on the industry OF dyeing and finishing
textiles. At the census Of 1880 there were
l6,69s hands employed. receiving So. 1854
in wages: at the present census 20 267
hands were employed, earning $9.17,0li
in wages. the average annual earnings for
men, women and children being $40 IS as
compared with $3s7.73 in 1850, an increase
of 1896 per cent. This increase is evil
IDENTITY due to more regular employment,
the large increase in the number Of males
earning the higher rate Of wages, the small
increase in the number of women and the
marked but gratifying diminution in the
number of children employed.
The number OF males employed in $3.50
was IL. 1S as compared with Il. 7SS in 1880,
an increase of Ass, or 3i0s per cent. the
number Of females employed IN 1890 was
,. 32s: in 1880 there were 2.03S. an increase
children employed in 1880 was 1913 As COM
pared with 1.S72 in 1880. a diminution Of
1919. or decrease of 1874 per cent.
While there WAS an increase in all the
expenses in the present census year over
those reported at the census Of 1850 the re-
turns show that the value of the work
done in the Lighthouses. bleacheries and
there were 2iS establishments engaged in
this industry in $500. and l3l in 1850. an
increase of %. 81 per cent, the value OF the
work done during the present census wear
was SIS $40. $50 as compared with 49, 297.-
i2S i'll isS0. decrease Of 81. BOG $50, or 1852
per cent. This decrease Is ali the more
marked because of the increase in the pro-
duets Of silk. cotton and wooden mills dur
ing the decade. At the same time a
marked increase is shown in the amount
paid for wages. slight difference in cost
Of materials. and an apparently large in
crease in the amount OF capital invested.
The total capital employed mot including
81, Sl9. 10 value of property hired) in the
industry of dyeing and finishing textiles
for 1890 was $3s, $50 500, an apparent bu.
not an actual increase OF 81. Do $40 over
that employed as reported at the census of
1850. The large increase shown in this
item for the past decade IS partly due 10
the fact that invested capital, a. returned
at the census of $50, did not take cogni.
zance of all items that properly embrace
Live assets" which are for the first time
fully included as the census Of 1884,
Overs and iinishers explain that the de-
crease in vaue OF the work done, as re-
ported for 1872 is due To the fact that
competition and improved processes have
reduced their charges for work at least -
per cent. The market cost of chemicals
and iyestuiss remains about the same, but
1t is not necessary IN use as much OF these
articles now in a given quantity of goods
as was employed at the census period OF
1880. This is particularly noticeable in
the manufacture OF silk. as by the intro
duction of machinery operated by power
il is now possible To do work that ten
years ago could only be performed by
hand. Therefore the decrease in the value
of work done is not due'to an increase in
the number of manufacturers of textiles
doing their own dyelng aud finishing
since the proportion Of such manufacture
ers in l.s1 is about the same as IN issl
Massachusetts, ranks first in the dvelng
industry; then follow New Jersey, Rhode
Island. Pennsylvania, New York. Connec-
ticut and Illinois.