The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-08-24
Manufactures In Massachusetts.

Thu Massachusetts, bureau OF the statis-
tics of labor has published a report setting
forth the condition Of manufactures in that
State for the year 1898, rs compared with
the preceding twelvemonth. Mr.. HORACE G..
WADLlN, who has collected and analysed
the facts, has produced in n volume Of some
400 pages II model of what such compila-
tions ought to be.
These statistics are OF general interest.
because they bear witness to the mischiev-
Gus effect of circumstances from which the
country, as q whole, has suffered. Unqucs-
tionably, the anomalous condition of Massa-
chusetts manufacture during the year 1898
was due to the prevailing industrial depres-
sion. IL is true that there was a slight in.
crease In the amount of capital invested,
but this was probably an ostensible increase
only, applicable upon grounds to which
we shall presently refer. In each OF the
other elements considered, namely, value OF
stock used, value of goods made. average
number Of persons employed, aggregate
amount Of wages paid, average yearly earn
ings per individual, proportion Of business,
and average number OF days In operation,
we observe n decided decrease, when all in
dustries are examined. We should mention
that by the term all industries is meant the
az classified industries, represented by 4 1907
establishments, which made returns both
for 4 8 and 1899.
Let us glance for a moment at these data
in detail. There is, as we have said, a trivial
increase in the capital devoted to produc-
ton in 1893, as compared with 1899; this
amounted to Lea per cent. 1t does not
follow that there was an investment of
more money in productive enterprises; in
this report the statistical increase Is at
tributed To the estimated value of stock on
hand, or Of stock in process OF manufacture,
or to some items classed as capital, other
than cash. When we turn to the
value Of stock used in all industries
in 1893, we find a decrease OF 7.3e per cent.
There was also a decrease OF s. per cent.
in the value of goods made. This is the
first time since these reports were started
in Massachusetts, when a decrease has been
shown in the value of goods made in all in
dustries, viewed collectively. On the con-
trary, for a number OF years there had been
an average annual increase OF about three
per cent. Thu industry which exhibited
the greatest decrease in the value of goods
made was the manufacture OF woollen goods,
which fell off 1885 per cent. next came
that Of leather, which declined 49, 90 per
cent, and h metals and metallic goods,
OF which 1885 per cent. less in value were
produced in 1893 than in the previous
twelvemonth.
We pass to the number OF persons en-
ployed and to the wages paid. In 1899 the
average number of persons employed in the
1897 industries represented in this report
was BOG, eos; while the return for the same
industries in 1893 was goa. l89, the decrease
being 4.26 per cent. The shrinkage in the
number OF employees was greatest in the
carpet industry, namely, 7,s2 per cent.
There was also a decline Of 7.27 per cent. in
the total of those who found employment in
the metal industry, and Of 7.lO per cent. in
the field Of labor offered by the manufac-
ture Of boots and shoes. The aggregate
amount Of wages paid in the rs industries
which figure in this report fell OF 7.75
per cent, in 1893, as compared with 1892. |
Especially striking was the drop of 1859
per cent. in woollen goods. The average
yearly earnings per individual, without re-
gard to sex or age, were reduced by 8.64 per
cent, that is to say, from $3.50. 80 in lS92
to $434.17 in 1893. The higher earnings
were, OF course, obtained in the industries
demanding greater skill and employing men
and the lower in factory industries
employing a large proportion of women and
young persons.
II these proofs of curtailment in the out
put Of goods and in the amount OF wages
distributed should seem less impressive than
may have been expected, one should bear in
mind that for many years there has been in
Massachusetts a steady annual improvement
In both particulars.