Waterbury evening Democrat., 1895-02-14
LABOR RuREAu REPoRT.
TK6 I4dastrial Depressisn and chil Lahdf the PrincinAI Poinfa Di

TK6 I4dastraal Depression and Child Labdf the Principal Points Dis- eussed.
 The report of the Connecticut bureau of labor etastistics has just been published. The Inquiry of the bureau into the effects of the industrial depression covered e period Of fifteen months from June l, lS93s As only beck accounts were de- sired. the inquiry was limited to about 500 of the largest manufacturing establish ments in the state, SIS of which made re- turns which could be used.
 For all establishments the per cent of hours worked of full time was 68.S6; the per cent average number employed of the average number in 1892 was S4.8 83; and the per cent average monthly payment for wages of the monthly average in 1892 was "A 94.
 The estimated product during: the de- prtssion was about three-quarteFs of the normal in the manufacture of shoes and of buttons. in brass goods, cast iron, corsets, hardware. hosiery. rubber goods, silk and wood working. It was more than three quarters in the manufacture of clocks. cottons, cotton clothing. paper boxes, hats, paper and twine and in the printing busi- ness. The lowest production was in musical instruments, where it was only a little more than half of the normal. In wool, in cutlery and in firearms it was about six per cent, and in stone cutting, in wire goods, in machine building. in car riage-making and in silver-ware the pro- duction was about two-thirds.
 A little more than one half of the estab- llshments represented reduced the rate of wages. the most recent percentage of re- duetion being ten. In few establish akesk ksSSn 1N .h~ sequently restored.
 Considerable information was collected in Connecticut on the subject of fewer working hours, the main object being to determine the relation between decreased working time and production. Visits were made to about one hundred establishments where the hours of labor had been reduced, or in which shorter week resulted from the adoption of the short work day on Saturday. Fifty-nine of these establishments reported :, that there had been no reduction in product consequent upon the reduction in working time, thir- ty-one reported & proportionate reduction and seven slight reduction, while six did not specify the ratio of the reduction. A striking fact developed was that there was was less likelihood of reduction in pro- duct following the reduction in the work
 
 was done by the piece, or where the day wages were not reduced to correspond with the reduction in working time. It ap- peared also that where mechanical skill entered largely into the production of goods, the decreased working hours result. ed in . concentration of energy and sus. tained effort, whereby the output. was not decreased. The opposite result was natu. ral where the product is largely the output of automatic machinery speeded to its utmost. A gain to the manufacturer from reduced working time was reported in sev eral instances. due to a saving in incident al expense, and to lessening of irregular absenteeism.
 In further support of the recommends tion previously made. that the age limit o employment in manufacturing aud mer tantile establishments be raised iron thirteen to fourteen. the bureau presents statistics obtained from the principals o many of the grammar schools of the statt which show that the great majority of tn, children do not acquire common schoo education at the time when the law permit them to leave school and seek employment With the age limit of employment fixed a fourteen years, the number who woul, finish the grammar school course woul, be increased. while many others woul, have the benefit of at least nine nor months in school at very impfessionabl age.
 Legislative encouragement, as we'll a state supervision. is asked for the saving and loan associations, They teach thrift the report says. stimulate saving and ai, pany in the requirement of homes. The differ from the savings banks in this, tha while the savings banks invite savings, tn savings and loan associations enforce say ings. the result being that savings mad through the associations are, in large part savings which would not otherwise b made.