The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-03-19
LABOR STATISTICS.
Synopsis of the Annual Report of theCom.
missioner of Labor for the.State.

Messenger Bureau, Park Hotel.
| Raleigh, N. c., March II.
In the rush and hurly-burly Of the
legislative session but little attention
was paid a publication of particular
interest-the report Of the state bu-
reau of labor statistics for 1896. The
first chapter Of this is devoted to agri-
| cultural statistics.
! The figures given in chapter 1 are
based on replies from 355 representative
| farmers, in the SO counties. The aver
| age wages paid farm labor are as fol-
children So. Rations averaging $3.50 a
month and Vegetables, fuel and fruit
| averaging $3.50 are furnished; making
| the actual figures $3.50. The reports
| show that 65 counties produce cotton,
and also that the average cost of pro-
ducing a 400 pound bale is 500. 20. OF
this 65 per cent. represents labor alone
Eighty-five counties produce wheat, at
an average cost of 60 cents a buShel,
n "a counties produce corn, at an
| average cost Of 40 cents a buShel. Nine
ty-two counties produce oats, at an
average Of % cents and SO produce to-
bacco, at an average cost of 1888 per
| 100 pounds.
When the question blanks were sent
to farmers the inquiry was made as to
. whether they favored compulsory edu-
! cation. From Y counties the reply was
yes" while Z failed to answer and
only II said no" 1t is the first time
this inquiry was ever made. OF the
355 farmers who. as stated, mad re-
plies, no less than 234 declared they
favored compulsory education. There
had been no agitation of this unques-
tionably great question and the high
percentage of replies in the affirmative
shows it is striking into the popular
mind.
Chapter 2 is devoted to the cotton
and wooden mills. There are 1S9 of
these, located in 40 counties. OF them
SO per cent. are in the four counties of
Alamance, CASTOR, Mecklenburg and
Randolph, the two former having 20
each and the two latter IA each. Cas-
ton has 101, 331 spindles, and Alamance
3,735 looms. In operating mills about
$4,000 horsepower is used.
Of operators employed in mills there
23,431, divided as follows: Men 6,S22,
women 10, 567, children 6,O46. The aver
6 daily wages are, macninist s1.68,
engineer $1.46. fireman sc cents, skilled
IleIl ~ CENTS, uHSkllieQ o. cents, SkllleQ
woman IS cents, unskilled woman AN
cents, children 81 cents. In other words
the skilled female labOrer does not get
as much pay as the unskilled man.
OF the grown employ 81 per cent.
read and write and Of the children 66h
per cent. OF the children 1,738 Boys and
1,641 girls are under IA years Of age.
The daily hours Of labor range from 10
to IL. The question Of the employment
OF children ia an infnrQcfinO ono
gentleman who was getting up some
figures on the employment of children
asked half a dozen mill employees their
views as to the question Of non-employ-
ment Of children under IA years in the
mills and also the question of compul-
sorry education. He found all the half
dozen bitterly opposed to both ideas.
He expressed surprise and then they
gave their reasons, which certainly are
remarkable. They said they had been
at all the incident to the birth
and childhood Of their children. had
Clothed and fed them until they were
able to go to work, at 10 to II years old,
and that 1t was only right that the
children should be put to work, in order
that the parents might get their money
back. They further argued that il the-
sent their children to school they would
go OF and marry as soon as they COM
pleted their education and thus tine
parents would lose everything they had
spent on them! The report says that
this idea Of raising children as an in
vestment will strike the general public
as new. but that it is the light in which
the average cotton mill operative views
the matter; in other words that a ma
Jority OF the operatives in the state SO
think The report makes the plain
statement that all children under IA
should be compelled to attend school.
AT all the mills are schools. supported
In part, n in many cases entirely, by
the mill owners, many of these schools
being in session 10 months in the year.
and these schools are first-class. Lii
braries are in some cases provided and
the owners seek to impress the en-
| pioyes with the necessity for educat-
ing the children, but as long as the
latter are able to ear a few dollars in
the mill it is impossible to keep them
at school. Julian s.. Carr says it is not
the desire of the mill-owners to employ
child labor-that it is generally forced
upon them.
Ihe reports as to the miscellaneous
factories are numerous. S~eventy-eight
per cent. report the cost of living as
having decreased during the past year.
ana only one re9orts an increase, the
LeIidihuer re -g no change. Sixty
4 TOUR per cent. eDOrr no chappo in uuo