The evening times., 1899-09-23


sent to the general assembly when it as
sembles here on the first Wednesday in De-
cember. The Office of labor commissioner
was created at the last session of the leg
islature, and Mr.. Montague's initial re-
port will be the first attempt made in Vir-
ginia to gather and present to the legisla-
ture the statistics of the various manufac-
turing and Industrial plants in this State.
The report makes book of over 400
pages. and not only attempts to cover the
reports from all OF the various manufac-
turing establishments, but deyotes space
to each county in the State. showing the
number Of farms, the products and the
net profit on each crop raised. Besides
this information, it gives other, which has
heretofore been embraced in the reports of
the agricultural department of the state.
.'of the 1888 Blank forms sent to the
operators CT manufacturing plants" says
the report, $3.50 We're returned. OF these
394 were tabulated and the remaining 296
found to be insufficient. either in conse-
quence of the meagre data contained there
In or the fact that certain OF the establish
ments We're not in operation during the
period covered
''0f the 394 tabulated reports 109 were
from incorporated county companies and
2S5 from private firms. The aggregate
capital Invested in business amounted to
So, ,69l, 9e.75. and the total value of all
goods manufactured during the year 1897
was SIS, s72, ,659.O9. The total number OF
days worked in 1896 and 1897 were &c.
sci and 9i.262, respectively. The total
I in IN ba
department. for 1896 was SIS, ,o39, ,673.31. In
1877 it was $6. 400. .52s.42, CT an increase
OF 81, ,366, S5s.ll. The total amount paid
for rent was Sill, ,576.3l for taxes $l49,-
5l4.S6. and for insurance s143, 25, a to-
tai OF Sl0i .l63.42. The average amount
/ paid for Office help per month was S7S,-
/ 1864.
The agricultural manufacturers report
/ ed were only out of TO- Those reporting
had an aggregate capital invested OF s142,-
/ 7oS.S4. and the total value OF all goods
manufactured during the year OF 1897
amounted to S209, ,9200S. They report
present conditions very good and prospects
very bright and business never better.
Five breweries out of u reported show
an aggregate capital of $3.50, 600 and goods
manufactured valued ar S54s.s Busi-
hess reported prospects for future not con-
/ sidered so favorable.
vi - manufacturers or canned goods
throughout TIE State only 10 made returns,
/ OF which We're sufficiently complete for
tabulation. Among the suggestions for
the betterment of business was that for
the appointment of an inspector of can
| neries, whose duties shall be to enforce
proper sanitary conditions and prevent
filthy and impure fruit being canned.
Of the u cigar. cigarette, and cheroot
factories reported 10 were sufficiently COM
plete for tabulation. The aggregate capi-
/ tai invested by the 10 concerns amounted
/ to S2iOl42. The two largest establish
ments in Virginia failed TO give the value
of goods manufactured during the year of
/ 1897. but the total stock and material used
during the year by the ten factories
amounted to S1,3S2, ,216.30. The total Lum-
/ Der of days in operation in 1886 was 1873
less than the preceding year. and the
amount paid in wages during 1896 was
1921. .942.77, or s3S, ,722.53 less than in 1897.
The average daily wages paid cigarmakers
was S1.6I for an average of eight and two
I fifths hours; cigarette makers, males, 81
for ten hours. and females, s1.10 for eight
hours.
! '-Of the reports received from the cotton
mills only three contained such data as
could be tabulated. Returns from several
others, however, showed that they had
recently resumed operations. having been
/ idle during the period covered by this re-
port. Business was reported as little more
| encouraging, but one mill complained of
| the ten-hour law working to the disadvan-
tage of Virginia mills as compared with
those of other States, where longer hours
are worked. The reports from these three
mills showed an aggregate capital invest
! ed of s., ,39S, 400, with an output of s., ,922.-
$3.50 worth of goods during the year. The
total number OF employees In all branches
was 2,277, of whom 1,l64 were males and
Lib females. OF these 295 males and 263
| females were under sixteen years of age.
The average wages paid in the different
departments We're: Weaving room, males,
S1.22; females, IS cents; cloth room, males,
! $1.c6; females 65 cents.
THE three reports from distilleries give
! an aggregate amount of capital invested
I of So 12142. The value of goods manufac-
tured during 1897 was s1l,711.6s. Business
was reported as fiourishing, with prospects
| bright.
"a larger number of reports were from
the -four and meal industry than from
any other Industry in the State. The num-
ber of these reports. however, were not
sufficiently complete for tabulation. These
! incomplete ones showed an aggregate cap
! ital invested Of little less than $500, 600.
! There were 81 reports sufficient for tabu-
/ lation. These showed an aggregate capi-
tai invested of 81 ,l6s, 600 and goods manu-
! factured during the year OF of the value of
! s2,203, ,034.sa. Nearly every one reported
business as good and future prospects en-
couraging. Much complaint was made as
to freight rates, the contention being that
Western miIlers had rate privileges which
gave them considerable advantage over
F! Virginia mills. SO
The reports from iron foundries and
machinists showed an aggregate capital
| invested of 81 ,667, 500 and goods manufac-
! tured during the year of 1897 valued at
| s., $685. 425.6s. The total days operated in
| 1897 was 420 more than in 1896, and the
amount paid in wages in 1897 was $685.
! S1651 in excess of the preceding year. Re-
plying TO the enquiry as to the condition
OF the trade and its future prospects, only
| two concerns reported business unsatis-
| factory, while some of the others thought
prices too low, profits accordingly too
small. Still. business was considered good
and the future outlook bright.
''The knitting industry reported busi-
ness as fairly prosperous and good out
look for the future. The nine reports re-
ceived from establishments in the State
showed that the number of days in opera
ton in 1897 was 500 more than in the pre-
ceding year, and the amount paid in wages
! in 1897 was $50, ,461.57 in excess of that paid
in the preceding year.
With some exceptions, the sawmill bus
! mess was reported as fairly good, with an
/ encouraging outlook for the future. OF the
1 thirty-six reports returned fourteen were
! too incomplete for tabulation. The twen-
| ty-two used showed an aggregate capital
! of S2S3, $50 and goods manufactured during
the year of 1897 valued at s400, 1866.
..Of the eighty reports sent to manufac-
turers of tobacco only twenty-eight were