The gold leaf., 1900-06-21
(CharlOtte ObSeryer.o

The thirteenth annual report (fOr
the year 1899 Of the Bureau of Labor
and Printing is on our desk with the
compliments Of Commissioner Of
Labor and Printing b. X. Lacy.
In the introduction the Commits
sioner has the following to say about
cotton and woOlen mills:
There has been an precedented
growth in the cotton mill business in
North Carolina this year, both in new
mills and the enlarging of old ones.
The statistics, being for the year end
ing June !, 1899, do not include the
new mills, OF which there are about
25 in course Of construction. The
following figures show the growth Of
the cotton mill business in the past
half century:
..ln 1910 there were in North Caro-
lima % cotton mills, operating II, 900
spindles and 700 looms; in 1850, %
mills, operating 10000 spindles and
ing 4l,90o spindles ard 800 looms; in
1870, 80 mills, operating $4,000 spin
dies and 600 looms; in 1880, 49 mills.
operating 80, 400 spindles and 1,S0O
looms; in 1890, 81 mills. operating
357, 800 spindle> and 1900 looms; in
1899, 1Sl mills, operating 1,1O9, 23S
spindles and %, 765 looms.
North Carolina ranks among the
leading cotton manufacturing States,
being sixth in the number of spindles
and fifth in number of looms. The
estimated production of cotton for
1900 is 800, 900 bales, and the esti-
mated consumption by the mills 45O,-
900 bales, leaving a surplus of 10000
baleS.h
The average wages paid for farm
| labor in North Carolina are: Men IS. 81 ,
women 1927 and children $3.5S. In
addition to wages, rations to the value
of 1892 and house, pasture, garden,
etc, to the value Of -. 63 are furnish
ed, which brings the average to
$15.3 for men. The cost Of produc-
tion of the principal crops is as fol-
lows: Bale of cotton 600 pounds)
| S24 Sc, bushel of wheat 81 cents.
bushel of corn Al cents, bushel of
| oats 20 cents, 100 pounds of tobacco
$6.91, and the selling price, cotton
s. cents, wheat 7S cents, corn "a
cents, oats 80 cents, tobacco $7.71.
OF a number of representative farm
ers questioned, PA favor compulsory
education, sc oppose it and Is did not
| answer.
Statistics obtained from representa-
tive mechanics in the different trades
! hc fhot - moi RI
weekly, 1876 per cent favor weekly
payments, so per cent. are paid cash
in full, 56 per cent make full time, 63
per cent. report reduction in wages
in the nature of fines, % per cent. re-
port wages increased, 10 per cent. re-
port decrease and 81 per cent. no
change; 800 per cent. favor 1O-hour
day, 19 per cent. 9-hour day, and
per cent. S-hour day; 81 per cent.
favor establishing days work by
law. The average age for entering
trade is 10 years, and 81 per cent.
favor establishing an age by law, G5
per cent. favor indentured apprentice
ship system, 80 per cent. favor re-
quiring common school examination
before entering a trade; 1877 per cent,
report cost Of living increased, and
15.4 per cent. decreased; 80 per cent.
report financial condition improved,
and 81 per cent. report it unim-
proved. The average per cent. that
read and write is 1871. Two hundred
and ninety of the mechanics ques-
toned favor compulsory education,
Al oppose it and 35 did not express
their views.
The total number OF cotton and
woolen mills is 215, spindles lib.
$50, looms 25,943, machines 1852
requiring 51,472 horse power. The