The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-11-21
CONDITION OF ALE INDUSTRIES
IN MONTANA.
ROOM FOR EXPANSION
Statistics from Forthcoming Bjen6ia,
Report of Commissioner of Labor
and Industry.

Aside from the products of the mills
and smelters Montana last wear pro-
duced an output of wares from it's
different industrial enterprises vain
ed at $~15,424,5OS. These are the fig
ures from the forthcoming biennial
report OF the commissioner of the bu-
reau of agriculture, labor and indus-
try, work on which is now in progress
ne conditions in all branches of
industry in the state arc set forth.
This. of course, includes the humble.
OF men employed, the. wages paid them
and the value of their products. The
various departments of the repor are
arranged under appropriate heads. so
as to facilitate the search of Informal
ton with which it deals.
Under the heading of Industries
OF Montana" the report says that all
industries of the state, with the pos
slble exception of numbering, and per-
maps printing and brickmaking.
are susceptible to expansion of a high
degree. Generally speaking" it con-
tinues, "the industries of Montana are
thriving and progressive, and while
not SO extensive as to attract atten-
ton by reason of a large output of
manufactured articles, their propri-
etors are contented and happy and en-
d%eavoring by all legitimate means to
extend their scope and influence"
The total value Of all products, in
Guiding those of the smelters, is $751;
O75,824. Of this amour the copper
shelters and %refineries contributed
$36,3S7,O63 and the lead smelters and
%refineries $5,264,253 leaving a total
for all other industries, including Gus.
tom work and repairing, of $15,424,-
50S. This does not include the pro-
ceeds of the mines, but represents the
combined product of 1,O7O establish
ments reporting.
There are seven copper and three
lead shelters in the state, employing
altogether 1874 salaried officers and
clerks, whose wages are $397,529 a
year. They employ altogether 4,S53
men, whose pay amounts to $4,1S9,754
annually.
Aside from agriculture and rail
reading, all other industries of the
state employ 5,624 men, the combined
wages of whom foots up annually &c..
7SO,132. LAUNDERING and the factories
and planning mills give employment
to about 1,500 lei in the 148 estab-
lishments represented by them with
yearly wages of over 5000, 900. Twen-
ty-three brick and tile factories in the
state give employment to 1873 men
and pay them wages-annually amount
ing to approximately $4,000. There
are % manufacturers of malt liquors,
or breweries, and they employ 239
men. Their combined payrolls, for
salaries and wages, foot up about
$150,O00 annually. The bottling
works connected with them pay about
$500 additional every year to their
help. In the business of printing and
publishing, including job offices, $40
persons find employment with an ag-
gragate of salaries and wages of $473.-
O74.
The number of persons engaged in
agriculture on the first of June, 1900,
was 1851, which figures do not in
clude lumbermen and wood choppers.
OF this number 97.2 per cen were
white and 2.8 per cent colored, while
IT'S per cent of all the farms in the
state were operated by owners, 8.9
per cent by part owners, 0.5 per cent
by owners and tenants, sc per cent
by managers, At per cent by cash
tenants, and As per cent by share
tneants. 'This shows conclusively,
says Commissioner Ferguson, that
the curse of tenant farming has not
become so prevalent and alrming in
Montana as in some of the older
states"
The railroads operating in the state
employ in the neighborhood of $500
people, exclusive of those employed
in car and repair shops, and pay out
in wages to these employees than
$4,000, 900 a year. There are nine
general railroad shops in the state,
employing about 1000 men at wages
aggregating $76S, 900 a year.