Waterbury Democrat., 1902-02-07
LABOR STATISTICS
Annual Report Has Been Issued By
 Commissioner Black.

Y <1Uuual A6DOfL 1dS DcGA ASSuGu Dy
 Commissioner Black.
 The seventeenth annual report of tfe state bureau of labor statistics for the year ended Noyembers30, 1901, has just been issued under the directorship of Commissioner Harry E. Black. The report contains 8 number of new fea- i lures. due to the additional work that has come under the jurisdiction of the bureau during the past year. Consid- erable space is given to the free pup lie employment bureaus, now an im- i portant part of the state bureau and which are exceeding all expectations ] in the matter of results, during the 1 brief time they have been in operation. The report contains a comprehensive treatise on manual training from the 1 labor standpoint and the advisability of it's adoption by school authorities.
 A record of the new construction of mills in this state during the past year, which has progressed to | marked de- gree is also given; an alphabetical list of the articles manufactured In each town in Connecticut appears and also an account of the years strikes and lockouts. There Is detailed report of the volume of business transacted by the five free public employment bu raus during the first five months of their existence; statistics of Connecti- cut manufactures, directory of the states labor organizations, and com pilation of labor laws as revised by the last general assembly.
 The report notes that the activity In industrial and labor circles which was so marked and general during 1900 has continued during 1901. Two re ports which have recently issued from Washington indicate the same state of affairs and are mentioned, Connecticut continuing to lead the states of the Union in the number of patents issued per capita to her citizens: the census bureau report showing that the in- crease of the value of products of this state from 1890 to 1900 as 421 per cent.
 One of the subjects generally dis cussed at the last meeting of the as- sociation of officials of bureau of labor statistics of America at St Louis in May, 19Ol. was manual training. On this subject the report says:
 The value of manual training from 9 mechanical standpoint ought to ap- peal with especial force to the people of the state of Connecticut This state leads all others in the variety and in- genuity of it's manufactures and in the number of patents granted annually in proportion to It's population. Can this advantage be maintained. however, If It's people do not foster and cultivate the, skill for which this state Is noted? When other states are devoting much time and money to the development and multiplication of manual training schools, can this commonwealth afford to reply upon the old methods to main tain it's supremacy? Where manual training schools do not exist there is tendency in the young men, decided ly more marked in each succeeding generation. to turn away from mechan- ical pursuits. Where manual tre thing Is taught industries are raised the level of sciences and the skilled manu- al training scholars enter upon me chanical pursuits as they might enter professions, because they find in them opportunities for adequate expression Of their tastes and faculties. The in- terests of employer and employe be- come Identical and labor disputes are not serious matters. To greater or less extent these conditions of harmony and mutual interest have been wit messed in the growth of American ln- dustrys The advantages of manual training ought to be carefully and seri- ously considered by all the people of connecticut. Manual education broad ems Doth the industry and the worker. To secure these attainments and con- serve our industries should ever be our aim. Where manual trainin4 could be introduced only by reducing the ex- penses of some other department this could easily be done by giving fewer periods per week to Latin. Greek or other studies. and requiring longer les sons Of the pupils in such work In this way fewer teachers would be re- quired, but the same amount of ground would be covered in such courses.
 NH construction during the period covered by the report was marked and substantial.
 Elgnty-seven concerns erected nine ty-two additions and new factories. This stands in comparison with 245 manufacturing buildings and additions erected the twelve months previous by 113 parties. These expansions have
 
 occurred in thirty-six of the 136 towns or the state as against fifty-nine the year previous. The towns in which the most buildings were erected, to- gether with the number Tn each. are as follows: Bridgeport eighteen. Hart 1 ford ten. New Haven nine. New Brit 1 ain seven, Waterbury seven and Meri- den four
 But while the number of new mill buildings decreased in 1901 as com 1 pared with 1900. the average cost was $23 O62.39 in 1901 as against S7. .955. .52 in l960. The whole amount expended 1 in new construction in 1901 was S2.- 121.740.6S as against S1 949. 1O4 in 1900 | an increase in the expenditure of eap- ital. although not so widely scattered
 The report gives in detail the new mills built during the year and addi- tions to old ones
 An instructive feature of the report Is an alphabetical list of articles man. ufactured in the towns of the state, | and the towns are also arranged al- | phabetically in the report making 1t | very convenient for reference.
 During period of fen months from 1 January ] to October 30. 1901. ninetv- three strikes and three s.lockouts are |