The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1905-04-07
Mr.. O'DONNELL'S REPORT.
He Tells Of Labor Conditions in Min
nesota.

OF O1lce OF JOnn ODOnlell, dS SOoee
labor commissioner, has come from the
presses. The report is in two volumes,
containing a total of LOO pages and is
the most bulky report ever issued by a
labor commissioner. One volume is de-
voted to labor statistics, while the sec
ond and larger volume contains, aside
from wage statistics, descriptions of la
Dor conditions as they were found by
the commissioner in state institutions,
factories and stores.
According to the report of the COM
missioner for 1904 he found 81 ,536 per-
sons employed in 1920 factories in the
state, of which 24,S96 were working in
the 653 factories he found in st. Paul.
Of the grand total for the state S4,-
255 were men, 1916 were women, 395
boys under the age of Is years and ITO
were girls under that age.
Railroad work leads in the st. Paul
industries, furnishing employment in its
manufacturing and repair departments
to 1924 persons. Printing is a close
second, with 1870 persons employed.
boundaries and machine shops employ l.,
AIS; the boot and shoe industry takes
,253 more; l,2l9 are employed in man
ufacturing clothing, and l,l5l in the
slaughtering and packing industry.
One of the most interesting chapters
in the report is that bearing reference
to women wage earners. The former
commissioner treats this subject at
great length and devotes much space to
a description of the condition which he
reports to have found in st. Paul He
finds 1900 women and girls working in
the department stores, earning weekly
salaries ranging from $3.50 to $40. A
compliment is paid to these department
stores because of the conveniences for
the employees which are provided and
the superior scale of hours for work
ing afforded.
In the manufacture of advertising
novelties $50 women are employed at
salaries averaging SO per week. In these
establishments, too, he comments up
on the excellent light and ventilation
facilities in the working rooms. The
making of paper boxes furnishes en-
ployment to 100 more women, who earn
salaries ranging from $3.50 to $40 with
an average struck at S.. The sanitary
arrangements in the paper box fac
tories are found to be most excellent.
The commissioner reports the gen.
eral surroundings and arrangements for
the girls working in the breweries to
exceed those in any other factory in the
city. While only thirty girls are en-
ployed in this way, and while they only
earn, on the average, $3.50 per week,
every arrangement is made for their
comfort and health; they are provided
against accident and sickness by in
surance carried by the firm, and, best
of all, as the commissioner sees things,
the preference is always given to appli
cants for positions who are daughters
OF sisters of the male employees, so that
they may accompany the girls to and
from work.
A total of 400 girls are employed in
the manufacture of boots and shoes,
earning from 81 to S. per week on the
average, although many earn So or
more. While the report says that the
manufacturers are lenient in the matter
of hours, it advises improvement in
the ventilation and lighting facilities
of the girls working rooms.
The making of cigars gives employ
ment to 200 girls, earning from S. to
$l2 per week, and working nine hours
five days in the week, with half holi-
day on Saturdays. Slavonic nationali-
ties prevail among these girls, and while
the girls are found to generally pos
sess sallow compilations, reports of ill
health upon the part of the employees
are .singuularly rare.
In addition to all these, mention is
made at some length of the 300 girls
employed in st. Paul fiber factories, 400
girls employed in clothing factories, 300
girls employed in various departments
of the wholesale grocery stores, 500 girls
in the fur business, and 500
girls working in the laundries. The gen.
eral conditions throughout are declared
to be excellent.
Another interesting chapter is that
devoted to the junk and rag industry.
According to the report 1880 Minneso
tans depend upon the collection of old
rags and junk for their livelihood. In
st. Paul alone $4,000 tons of Junk are
handled each year, representing an an
nual receipt and disbursement of over