The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1905-03-23
WOMEN WAGE FARMERS
NUMBER THOUSANDS
Labor Report Shows Many Are
Employed at All Kinds
of Work

Six thousand girls and women are
employed in factories and retail es-
adjustments in St. Paul. including de-
partment stores and laundries, accord
ing to the biennial report of the ex-
commissioner of labor. John O'Don-
nell. The report was delayed in print
ing for several months and was only
issued yesterday.
The report deplores the presence OF
women workers in the packing houses
of the state, but gives no statistics
further than that the average wage OF
woman Is but $1.25 a day. There
are 1880 girls employed in the depart
ment stores of st. Paul at a weekly
salary of from $3.50 to IS a week
About 100 girls are employed in paper
box factories and earn on an average
$3.50 a week
The greatest number of girls are
employed in the fur industry in St
Paul, numbering in excess of $50, who
earn between 81 and $14 a week
About 800 are employed in the whole
sale grocery houses, at an average
wage of IS week; 400 in the boot and
shoe houses, averaging $3.50 week;
200 in the cigar shops average 81 a
week; 400 garment workers are en-
ployed at an average of $3.50 week
Girls in Breweries
Nearly 500 are employed in the laun-
dries of st. Paul, earning on an av-
.erage about $3.50 a week. Dressmakers
earn an average of IS weekly. Many
girls are also employed in breweries as
labelers, in bakeries and bfnderies, but
average not over IS a week.
An aggregate of $4,000 tons of junk,
rags, paper and scrapiron are handled
in st. Paul annually, representing a
receipt and disbursement of over
$1,500,000. There are half a dozen
junk yards in the city, employing an
average of 125 men and 80 TO 40 wom-
en- each. The junk industry is the
means of sustenance of. nearly 1000
men, women and children in st. Paul
The junk peddler, or rag man." as he
is popularity known, earns an average
of 81 day.
During the year state factory in
spectors visited 1870 factories, work
shops and mercantile establishments
employing a total of 115,0S5 persons, OF
which no were children under 16 years
of age. Nearly 81 per cent of this num-
Der, however, had passed their 18th
year; 361R per cent were between II
and Is years of age, and less than per
cent We're under IA. All had permits TO
work from school superintendent. The
increase In the total number of wage
earners during 1904 was 81 per cent
but child labor decreased 20.7S per
cent, as compared with the previous
year, making the actual decrease in
child labor 23.63 per cent.
In 1902 i'm all industries, trades and
vocations there was employed / child
to every 81 adults; in 1903, to 113
adults, and in 1904, to las adults.
Many Work on Railroads
Railroad work furnished employment
to 1884 persons; printing trades, 6,19S,
an increase over 1903 of IL per cent In
the flour industry 4,4S4 persons were
employed; foundries, 1855: clothing
factories, 1881; shoe factories, 2,116, a
reduction Of 10 per cent under the pre-
vious year. The agricultural machinery
business showed the greatest decline
in number of wage earners during 1904
as compared with 1903, being "a per
cent. A total of 1900 were employed
last year.
The lumber industry furnished en-
ployment to the greatest number OF
persons during last year, more than
$4,000 persons being employed. The
banking industry employed 1900 per-
sons in 1904, and the brewery business
1890, a slight decrease from the 1908
figure.
An inspection of the state institutions
was conducted last year. Most of the
institutions were found in good shape
Several recommendations for fire pro-
lection and better plumbing were made
The report also recommends that the
salaries of the deputy commissioners
and inspectors be raised from 81, 200 ia
$1,000 annually, and that the state es-
tablish free employment bureaus.