The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-08-03
OUR TEXTILE iNpusrRIEs.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 3e-Csnsus bullstin
No. "a. recently issued, shows ths valus OF
ths output Of our textile mills In 1905 ~
81 AIS. 900 900. This includes cotton. wool,
silk and all other fibre goods. and also the
product Of dyeing and inishing mills. Tbs
total exceeds by a little more than sSCoeOo.-
900 the value Of tho output OF our iron and
steel industries. The reported capital In
vested IN textile mills Of all kinda y o.. s<s.-
s74.coS. and employment 10 given TO q wage
esrnins army averaging 7ss.7ss In Ito num-
Der.
In 1880 tho value OF our output OF manu-
featured cotton was about ees. 900 600. as
compared with t4SO. 600. 900 In 1905. AL
though made from cotton, hosiery a INIT
goods receive a separate classification.
This industry has grown from $1,000. 600 In
1850 to sise. $50. 600 In 1905. Our silk bust
ness rivals In Lea development the hosiery
and knit goods. II has grown from 1900
900 In 1850 10 sis3. DOC. 900 In 1905. Our
woollen business has increased from 4<s, s00.-
900 In 1880 TO $3.50, o0O. 900 In 1905. Dur fax.
hemp inc jute business was not separately
reported until 1890, when its products were
valued at 81. 300 900. II reached nearly
s6s. 900, 900 In 1905.
Students Of sociology may find interest
In the report OF the division Of the wage
earners to-day In comparison with the
division twenty-five years g 1850 GEN.
sus). In the total Of all employees the
number Of men has increased from as
per cent. 70 ass. the number Of women from
AZ to AT per cont, while the number OF
children under 10 years OF age has decreased
from las per cent. to 10 per cent. Taking
the matter OF child labor in the cotton goods
business by itself IL appears that in New
England 0 per cent. OF the operators are
children. This Ia a decrease from l4.i per
cent. in 1880. In the Middle States 81 per
cent. are children, a decrease from the
2i.4 per cent. of 1890. In the Southern
States 22.s per cent. are children. a decrease
from the PSI per cent. of 1880. With the
exception OF the figures from the South,
his is gratifying. but It ia n little shocking
TO realize that more than one-ffth OF all the
cotton mill employees in that region are
children under 10 years OF age. Out OF a
total child army OF 10000 in that line Of
are in New England.
In all Of the different textile lines the per-
centage Of child employees shows a marked
decrease during the last generation. In
the cotton business the percentage Of men
increases, while the percentage OF women
diminishes. In the woollen business there
Is increase In percentage OF both men and
women due to their substitution for chill
dren. the larger increase being in the women
column. The same appears in the silk in
dustry, with men and women in about equal
percentage taking the places OF children.
All this. however. deals with percentages
and not with actual numbers. In point
Of number OF child employees there has
been actual increase In cotton mills. hosiery
and knit goods mills and in silk mills. and
decrease In woollen mills and dyeing and
finishing houses during the Last twenty
five years.
In dividing the value of products the cost
of materials il given IA $745. 7S3, 900. wages
paid $24e. 357 900 and salaries $50. 400. 900.
The money paid for raw materials repre-
sents employment for another and an even
greater army of workers in an indefinite
number OF departments. The capital in
vested. which shows an increase Of $500 .O00.-
900 from 1900 to 1905, and nearly t6OO, 600
900 between 1890 and 1905. represents the
employment of other armies in the erection
OF buildings and the making of machinery.
The result of these combined energies was.
in 1905. the manufacture of 5000. 200. 900
square yards of cotton cloth, 500, 900 900
square yards Of woollsn and worsted.
81. $40. 900 square yards of carpets and rugs
and 1875, 447, 600 yards OF silk. single width.
Food production stands as our first and
most extensive inc ustry. When all Of their
qualifications are taken into account, iron
and steel combined form the second group.
Textiles form the third in the order OF indus
trial importance.