The review. [volume] (High Point, N.C.) 1908-19??, 1910-10-22
RALEIGH and THE STATE.
WAGE FARMERS CONDITION.
Commissioner Shipman Makes Pub
lie Some Interesting Facts.

Reporting from or rather enlarg-
ing upon the specified scope of his
report as required in the act Great
ing his department., Commissioner
Of Labor and Printing N. L. Ship
man is adding to his 1910 report a
feature showing the general con-
tltlon affecting wage earners in
broad sense of the term as shown
through reports from correspon-
sents in every section of the State,
themselves engaged in the trades
his instead of combining the report
TO relations Of labor and capital,
hours of labor earnings of labOring
men and women their education,
moral and financial condition and
the best means 81 promoting their
mental, material, social and moral
prosperity" Commenting on the
deductions from the reports from
his correspondents among the
trades people, Commissioner Ship
man says in the introduction to the
labor chapter of his forthcoming
'eport:
The Wage-earnCrs have not yet
OeCn able to recover the favorable
conditions which prevailed for some
years prior to 1907. A SENSE of de
preston, probably, affects This class
If the citizens citizenship more
Than any other, in that it forces
them out of permanent employ
ment and brings about the neCes-
sity of searching for positions or re-
naming in enforced idlpness. 1t
may be suggested truthfully, how
ever, that these aNOcatlOns common
~ termed the trades and embrace
ing representatives possessing eX-
perience and ability have afforded
employment more regularly, if at
reduced wages, than the daily wage
worker in many Of The mill dis
tracts, lumber plants and other in
iuslrlaI Ccnters, where the more
Efficient class of labor is not in de-
mand. But while general condi-
lions are yet unafavorable there are
comparatively few skilled laborers,
willing TO work for reasonable
wage, out of employment in any
section of The State.
The commissioner states the fol-
lowing as the aNCEage wages for
The different trades: BARRIERS. $3.50;
olacksmiths, $l.5S; brick-masous,
S2.15; boiler-makers, 1924; cabinet
makers, Sl75; carpenters, Sl.95;
conductors, 1885; engineers, 81;
ironen, $l45; fathers, 1926; letter
carriers, $2.G5; linotype operators,
1881; machinists, $40; moIders,
$3.50; motormen 50; painters,
$3.50; patternS-makers, 50; plaster
ais, So; pressmen, $40; printers,
1923; statesmen, $3.50; section fore
men, $l.S5; stone masons, 1925;
Wrappers, $ll5.
The summary sets out that in
crease in wages is reported from 81
per cent of the correspondents with
i6 per cent working by the day, IA
per cent by the week, II per cent
by the month and s per cent by the
year; per cent by the day or job,
4 per cent by the hour.
Other percentages show that are
specially interesting: SO per cent
make full time and 90 per cent
work overtime; OF per cent report
cost of living increased; 20 per cent
favor ten-hour day, SO per cent
eight-hour day, 16 per cent nine
hour day and one per cent a six
hour day; SO per cent favor fixing
limits Of days work by law and 8
per cent oppose it; II per cent re-
port financial condition good: 80
per cent report financial conditions
improving; 80 per cent report cdu-
cational condition improving. and
3 per cent no improvement; 70 per
cent report Improvement in morals
and % per cent no improvement.