The Washington times., 1913-07-22
STEEL INDUSTRY ONE
OF BIGGEST IN j. S.
Bulletin Soon to Be Issued by
Census Bureau Shows Ex-
tent of Works.

Steel works and rolling mills constitute
one OF the greatest industries of the
United States, according to a bulletin
soon to be issued by the Census Bureau.
This industry turned out products In
1903. the census year, to a total value
Of 1856. .722, ,534. The number of estab-
lishments was 446, and the number Of
persons engaged in the industry 26o, 762.
of whom 24OO76 were wage earners. The
wage earners received in earnings $685.
90d,75S.
The total number of establishments,
including forges and bloomeries. has
rot varied greatly. the increase for tho
forty years since 1869 being only 81 per
cent. In the case of value of products,
however, the amount for 1905 was over
seven times that for 1869, and the aver
age value of products per establish
ment shows a progressive increase with
each census-from $S25,S9l in 1859 to
s2,21O,1+0 in 1900. The rate of increase in
value of products for the successive dec
AIDES has been quite uniform, ranging
from a minimum increase of 5O.6 per
cent for the decade 1s69-1S79 to a maxi
mum of 1913 per cent for the decade
1SS9-1S99
Industry Concentrated.
The steel works and rolling mill indus
try is concentrated largely in the mid
die Atlantic and East North Central
States, and IN the Panhandle of West
Virginia or the 446 establishments in
1905, 1862. or 81 per cent. were located
in seven contiguous States-New York.
New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Nir-
e!nia Ohio. Indiana. and Illinois. The
value of products in these seven States
amounted to 1897, ,365, ,567, or 81 per cent
OF the total for the United States.
Pennsylvania in 1908 contributed over
half (5o7 per cent? OF the total value OF
products: Ohio, about one-fifth col per
cent; Illinois, S.S per cent; New York.
per cent, and Indiana, 80 per cent.
The highest percentage of increase in
value of products from 1901 to 1903 Is
shown for California. which State, how
ever, is of comparatively minor impor-
tanCe in the industry.
OF the leading producing states, In
diana, owing TO the recent great deVel-
Opment at Gary. shows the highest
percentages OF increase-69.9 per cent--in
number of wage earners, 1884 per cent
in value of products, and 1857 per cent
in value added by manufacture.
Many Wage Earners.
OF the total number OF wage earners
in 1902 S4.2 per cent We're in establish
ments where the prevailing hours were
sixty per week, or ten hours a day for
six days in the week. while 3i.4 per cent
were in establishments where the pre-
vaillng hours were over sixty per week.
and 2l.S per cent where they were sew
ety-two per week and over. The eight
hour day is not found TO any large ex-
tent, only 9.3 per cent of the wage
earners being employed In establish
ments where the prevailing hours were
less than fifty-four per week. The pro-
portion IN establishments In which the
prevailing hours OF labor were seventy
two or more per week was especially
high in Illinois, Wisconsin, and Indiana.
The tendency toward concentration in
large establishments Is very marked
in the steel industry. There Is no other
industry in which so many plarts OF
great size are found