Western Carolina Democrat and French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1913-1915, 1915-01-14
MR.. sHIPMANs REPORT.
Makes Some Recommendations aud
Gives Valuable Statistics.
(Gastonia Gazette.)

Makes SOm0 dQN
Gives Valuable Statistics.
(Gastonia Gazette.)
Statistics are dry things and the
average man hasn't much use for them
In fact the average man is not likely
to bother about reading statistics on
any subject except as a matter of refer
ence when it becomes absolutely nee
essary. Editors are just about like
the average run of folks in this respect
as in many others. A few of them
may be fond of statistics but the num-
Der is doubtless relatively small.
However this may be, we believe
that not only many editors but. not
q few other people will be interested
in the statistics set forth in the twen-
ty-eighth annual report of the State
department of Labor and Printing,
submitted by Commissioner M. L.
Shipman and just issued from the
rress. 1t contains the latest and mosI
accurate figures obtainable with refer
ence to farms and farm labor, trades, |
miscellaneous factories, cotton, wooden
and silk mills, knitting mills, furnf-
ture factories, newspapers, railroads
and employees, etc. There Is only n
serious defect in this report, which
bristles with interesting and valuable
facts from beginning to end, and that
is that it is not entirely complete.
This, however, is not b fault of the
department, which makes every reA-
sonable effort to get information.
Many people are lax in making reports
to this department and, as yet, the
commissioner has NJ way of forcing
firms or individuals to make reports.
Ii the Legislature will follow recon-
b1endation No. 8 as set out by Commits
sioner Shipman in his report he will
in the future have it in his power to
make his annual report full and conf
plete; then it will be far more valua
than it is at present. That recommen-
dation reads as follows: That all
ufacturing and other concerns of what.
ever kind, addressed by the Depart
nent of Labor and Prfntery for infof-
nation for use in the compilation az
its report, be required to answer
promptly to the best of their know /
ledge and belief" In order, To- make
this effective 1t would, of course, he |
necessary to fix a penalty for lon-
compliance with this regulation
In the ehapter on Farming. Atre~ /
to the statistics, cnnsfderable:l
5is given stoaa fdiscussinn9fDf}the5
crop and cotton prices qttA$e /
interesting to, note thai, an increase In.
the value of land es reported In 8SI
counties, while in L counties no |
change is noted. Ninety-fve counties
report that the fertility Of the soil Is
maintained. In1only nine counties 4s1
there a tendency toward largeFTfarnG l
In ninety the trend is toward smaller
farms while one county reports no
change. Labor is scarce in SO coun@1
ties, in only two is it@giYen Al plenti-
fnl. Another table shows the highest
average wage paid men on the farm
to be, $1.18 per day an increase of !
four cents over the previous year; the
is s~eventy-fve cents an increase
Of there cents over the previous year.
Forty-seven counties report increases
in wages and 43 no change. Other
tables show the cost of producing
cotton and other crops in the various
counties.
Similar information is given with
reference to the manufacturing in.
dustries of various kinds, newspa,.
pers, etc. Taken as a whole the vol
ume is a valuable one for reference.
When the commissioner is given the
power to force firms and individuals
to furnish the necessary Information
called upon then, not till then
will the annual report of this depart
ment be what it should be. Mr.. Ship.
gotten out this year. -