Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1915-11-28
53 LAUNDRIES IN ARKANSAS TAKE IN
 S836,457 A YEAR
Capital Invested in Steam Establishments Aggregates
 $577,314.


 nary statement of the results of tn sas has been issued by Director Sam l.. Rogers, of the bureau of the cen sus, departn of commerce. It pDn- sists of summary comparing the figures for 1909 and 1914, prepared under the direction of William M Steuant, chief statistician for manu- factures.
 The figures are preliminary and subject to such change and correction as may be found necessary from q further examination of the origina, reports.
 Strictly speaking, laundries are not manufacturing establishments, bu, the laundry industry has grown so rapidly and become so. important in recent years that an industrial cen sus would not be complete without statistics regarding it. The statistics are confined 10 power laundries and do not include figures for hand laun- dries using no power. As a rul T establishments included were operat- ed by steam power and are known as steam laundries. In some, however, steam and electric power are com bined, and in others electric power is employed exclusively, steam and hot water being used only for washing purposes. The figures, therefore, comprise all kinds of power laun- dries.
 Laundry statistics were first col tcd in z made between the figures for 1905 and 1914.
 Summary of the Statistics.
 There were B power laundries i'll Arkansas in 1914, of which IS were in cities having an estimated population of 10000 or more, as follows: Littl 2 Rcck, 6; Fort Smith, 4; Pine Bluff g.; Hot Springs, 3; Argenta, i; and Helena, 1.
 The statistics cover the entire state and separate figures are given for tlhe above named cities in cases where this can be done without disclosing Che operations of individual estab- lishments.
 A comparative Summary fer 1909 and 1914 shows the number of laun- dries in the state to have increas ei from 45 to B during the. five-year period. With the exception of capi- tai and wage Aarners, the several branches of the industry show > larger proportion1te increase than the number of establishments. in the orderfof their importance, from a percentage standpoint, the increases fer the several i,ems rank as fol- lows: Salaried employees, S3.9 per cent; services, 37.4 per cent; amour, received fer work done, 22.3 per cent; primary horsepower, 21.3 par cent; materials, 20.4 per cent; wage earners, 12.4 per csnt; and capital 1.6 per cent.
 The capital invested, as reported in 1914, was $577,314, a gain of $S,903 or 1.6 per cent, oyer $56S,411 in 1903. The average capital per establish ment was approximately $1O,O0O in 1914. and $12,60O in 1909. x The cost of sIaterials used in 1914 was $147,S26, as against $122,S06 in 1909, tho increase being $25,O20, or 2O.4 per cent.
 1AS CeuSuS lHquIIy uCsS HOl ln- clude amounts paid for miscellaneous expenses, such as rent of offices, roy alties, insurance, ordinary repairs, advertising, travelling expenses, or al- lowance for depreciation.
 The salaries and wages in 1914 amounted 10 $435,162 and in 1909 to $316,S11, the increase being $11S,351, or 37.4 per cent.
 In 1914 the number Of proprietors and firm members was 76, as com pared with 53 in 1909, Ahile the num- Der of salaried employees increase ed from 56 in 1909 10 105 in 1914. The average number Of wage earners in 1914 was S33, and in 1909 was 741 uhe increase being s2, or PA pe1 cent
 The anlcunt received for worl done, which is regarded as the pro- duct of the establishment, was $S36,, 457 in 1914, and $6S4,036 in 1909, ar increase of $152,421, or 22.3 per cent