The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1939-06-22
Millinery Workers
Hove Low Eurninqs
Part Time Employment Re.
duces Annudl Wage Of
MdnY Below Standard

Washington, d. C.-The reverend
ing quest of women for ever-changing
modes in hats causes many a head
ache for the millinery manufacturer
and his employees. Low annual earn
ings for the workers accompanied
with low profits for many employers
are revealed in an intensive study of
the millinery industry just completed
by the Women's Bureau of the United
States Department of Labor. The re-
port, "Conditions in the Millinery In
dustry in the United States," based
on records for 1887, has been issued
as Bulletin 169 of the Women's Bu-
reau, by it's director, Mary Anderson.
The Bulletin is the work of Bertha N.
Nienburg, chief economist Of the Bu-
reau.
Industry Is Depressed
Why should the millinery industry
remain depressed throughout 1885
and 1886 while most manufacturing
industries were showing gains in en-
ployment, pay rolls, and profits?
This question so puzzled the millin-
cry manufacturers, the millinery work
ers' union and the Millinery Stabiliza-
ton Commission, that together they
sent delegation to Frances Perkins,
Secretary of Labor, and urged her de-
partment to make thorough-going
study of the industry. They pointed
out that between 1885 and 1886 there
was no gain in employment, very slight
improvement in average labor earn
ings (Which were about LOO each
year,; a decline in average annual
salaries of officers and firm members
and a marked decline in average net
profits.
The Women's Bureau, which was
delegated by the Secretary of Labor
to make the study, now presents an
analysis of the problems of the in
dustry and what should be done about
them.
The study convinced the Women's
Bureau that it is to the mutual in
terests of employers and workers to
solve the basic difficulties of the in
dustry. "The welfare Of both groups
|
group cannot be lifted to sound
economic plane without the other, y
Miss Neinburg declares.
Low Profits Handicap Small
Employers
With profits as low as cents hat
on the cheapest grades, volume sales
are necessary to yield adequate in
come for the manufacturer. This
means that the small man is under a
great handicap. He "has no bargain
ing power in the purchase of hat ma
terials, which are supplied by few
: we'll established houses. He has little
bargaining power in the sale of his
hats to ever-enlarging retail selling
outlets. He falls between a sellers
market for supply goods and buyers
market for trimmed hats"
The plight of the small man is
, shown in figures on employers income.
Due to the small margin on hats, only
in firms with a volume of business of
over 100000 were firm members able
to make much more than their full
time, better-paid employees. Firms
,, with net sales Of $4,000 and under
had an average net income of $2,2S4;
firms with net sales of over $4,000
to 100000 averaged net incomes of
$4,344. These amounts had to cover
payment for full-time services usually
of two or more firm members, as we'll
capital reinvested.
Average Earnings Are Not High
, Average earnings of workers en-
ployed at least 46 weeks in the year
ranged from 81, ,927 for blockers down
to SS5S for trimmers.
, However, due to the highly sea-
sonal nature OF the industry, less than
AZ per cent of the blockers and con-
siderably smaller proportions of the
other types of workers had as much
as 46 weeks employment in 1887.
Forty per cent of the workers whose
names appeared on millinery firm
, payrolls had less than 3 months en-
ployment. More than half had work
ed less than months.
Weekly earnings were highest in
New York City, averaging $27.1S for
all workers in 1887, which was from
about 80 per cent to IS per cent above
the amounts paid elsewhere. By
= craft, the blockers, who are all men,
averaged $43.27 in New York City;
sewing machine operators, who may
be either men or women, $37.43; trim
mers and milliners, in all cases women,
S1S.55.