STONE-CUTTING AND QUARRYING. There were 14 establishments engaged in stone-cutting and quarrying which gave reports to the Bureau, having in their employ on July 1, 1896, 699 persons, 824 being the number employed at the same date in 1897, an increase of 17.9 per cent.; 56 was the average weekly hours of labor; the proportion of business done of full capacity was estimated to have been 58. per cent., and based on the amount paid in wages the production in 1897 was 10 per cent. less than in 1896. WIRE AND WIRE GOODS. Thirteen establishments employing 738 persons on July 1, 1896, and 731 at the same date in 1897, made reports; the decrease in number employed being .9 per cent.; 57 per week was the average hours of labor, 65 per cent being estimated as the proportion of normal business done, and the production based on amount of wages paid, 19.2 per cent. less in 1897 than in 1896. WOOD-WORKING. The number of establishments in this industry which reported was 46. On July 1, 1896, there were 2,020 employed by them, and at the same date in 1897, 2,048 was the number on the pay-rolls of all the establishments, an increase of 1.4 per cent.; 56 was the reported average weekly hours of labor, 74 being the per cent. of business done of full capacity. The decrease in production, based on amount paid in wages during the two years, was 10.4 per cent. WOOLENS AND WOOLEN GOODS. On July 1, 1896, 5,958 was the number of employés on the pay-rolls of the 47 establishments in the industry from which information was obtained. At the same date in 1897, 6,187 was. the number reported as being employed in the same establishments, the increase therefore being 3.8 per cent. The average hours of labor was 56 per week and the proportion of business done of fully capacity was estimated as being 69 per cent. The decrease in production in 1897 from the previous year, based on amount paid in wages, was 12.9 per cent. MISCELLANEOUS. In the 61 establishments, classified as miscellaneous, there were 1,778 persons reported as being on the several pay-rolls on July 1, 1896; at the same date in 1897 the number employed by the same establishments was 1,915, an increase of 9.3 per cent.; 59 per week was the reported average hours of labor during the year, the estimated proportion of business done of full capacity being 79 per cent.; and on the basis of amount of wages paid, the increase in production in 1897 over the year previous, was .9 per cent. PART III. MERCANTILE CLERKS. 1. DIVISION BY TRADES. 2. WAGES OF MALE CLERKS. 3. WAGES OF FEMALE CLERKS. 4. AVERAGE WEEKLY HOURS OF LABOR. 5. AVERAGE WEEKLY WAGES. MERCANTILE CLERKS. An inquiry concerning the hours of labor, wages paid, and the provisions made for the comfort of the clerks employed in mercantile establishments in the State, was made in April by the Bureau, through a circular and schedule sent through the mail. The questions asked referred only to those subjects before mentioned. The percentage of replies received was most gratifying, as this was the first attempt made to secure these figures concerning this class of wage-earners. The figures given are taken from the pay-rolls of those reporting. The total number of establishments represented in this tabulation is one hundred and fifteen (115), and the total number of persons employed twenty-six hundred and ninety-four (2,694). It is to be understood that this tabulation does not cover the entire number employed in the mercantile trades in the State, only those that made returns being considered. The following table will explain the classification of those reporting: |