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table which shows that during the twelve months ending September 30th, 1910, the enormous sum of $5,495,755 was invested in factory construction and improvement. Of this amount, $3,230,000 was expended in the erection and equipment of 70 entirely new plants, 33 of which number, representing an investment of $1,290,450, were located in the city of Newark.

This great addition to the sum total of our industries is offset -but only to a slight extent, by the loss of five manufacturing establishments that left our State to settle elsewhere during the year. Of these, one assigned labor troubles as the reason for moving, the others went because of advantageous inducement of one or another kind held out by the localities to which they moved.

During the year, factory and workshop property to the value of $2,853,041 was destroyed by fire; the number of fires was 118, and the loss suffered in each instance ranged from $10 to $250,000. Approximately eighty per cent of the fires were so slight that the ordinary operation of the plants suffered but little interruption while the work of restoration, promptly begun, was going on.

WINTON C. GARRISON,
Chief of Bureau.

PART I.

Statistics of Manufactures in New Jersey.

Capital Invested, Number of Operatives Employed.

Cost Value of Material Used.

Selling Value of Goods Made.

Average Working Hours.

Classified Weekly Wages.

Average Yearly Earnings of Labor.

(1)

Statistics of Manufactures of New Jersey

For the Year Ending December 31, 1909.

This year's presentation of the Statistics of Manufactures is compiled from full and complete reports of their operations for the twelve months ending December 31st, 1909, filed in the office of the Bureau by corporations, firms and individuals who own and operate 2,291 manufacturing plants located in New Jersey, all of which are conducted on what may be designated as the factory system. These establishments are all of a permanent character, and none among them employ less than ten persons, or have less than $5,000 invested capital. The list includes all manufacturing plants in the State capable of furnishing from their records the species of information required for these statistics.

In the reports for 1907 and 1908, the fact was pointed out that the Statistics of Manufactures for both these years showed a very decided falling off in the volume of industry, as compared with the immediately preceding years, due altogether, it was explained, to the financial stringency which set in during the last quarter of 1907, and produced a depression in practically every line of industrial activity that continued throughout 1908, which has not as yet entirely passed away, although the improvement shown this year brings the totals nearly up to what might be expected had there been no interruption of the normal rate of increase that has characterized the progress of industry in this State for the past fifteen or twenty years.

The statistics for 1906 showed the manufacturing plants of the State had that year been operated to 79.02 per cent. of full capacity, the highest recorded since the annual compilation of these statistics was begun; the money panic which set in on October 1907, reduced the proportion of business done for that year to 78.22 per cent., while the continued depression extending over the entire twelve months of 1908, brought the proportion down to 66.80, the lowest known since the depression which was coincident with the tariff agitation of 1893. As a matter of course there was a large falling off in the volume of products, and a

still larger decline in their total value, part of which was due to a falling off of prices consequent upon a greatly shrunken market.

During even the most acute period of the depression a feeling of confidence in the future and a conviction that normal business conditions would soon succeed. existing uncertainty and confusion appeared to animate our manufacturers, many of whom untilized the opportunities afforded by a period of partial or total idleness to repair overworked machinery and otherwise enlarge and improve facilities against the time when these would again be fully required. The progress toward recovery during the year 1909 fully justified the confidence of these manufacturers, and probably realized their most hopeful anticipations; the "proportion of business done" rose from 66.80 to 74.38 per cent., and the total value of products from $669,853,206 to $824,218,796. This great increase in the value of products is due principally to increased activity in our manufacturing plants, but improvement in prices contributed, as did also the opening of new establishments from which reports included in this year's compilation were received for the first time.

As a matter of course there has also been a very gratifying increase in the number of persons employed, the amount paid to them as wages, and the cost value of stock and material used in the production of finished goods, which is far greater than the advance indicated by the increase in the proportion of business done as compared with 1908; in fact the totals shown in these tables exceed those of any previous year.

During the year 1909 five manufacturing firms moved their plants from New Jersey and settled them elsewhere; in two instances the removals were charged to dissatisfaction with our labor laws. One of these—a firm of worsted spinners, whose plant was moved from Camden, N. J., to Valley Forge, Pa., gives as the reason for making the change-"We removed our plant from Camden because of better inducements and more favorable labor laws in our present location. We had to compete with Philadelphia manufacturers, and found it practically impossible to do so; because of being limited to only fifty-five hours work per week while our competitors across the river were running sixty hours." Another large firm that manufactures steam engines and other heavy machinery of the highest grade, left Hoboken, N. J., and settled at New London, Conn., partly, as they state, on account of more satisfactory labor conditions at the latter place. The others moved for business reasons that are in no way interesting to the public.

Eleven factories were closed permanently during the year,

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