RECENT REPORTS OF STATE BUREAUS OF LABOR STATISTICS.

CALIFORNIA.

Twelfth Biennial Report of the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the State of California for the years 1905-1906. W. V. Stafford, Commissioner. 244 pp.

The following are the subjects considered in this report: Social statistics, 49 pages; Chinese and Japanese, 11 pages; condition of farm labor, 10 pages; wage statistics, 84 pages; factory inspection, 8 pages; child labor, 3 pages; employment offices, 4 pages; strikes and lockouts, 32 pages; rehabilitation of San Francisco, 7 pages; welfare work, 1 page; labor laws and court decisions, 21 pages.

SOCIAL STATISTICS.-Criminal statistics (misdemeanors, felonies, and juvenile crimes) and statistics of marriages and divorces for the year ending June 30, 1906, are embraced in this presentation.

CHINESE AND JAPANESE.-This chapter comprises an investigation into the condition of the Orientals in the State. The former biennial report (1903-1904) of the Bureau led to the conclusion that on October 1, 1904, there were upward of 20,000 Japanese and in the neighborhood of 40,000 Chinese resident in the State. Since that date, from the records of the steamship companies, exact figures of arrivals and departures are obtainable. During the two years ending September 30, 1906, the net increase in arrivals over departures of Japanese at the port of San Francisco was 13,658, while during the same period the departures of Chinese from the same port exceeded the arrivals by 7,748, thus showing a net decrease in the Chinese population to that extent.

Excluding agricultural labor, tables are given showing for the year 1906 wages per day, per week, and per month in various occupations of Chinese in San Francisco and Oakland and at points outside of those cities; also, similar data for Japanese in different sections of California.

In Fresno County and in the Pajaro and Vaca valleys, devoted extensively to fruit and vegetable growing, the Japanese have largely displaced the white labor and to a great extent that of the Chinese. More than half of the fruit orchards of Vaca Valley and adjoining foothills are said to be in the hands of Japanese lessees or owners,

and many of the vineyards about Fresno are leased or owned by Japanese.

CONDITION OF FARM LABOR.-Under this title the social, sanitary, and economic conditions surrounding white and oriental farm labor in different sections of the State are set forth. In two tables (the first for white male employees) are given, for the year 1906, the wages paid per day and per month without and with board for both permanent and temporary farm help, and (for oriental male employees) the wages paid per day and per month without board for both permanent and temporary farm help. The following summary statement respecting wages is reproduced:

Taking the entire State, there is very little difference between the amounts paid for temporary and for permanent employees, except in harvest time, when the wages are greatly increased. The wages can safely be put at $1.25 per day and $30 per month with board for white help the State over, and $1.50 per day and $45 per month for the same kind of help without board. Harvest hands must be rated an exception. Oriental laborers command a rate of $1.25 per day and $35 per month, always without board.

WAGE STATISTICS.-Wages and hours of labor of employees in railroad construction, on steam and electric railways, in stores and factories, in gold mines, and in lumber woods and sawmills are presented in this chapter. The tables give for each industry shown occupations, number of establishments and of employees, classified daily hours of labor with number of employees in each class, and classified wages per hour, day, week, or month with number of employees in each class.

CHILD LABOR.-An act regulating the employment of children was passed at the 1905 session of the State legislature. It provides that no child under 14 years of age shall be employed except (1) during the regular vacation of the public schools and (2) during the sickness of the parent, on a certificate of the judge of the juvenile court allowing the exemption. It also provides that no minor under 18 years of age shall be employed more than nine hours per day. All minors between 14 and 16 years of age must be provided with age and schooling certificates, which must be kept on file by the employer.

Since the enactment of the law child labor in six important industrial lines, in different sections of the State, has been investigated, viz, in stores, in canneries, in laundries, in can and glass factories, in clothing and shoes, and in the iron trades. Canneries showed the greatest percentage of child labor, many of the children, however, being vacation employees. Laundries showed very little child labor; and the iron trades employed mostly boys between 16 and 18 years of age when minor help was used, and many of these were apprentices.

EMPLOYMENT AGENCIES.-The law relating to employment agencies makes it the duty of the State commissioner of labor to exercise

certain jurisdiction over these institutions. From the records of the most important agencies throughout the State tables have been compiled showing for the year 1906 the wages and occupations of persons sent out at various times, and the number of persons who secured employment at each occupation. Data from six Japanese employment agencies in San Francisco are also given.

STRIKES AND LOCKOUTS.-This chapter of the report relates to statistics of the strikes and lockouts occurring in California for the five years ending December 31, 1905. The figures were furnished from data collected by the United States Bureau of Labor for its Twenty-first Annual Report.

REHABILITATION OF SAN FRANCISCO.-The work of the free employment agency operated for the National Red Cross Society by the State labor bureau from May 2 to May 29, 1906, for the benefit of the people thrown out of employment by the earthquake and fire of April 18, 19, and 20 preceding is recounted under this caption. A comparative table is also presented showing daily wages in selected occupations in San Francisco building trades on June 10 and on August 20, 1906. During this period there was a general increase in wages of from 15 to 20 per cent. In September an investigation of the change in house rents since April was undertaken. Of 157 dwellings considered, the increase in rents in the later month over the earlier averaged 27 per cent. Of cost of living it is stated: "There seems to be little difference in the cost of living in San Francisco, aside from house rent, from that existing a year ago."

WELFARE WORK.-In the principal cities of the State provision is made in many stores and factories for supplying meals at cost, rest rooms for temporarily indisposed employees, facilities for educational improvement, medical attendance and hospital privileges, sick benefits, etc.; and it is becoming the general custom to allow pay during the summer vacation to clerks and office staff in retail and wholesale stores and in factories. A recent investigation showed from one to two weeks' vacation with pay to 198 employees in Stockton, 986 in Oakland, and 3,134 in San Francisco. In addition, many firms pay wages during sickness.

LABOR LAWS AND COURT DECISIONS.-This chapter reproduces the factory and workshop law of 1889 and the laws passed and amended at the 1905 session of the State legislature, together with decisions of the supreme court upholding the validity of the childlabor laws.

INDIANA.

Eleventh Biennial Report of the Bureau of Statistics for 1905 and 1906. Joseph H. Stubbs, Chief of Bureau. 780 pp.

The subjects presented in this report are as follows: List of Indiana factories, 206 pages; list of domestic and foreign bureaus of labor statistics, 3 pages; social statistics, 124 pages; economic statistics, 302 pages; industrial statistics, 65 pages; agricultural statistics, 54 pages.

LIST OF FACTORIES.-A list of the factories in the State in 1905 is presented by counties, giving name of factory, town in which located, and nature of product. Including those of every description, Indiana had in 1905 a total of 8,207 factories.

INDUSTRIAL STATISTICS.-The subjects considered in this division of the report relate to manufactures, labor organizations, banks and trust companies, steam railroads, electric railroads, coal mines, and stone quarries.

MANUFACTURES.-Under this presentation are included only those factories of the State which had in 1905 a product of $500 or upward. The following is a summarized statement of the returns from the factories for the year 1905:

Factories whose output was over $500..

Capital invested.......

Salaried officers and clerks.

7,912 $312, 071, 234 14, 862

Amount paid in salaries..

Average number of wage-earners.

Amount paid in wages.

Miscellaneous expenses.

Cost of materials...

Value of products (including custom work and repairing)..

$15, 028, 789

154, 174

$72, 058, 099

$46, 682, 513

$220, 507, 007

$393, 954, 405

The largest average number of wage-earners employed during any one month of the year was in the month of September, the number being 164,568-136,446 males 16 years of age or over, 24,099 females 16 years of age or over, and 4,023 children under 16 years of age.

LABOR ORGANIZATIONS.-There were 10 international organizations in 1905 with headquarters in Indiana, 3 of which were not affiliated with the American Federation of Labor. In 1905 there were 1,280 local trade unions in the State, 1,278 of which belonged to the 87 national and international organizations. The reported membership of these local unions was 72,504. Sick benefits were paid by 50 of the 87 national and international organizations. The average weekly sum for sick benefits locally was $4.43, and the total paid out during the year was $32,780. Death benefits were paid by 71 of the organizations. The average death benefit locally was $204.84, and the total paid out during the year was $185,186.94. Strike benefits

were paid by 72 of the organizations. The average weekly sum for strike benefits locally was $5.99, and the total paid out during the year was $11,234.85. Traveling benefits were paid by 22 of the organizations, and the total paid out during the year locally was $8,335.95. Out-of-work benefits were paid by 17 of the organizations, and the total paid out during the year locally was $2,057.82. In the different trades the average daily wages of journeymen were $2.75 and of apprentices $1.67. The average length of apprenticeship was 3 years and the ratio of apprentices to journeymen 1 to 8. STEAM RAILROADS.-The operations of the steam railroads in Indiana for the two years ending June 30, 1906, are reported under this head, and show earnings and expenses, passenger and freight traffic, employees and wages paid, and accidents. The following table shows, for 1905 and 1906, number of employees in each occupation and average wages per day and average earnings per year:

AVERAGE WAGES PER DAY AND AVERAGE EARNINGS PER YEAR OF RAILROAD EMPLOYEES, 1905 AND 1906.

The falling off in the number of employees in 1906 as compared with 1905 is accounted for by the fact that only in the later year were some of the larger companies, operating also in other States, able to separate the returns in regard to their roads in Indiana from those of the entire system.

As the result of accidents on steam railroads in the State for the year ending June 30, 1905, 354 persons were killed (8 passengers, 112 employees, and 234 others) and 3,809 injured (221 passengers, 3,289 employees, and 299 others); for the year ending June 30, 1906, there were 358 killed (5 passengers, 115 employees, and 238 others) and 4,316 injured (342 passengers, 3,531 employees, and 443 others).

ELECTRIC RAILROADS.-In 1906 there were 32 electric railroads in operation in Indiana and 4 in process of construction. Statements are presented showing earnings and expenses, passenger and freight