positions filled-78 by males and 44 by females. As to character of positions filled, 34 were laborers, 23 berry pickers, 21 farm hands, 20 general house workers, etc.

EMPLOYMENT OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN.-A limited investigation during 1905 of this class of labor in factories, shops, and department stores was conducted for the purpose of securing data as to the extent in which women and children are employed. The facts secured embraced number and age of employees, sex and literacy of children, earnings, occupations, hours of labor, conditions as to sanitation, etc. The following table summarizes the information collected:

STATISTICS OF EMPLOYMENT OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN, 1905.

The hours of labor per day in the places investigated ranged from 8 to 12, and time allowed for luncheon ranged from 30 minutes to 11 hours.

INSPECTION OF CLOTHING MANUFACTURE.-Since the opinion of the State court of appeals declared the factory and workshop inspection law constitutional the work of inspection of factories and sweat shops has practically revolutionized conditions in the garment-making trades in Baltimore.

During the year 1995, after inspection and report thereon, 1,292 permits were issued to contractors and individuals to work and employ 15,271 people in the manufacture of various articles pertaining to the clothing trade. Of the total permits, 697 were issued to factories and workshops and 595 to persons who worked in tenements and dwellings. Of children under 16 years of age there were employed 75 males and 182 females; of those under 14 years of age there were employed 34 males and 29 females. Tables, by inspection districts, give in detail number of employees by age and sex, hours of labor per day, and conditions, sanitary, social, etc., existing in connection with each tenement, dwelling, and workshop inspected.

INDUSTRIAL DISTURBANCES.-There were 10 strikes reported for the year, involving 2,586 persons (2,107 males and 479 females), with

an estimated wage loss of $45,320. Of the strikes reported, 8 were ordered by organizations and 2 were not; 3 were for increase of wages, 3 were against nonunion men, 2 related to hours of labor, 1 was for recognition of union, and 1 was for pay for lost time; 5 strikes were successful and 5 failed.

LABOR ORGANIZATIONS.-Returns were received in 1905 from 84 unions, having a membership of 15,998. A list of the unions reporting is given, with name of organization, occupation of members, membership, hours constituting a day's work, wages per day, and names and addresses of officials. The hours of daily labor for 33 unions were reported to be 8; in 23 the hours were 9; in 13 the hours were 10; 2 worked 12 hours, and for the others the hours varied, being as low as 7 in one case and as high as 14 in another. Regarding changes in the wage scale, 25 organizations reported an increase ranging from small increases in individual cases to as high as 20 per cent.

COST OF LIVING.-Under this title comparative prices of various articles of food in the Baltimore markets are presented for the years. 1892, 1895, and 1905. A table is also given showing the average monthly retail prices of the principal articles of food for 1905 compiled from prices quoted in the daily papers of Baltimore.

CHATTEL AND SALARY LOANING CONCERNS.-This chapter reproduces the act of 1902, "Regulating the loan of money, when, as security for such loan, a lien is taken upon household furniture," etc., and gives a list of 32 principal concerns loaning money in the city of Baltimore, together with class of security, amount of loan, legal cost with interest, actual charges for papers, recording, etc., how payable, term of loan, and amount actually paid to cancel the loan.

The charges of the loaning companies for papers, recording, application, etc., for a 6 months' loan of $25 on furniture ranged from $4.25 to $13.85. In the first case the rate of repayment was $5 per month for 6 months, or a total of $30; in the second, a monthly payment of $6.60 for 6 months, or a total of $39.60 was required to cancel the indebtedness.

NEGRO CENSUS AND NEGRO PROPERTY OWNERS.-This is an inquiry into the financial standing of the negro, with the view of ascertaining to what extent he is becoming a property owner. In 1904 there were in the city of Baltimore 81,381 negroes (23,848 male adults, 29,676 female adults, 14,565 male children, and 13,292 female children), and in the same year the real estate in Baltimore on which egroes paid taxes aggregated $617,662. In 1905 the assessable real estate of negro taxpayers in the State, exclusive of Baltimore city, approximated $3,000,000.

LABOR LAWS.-Under this caption the various labor laws of the State are reproduced.

WEST VIRGINIA.

Ninth Biennial Report of the Bureau of Labor. 1905-1906. I. V. Barton, Commissioner. 267 pp.

The five chapters of this report contain information on the following subjects: Statistics of manufactures, 54 pages; new industries established, 32 pages; report of free public employment bureau, 1 page; report of the department of inspection, 17 pages; labor laws, court decisions, etc., 110 pages, and an appendix discussing labor's right to the use of peaceful persuasion in industrial disputes, 18 pages. STATISTICS OF MANUFACTURES.-Under this title statistics for 67 industries, for the year ending December 31, 1905, are presented, showing, by establishments, the capital invested in plant, value of product, number of employees, number of days in operation, hours of daily work, and amount paid in wages. The following table is a summary of the reports of 825 establishments:

INDUSTRIAL STATISTICS OF 825 ESTABLISHMENTS REPORTING FOR THE YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31, 1905.

a Figures here should apparently be 40,635; those given are, however, according to the original. Figures here should apparently be 44,314; those given are, however, according to the original.

Of the establishments reporting, 113 note an increase and 3 a decrease, in wages.

NEW INDUSTRIES ESTABLISHED.-Under this title a list of new industries established in 1904-1905 is given, with location, number of employees, and wages paid in each. A summary shows that 482 establishments, with an aggregate capital of $22,856,039, commenced business during the period. These establishments gave employment to 10,133 persons, and paid in monthly wages $426,472.

FREE EMPLOYMENT BUREAU.-This chapter consists of a report of the operation of the bureau since its organization, May 15, 1901, to May 15, 1906, as summarized in the following table:

APPLICATIONS FOR POSITIONS AND FOR HELP AND POSITIONS SECURED THROUGH THE FREE PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT BUREAU, MAY 15, 1901, TO MAY 15, 1906.

LABOR LAWS, COURT DECISIONS, ETC.-This chapter embraces the following subjects: Laws of the State pertaining to labor; the decisions of various courts affecting the mining industry; extracts from the conference of the Association of Officials of Bureaus of Labor Statistics of America, and from the National Civic Federation Conference on Immigration; chronology of the bureaus of labor, and a directory of officials of bureaus of labor, etc.

266B-No. 69-07-13

RECENT FOREIGN STATISTICAL PUBLICATIONS.

BELGIUM.

Salaires et Durée du Travail dans les Industries Textiles au Mois d'Octobre, 1901. Office du Travail, Ministère de l'Industrie et du Travail, 1905. xx, 427, 691 pp.

This volume presents the results of an inquiry made by the Belgian labor office into the question of wages and working time in the textile industries of that country. The investigation was restricted to establishments having 10 or more employees, except in the case of 22 smaller establishments which were included for some special reasons. It does not include in its scope working people who are members of the families of the proprietors. Superintendents, overseers, engineers, bookkeepers, and other office employees were likewise excluded from the report, except foremen of gangs who worked with their subordinates, who have been considered as workmen. The report covers 813 textile establishments employing 71,512 work people.

The establishments considered were.divided into three classes or groups, based on the number of employees, those of the first class employing 10 or under 50 work people, those of the second class from 50 to 199, and those of the third class 200 or more. The table below shows the number of establishments and of employees in each class, by industries:

NUMBER AND PER CENT OF ESTABLISHMENTS AND EMPLOYEES IN EACH CLASSIFIED GROUP OF ESTABLISHMENTS, BY INDUSTRIES, 1901.

• Including 22 establishments having fewer than 10 employees.