GAS AND ELECTRIC LIGHTING.-Detailed tables are given for each of the years 1891 to 1895, inclusive, showing by counties for the gas and electric light and power companies the number of employees and wages, and for each company, by occupation and locality, the highest, lowest, and average daily wages, and average hours of labor per week.

The following table shows, for the electric light and power and gas companies reporting as doing business for five years, the volume of business done, the earnings, and the total wages paid, for the five years ending June 1, 1895:

BUSINESS TRANSACTED BY ELECTRIC LIGHT AND POWER AND GAS COMPANIES FOR THE FIVE YEARS ENDING JUNE 1, 1895.

In addition to the statistics given in the above table, the annual report also shows returns from companies for periods of less than five years.

UNORGANIZED WORKING WOMEN.-This part of the report consists of a collection of personal statements made by working women and girls, with reference to the conditions of labor, wages, hours, treatment by employers, etc.

FREE EMPLOYMENT BUREAU.-This bureau was opened July 20, 1896. From that time until January 1, 1897, 8,040 applications for work were registered, of which 6,458 were from males and 1,582 from females. Of the male applicants, 1,758, and of the females, 233, had children depending upon them for support. Situations were secured for 218 males and 265 females.

WEST VIRGINIA.

Report of the Commissioner of Labor of the State of West Virginia, 1895– 1896. John M. Sydenstricker, Commissioner. 125 pp.

This is the second biennial report of the commissioner of labor of West Virginia. The following subjects are treated of in the report: Coal statistics, 45 pages; coke statistics, 34 pages; oil statistics, 24 pages; strikes, 1 page; statistics of agriculture, 8 pages. The information relating to coal, coke, and oil, and the strike statistics, are reproductions of data published in the reports of the Director of the United States Geological Survey and of the Commissioner of the United States Department of Labor.

WISCONSIN.

Seventh Biennial Report of the Bureau of Labor, Census, and Industrial Statistics. State of Wisconsin, 1895-1896. Halford Erickson, Commissioner. viii, 540 pp.

This report treats of the following subjects: Farmers' returns, 175 pages; mechanics' and workingmen's returns, 160 pages; wages and time in operation, 35 pages; factory inspection, 21 pages; manufacturers' returns. 119 pages; building and loan associations, 35 pages.

FARMERS' RETURNS.-In response to inquiries addressed to farmers throughout the State, 549 returns were received. This is scarcely 10 per cent of the number solicited. The schedule of inquiries contained. over 40 items, covering the social and industrial condition of farmers in the State. The following is a résumé of some of the answers returned by the farmers:

Native born

Foreign born

Not reporting place of birth.

Married

Single.

Average number of persons in 500 families

Average months per year of school attendance of children.

Average number of years engaged in farming..

Average number of acres per farm (546 farms)....

Average number of acies per farm under cultivation (544 farms).
Average value of land and improvements per acre (532 farms)..
Number of farm hands employed in summer (409 farms) .
Average monthly wages in summer..

Number of farm hands employed in winter (270 farms)
Average monthly wages in winter..

Members of farmers' associations..

Not members of farmers' associations...

Not reporting as to membership of farmers' associations

Members of beneficiary associations....

Not members of beneficiary associations.

Not reporting as to membership of beneficiary associations
Carry life insurance...........

Do not carry life insurance..

Not reporting as to life insurance.

354

176

19

517

32

5.6

7.5

25.6

209.3

134.5

$47.93

678

a $17.20 346 a $12.30

19

514

16

111

412

26

163

364

22

The number of answers returned varies in the different items, because not all the schedules returned were complete. According to the returns received there seems to be an improvement in the condition of farmers. Of 518 farmers reporting, 431 say that they have saved money during the past five years. Among unmarried laborers there seems to be a prevailing tendency to go to the cities rather than to remain and acquire the ownership of farms, 240 out of 320 farmers reporting to that effect. Domestic help is reported by 395 out of 457 farmers to be scarce. The reasons assigned are that girls prefer other employment and they prefer

a In over 90 per cent of cases this includes board and washing.

to work in cities. With regard to the cost of living, 64 farmers report an increase, 104 a decrease, and 230 no change during the past year. Other chapters of farmers' returns relate to the production and prices of grain and other farm produce and to farm animals.

MECHANICS' AND WORKING MEN'S RETURNS.-Over 15,000 schedules of inquiry, covering the social and industrial condition of workingmen, were sent out by the bureau. Only 1,488 returns were received that could be used for tabulation, and these were not all complete. The individual returns were tabulated by industries and the general results summarized. The following table gives a summary of some of the returns, arranged according to occupations:

STATISTICS OF MECHANICS AND WORKINGMEN, BY OCCUPATIONS, 1895.

The number of persons considered in each case is not shown in this summary. As the schedules were not all complete, the number of persons probably varies with the different items returned. The average age of the workingmen for each occupation ranges from 26.8 to 42 years and the average number of persons supported varies from 2.4 to 5 for

the different occupations. The average time employed during the day was mostly from 9 to 10 hours in summer and from 8 to 9 hours in winter. The most steady employment was in the case of upholsterers, who worked 11.5 months during the year, and the least in the case of masons and bricklayers, who worked but 6.3 months. Factory employees were paid the lowest average daily wages, namely, $1.14, and masons and bricklayers received the highest, $2.71. A large proportion of the workingmen own their homes, most of which are mortgaged. The following table shows the principal items of 423 workingmen's budgets, arranged by occupations:

YEARLY INCOME AND EXPENDITURE PER FAMILY OF MECHANICS AND WORKINGMEN, BY OCCUPATIONS, 1895.

The average income during the year for a family of 4.2 persons was $535.66. The average cost of supporting such a family in one year is shown to be: For subsistence, $233.93; for clothing, $71.27; for fuel, $32.67; for rent, $88.57; for sundries, $85, or a total of $511,44. The per cent of each item of the total expenditure was as follows: Subsistence, 46.17; clothing, 13.88; fuel, 6.48; rent, 17.37; sundries, 16.10. WAGES AND TIME IN OPERATION.-In this chapter are shown the average wages of workingmen for the years 1888 to 1895, inclusive, arranged by years and occupations, and the wage scales for 61 industries in 1894 and 1895.

The following table shows, for 62 industries, the number of establishments reported each year in the State from 1888 to 1895, the number of men employed in the establishments, the wages paid, and the number of weeks of employment during the year:

ESTABLISHMENTS REPORTING, EMPLOYEES, WAGES PAID, AND AVERAGE WEEKS OF EMPLOYMENT, 1888 TO 1895.

BUILDING AND LOAN ASSOCIATIONS.-Tables are presented showing the number of shareholders, shares in force, borrowers, amounts borrowed, assets, profits and losses, and other items concerning building and loan associations. Following is a summary of some of the more important data presented for the fiscal year 1895:

Number of associations reported:

Serial ... Permanent Terminating.

Total....

Number of shareholders

Number of shares in force at end of year.

Amount loaned to members during the year..

Withdrawals and matured shares paid during the year.
Total loans to shareholders in force at end of year..
Total assets at end of year.

MANUFACTURERS' RETURNS.-Reports were received from 1,368 establishments, representing 47 industries. Most of the results of this investigation are published in percentages only in order to avoid the identification of the establishments. The tables presented in the report show for each industry, and for all industries collectively, the proportion which each item bears to the whole with respect to the cost of production, selling price, capital and product, capital invested, partners or stockholders and wage earners, and gross profits, respectively. They also show absolute figures giving the average investment and net earnings of each partner or stockholder, and the average product and average earnings of each worker.