Since the organization in 1890 of the five free public employment offices there has been a total of 364,345 applications for situations wanted, 303,288 applications for help wanted, and 204,862 positions secured. Of applications for situations 56.2 per cent were filled, and of applications for help wanted 67.5 per cent were filled.

The expenses of the five offices for the ten months ending October 31, 1903, were $1,919.88, of which the expenses of the Cleveland office were $392.76, the Columbus office $371.60, the Cincinnati office $443.67, the Dayton office $322.90, and the Toledo office $388.95.

STATISTICS OF MANUFACTURES IN MASSACHUSETTS: SEVENTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT.

The Annual Statistics of Manufactures, 1902. Seventeenth Report, iii, 122 pp. (Issued by the Bureau of Statistics of Labor, Charles F. Pidgin, Chief.)

This report consists of two parts, as follows: Part I, Industrial Chronology for the year ending September 30, 1902, 39 pages; Part II, Statistics of Manufactures, 1901, 1902, 79 pages.

INDUSTRIAL CHRONOLOGY.-The industrial chronology of the State for the year ending September 30, 1902, embraces facts relating (1) to the establishment of new firms and corporations, new industries, and changes from private firms to corporations; (2) to changes in firms, corporations, location of plants, etc.; (3) to the construction of new buildings, the addition of new machinery, new classes of products, etc. The statement following summarizes the facts presented for the year, together with similar facts for the nine months ending September 30, 1901:

MANUFACTURES.-Statistics are presented for 4,658 identical establishments covering each of the years 1901 and 1902, and include the number of private firms, corporations, and industrial combinations;

number of partners in firms, and stockholders in corporations, by sex, etc.; capital invested, cost of material, value of product, highest, lowest, and average number of persons employed, and aggregates by months; total wages paid during each year, and average yearly earnings; classified weekly wages in selected industries, by sex and age, and days in operation during each year, and proportion of business done. Eighty classified industries are represented.

In the table following the principal facts as to ownership appear:

FIRMS, CORPORATIONS, AND INDUSTRIAL COMBINATIONS, AND PARTNERS AND STOCK-
HOLDERS IN 4,658 IDENTICAL ESTABLISHMENTS, 1901 AND 1902.

The point of greatest interest shown by the above table is the taking over of establishments from control by firms to control by corporations and the consequent decrease of partners and increase of stockholders. The table following presents statistics separately for 9 principal industries, in aggregate for 71 other industries, and totals for the 80 industries reported on for the years 1901 and 1902:

STATISTICS OF MANUFACTURES, 1901 AND 1902.

In the above table, comparing the figures for 1902 with those for 1901, an increase is shown in each of the 9 leading industries except leather, which shows a decrease in stock used, goods made and work done, and wages paid.

The table following presents data relative to employees, earnings, and days in operation, the establishments considered being the same as in the table preceding:

AVERAGE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES, AVERAGE YEARLY EARNINGS, AND AVERAGE DAYS IN OPERATION IN 9 PRINCIPAL INDUSTRIES, OTHER INDUSTRIES, AND IN ALL INDUSTRIES, 1901 AND 1902.

This table shows that in each of the principal industries, except leather, there was an increase in the average number of employees in 1902 as compared with 1901. The largest increases were in carpetings, woolen goods, and worsted goods, being, respectively, 13.72 per cent, 11.72 per cent, and 15.43 per cent. Comparing average yearly earnings in 1902 with those in 1901, increases appear in each of the principal industries, except leather and metals and metallic goods, in which decreases of 2.67 per cent and 1.04 per cent are seen. Under average days in operation, the averages for boots and shoes and leather show slight decreases in 1902 as compared with 1901, the decreases being 0.24 per cent and 2.82 per cent. For all industries, each average in 1902 shows an increase over that for 1901.

The following tables show the number and per cent of employees earning the indicated weekly wages. Employees are divided into three groups, namely, adult males, adult females, and young persons of both sexes under 21 years of age. The number of employees given is the number reported in each industry for the week showing the largest number of employees, and does not, therefore, agree with the number shown in the preceding table.

NUMBER OF MALE AND FEMALE ADULTS AND OF YOUNG PERSONS IN 80 INDUSTRIES, BY CLASSIFIED WEEKLY WAGES, 1901 AND 1902.

PER CENT OF MALE AND FEMALE ADULTS AND OF YOUNG PERSONS OF TOTAL NUMBER EMPLOYED IN 80 INDUSTRIES, BY CLASSIFIED WEEKLY WAGES, 1901 AND 1902.

From the above tables it appears that in the 80 industries considered there were 21,523 more wage-earners employed in 1902 than in 1901. Under each wage class there was an increase in the number employed, except the first two, or lowest classes, where there was a decrease. Of the total number of wage-earners employed 48.98 per cent in 1902 received $9 or over per week, as compared with 47.13 per cent in 1901. In 1901 the young persons employed at wages under $5 per week were 47.33 per cent of the total of young persons employed, while the number in 1902 employed at wages under $5 per week was 43 per cent of the total. Of the total adult females 73.39 per cent in 1901 were employed at wages of $5 or under $10 per week, while in 1902 in this wage class 72.34 per cent were employed. In 1901 the adult males who received $9 or over per week were 67.57 per cent of the total adult males, while in 1902 the percentage was 69.37.

In the tables previously presented value of goods made or work done has included not only the added value resulting from the processes of the industry considered, but the original cost of material as