two firms reporting fourteen give 16 years. The weekly wage paid such beginners ranges from $4.00 to $8.00 for males, and from $4.00 to $8.00 for females; for males nine firms out of sixteen reporting give wages of $6.00; for females sixteen out of twenty-two firms reporting give wages from $4.00 to $5.00. The average time required for male beginners to gain full wages in low-grade work ranges from two months to five years; three firms of the sixteen reporting give one year, four give two years, and three give three years; for females the range is from two months to five years; four of the twenty-one firms reporting give one year, five give two years, and three give three years. Twenty-one firms report that employees of low-grade skill have opportunities to advance to high-grade work and no firms report the contrary.

LEATHER.

The training and dressing of leather is an industry employing a large proportion of unskilled or very low-grade skilled workers with a smaller number of skilled operators. Owing to the arduous nature of much of the work, the beginners are commonly mature men who in time recruit the ranks of skilled workers.

Returns were obtained from eight establishments, none of which are in New York City. The largest number of persons employed in the manufacturing departments of these establishments during 1907 was 1,588 males; the smallest, 1,117 males.

The length of the working day is given by all eight firms as ten hours. The total number of adult employees of low-grade skill is given as 834 males. The nationality of the males is noted as 66.2 per cent foreign born and 33.8 per cent American born. The weekly wage of the greatest number of adult male employees in this low-grade class ranges from $9.00 to $12.00, four of the eight firms reporting wages of $9.00.

The total number of adult male employees of high-grade skill is given as 450 males. The nationality of 449 males is noted as 47.2 per cent foreign born and 52.8 per cent American born. The weekly wage of the greatest number of adult male employees in this high-grade class ranges from $10.00 to $18.00, two firms out of seven reporting wages of $12.00, two give $15.00, and two give $18.00.

The weekly

One firm reports employees under 16 years of age with a total of 2 males. A total of 20 males employed under 18 years of age are reported in the low-grade class of whom 18 are 16 or 17 years of age. The preferred age for beginners in this class ranges from 16 years to 25 years; out of eight firms reporting, three give 18 years and two give 21 years. wage paid such beginners ranges from $6.00 to $9.00, five firms out of eight reporting wages from $7.00 to $8.00. The average time required for male beginners to gain full wages in low-grade work ranges from one month to three years, four firms of the six reporting one year. Five firms report that employees of low-grade skill have opportunities to advance. to high-grade work and one firm reports the contrary.

One firm reports apprentices are beginners under 18 years of age that are being trained for work of high-grade skill with a total of five males.

One firm reports that all and three that a majority of their skilled employees are trained in their own establishments; four firms report that a majority of such employees are obtained from other sources; these other sources are reported by three firms as application. One firm reports that they have difficulty either in obtaining or training skilled employees; seven firms report no difficulty.

No firms report that the apprenticeship system meets the need for skilled employees in their business.

Four firms representing 790 employees report that the efficiency and future opportunities of their employees would be increased if they were given a training between the ages of 14 and 16 in a general public industrial or preparatory trade school which should aim to give a knowledge of materials, shop mathematics and fundamental industrial methods, and some ideas of industrial organization but not teach a special trade; three firms representing 351 employees answer this question in the negative. Three firms representing 440 employees state that practical day trade schools, giving a specialized training of one year or more after the age of 16, would help to meet the problem of skilled employees in their business; three firms representing 575 employees answer this question in the negative. Representatives of four firms state that in their judgment the last mentioned schools could be advantageously administered by the State or community at public expense and operated on a non-commercial product; representatives of one firm answer this question in the negative. Representatives of two firms state that in their judgment such schools would be practical if conducted by industrial establishments or a combination of such establishments and operated on a commercial product; representatives of three firms answer this question in the negative. Three firms report that practical evening, or part time, trade schools would be of value in helping unskilled workers, or those of low-grade skill, to advance to positions requiring high-grade skill; three firms answer this question in the negative.

FANCY LEATHER GOODS.

The manufacture of fancy leather goods is to a certain extent a seasonal trade and it is often combined with other leather trades such as the manufacture of pocketbooks.

The highest skilled and highest paid employees are the cutters. The most experienced cut from the skins and others from the waste. The assembling and completion of the article is often done by team work. The team is headed by an employee that understands the various branches, assisted by helpers assigned to the various details. Beginners start in this way as helpers at some minor operation and those showing proficiency and ambition are given more difficult work and so gradually pick up the trade. There is no apprenticeship system.

Returns were obtained from ten establishments, nine of which are in New York City and one in other parts of the State. The largest number of per

sons employed in the manufacturing departments of these establishments during 1907 was 700 males and 599 females; the smallest, 301 males and 257 females.

The length of the working day for males varies from 9 hours to 10 hours, seven firms giving ten hours; in the 2 cases where the length of day for females is noted separately one firm gives 8 hours and one firm 91⁄2 hours.

The total number of adult employees of low-grade skill is given as 347 males and 387 females. The nationality of 322 males is noted as 80.1 per cent foreign born and 19.9 per cent American born; of 362 females 57.5 per cent are noted as foreign born and 42.5 per cent as American born. The weekly wage of the greatest number of adult male employees in this low-grade class ranges from $7.50 to $13.00, six of the ten firms reporting wages ranging from $8.00 to $10.00; for females the range is from $5.00 to $10.00, five out of the eight firms reporting wages from $6.00 to $8.00.

The total number of adult male employees of high-grade skill is given as 354 males and 204 females. The nationality of 306 males is noted as 84.3 per cent foreign born and 15.7 per cent American born; of 182 females 53.8 per cent are noted as foreign born and 46.2 per cent as American born. The weekly wage of the greatest number of adult male employees in this high-grade class ranges from $12.00 to $18.00, four firms out of ten reporting wages of $12.00, two giving $16.00 and two giving $18.00; for females the range is from $6.00 to $18.00, five of the nine firms reporting wages ranging from $10.00 to $12.00.

Five firms report employees under 16 years of age with a total of 9 males and 10 females.

A total of 14 males and 31 females employed under 18 years of age are reported in the low-grade class of whom 6 males and 21 females are 16 or 17 years of age. The preferred age for beginners in this class ranges from 15 years to 21 years for males and from 15 years to 18 years for females; out of nine firms reporting for males 4 give 16 years and 3 give 18 years; for females out of ten firms reporting 4 give 16 years and 3 give 18 years. The weekly wage paid such beginners ranges from $4.00 to $8.00 for males, and from $3.50 to $8.00 for females; for males seven firms out of nine reporting give wages from $4.00 to $5.00; for females eight out of ten firms reporting give wages from $3.50 to $4.50. The average time required for male beginners to gain full wages in low-grade work ranges from 3 months to six years, four firms of the eight reporting 2 years; for females the range is from 2 months to 6 years, four of the firms reporting 2 years. Eight firms report that employees of low-grade skill have opportunities to advance to high-grade work and no firms report the contrary.

One firm reports that all and three that a majority of their skilled employees are trained in their own establishments; five firms report that a majority of such employees are obtained from other sources; these other sources are reported by one firm as advertising and by one firm as application. Five firms report that they have difficulty either in obtaining or training skilled employees; four firms report no difficulty.

None report that the apprenticeship system meets the need for skilled employees in their business.

Six firms representing 1018 employees report that the efficiency and future opportunities of their employees would be increased if they were given a

training between the ages of 14 and 16 in a general public industrial or preparatory trade school which should aim to give a knowledge of materials, shop mathematics and fundamental industrial methods, and some ideas of industrial organization but not teach a special trade; four firms representing 281 employees answer this question in the negative. Six firms representing 1018 employees state that practical day trade schools, giving a specialized training of one year or more after the age of 16, would help to meet the problem of skilled employees in their business; three firms representing 240 employees answer this question in the negative. Representatives of five firms state that in their judgment the last mentioned schools could be advantageously administered by the State or community at public expense and operated on a non-commercial product; representatives of three firms answer this question in the negative. Representatives of one firm state that in their judgment such schools would be practical if conducted by industrial establishments or a combination of such establishments and operated on a commercial product; representatives of seven firms answer this question in the negative. Six firms report that practical evening, or part time, trade schools would be of value in helping unskilled workers, or those of low-grade skill, to advance to positions requiring high-grade skill; three firms answer this question in the negative.

5. PRINTING and Paper Goods.

BOOK AND JOB PRINTING.

The smaller book and job printing concerns contain only composing and pressrooms. The larger establishments include as well an electrotyping department and bindery.

Most of the printing establishments of New York State are operated under union labor rules and the apprenticeship training that is provided is almost always governed as to age, length, and wages by union regulations.

In book and job printing beginners enter and are trained in one particular department although apprentice compositors are sometimes given a short experience in the pressroom. In general boys enter the printing business as errand or office boys and if found promising are later given openings in the various departments as apprentices.

In no other industry does a general education count for so much. At least a common school training is demanded of apprentices in the composing room, and a high school experience is counted at a premium.

Distinct systems of apprenticeship exist in the composing room, electrotyping department and pressroom and rarely in the bindery for boys.

Copyholders in the composing room as a rule are girls. By close observation and with a good education it is possible for them to become proofreaders.

In the electrotyping department are finishers, moulders, builders-up and batterymen. The first two are skilled trades and apprentices are trained for each. The last two are often men of the helper class that have entered the business later than the apprentice beginners and are paid lower wages. Boys becoming apprentices in the pressroom start on feeding small platen presses and are later promoted to work on cylinder presses. They then differentiate according to ability, some becoming pressmen and others remaining as press feeders.

The bindery may be devoted to pamphlet binding or to cloth binding, or to both. In pamphlet binding the operations consist of folding, collating or gathering, and stitching, either by thread or wire. In cloth binding is added the making of the cover, divided into the operations of case making, stamping, cutting and casing in. In general the work of women and girls is concerned with the first group of forwarding operations and that of men with the

latter or case work.

Boys that have served as errand boys or performed small duties for some time are given work at operating a folding machine or at cutting, and then if capable become skilled workers in some branch of case work. Girls are first given odd jobs and work at hand folding from which they pass according to ability to hand sewing, silk stitching, gathering, or operating a wire stitching machine or a folding machine.

All Departments.

Returns were obtained from 38 establishments, 26 of which are in New York City and 12 in other parts of the State. The total of the largest number of persons employed in the manufacturing departments of these establishments during 1907 was 5,780 males and 2,472 females; the smallesi, 4.571 males and 1,900 females.

The length of the working day varies from eight hours to nine hours, twenty-five firms giving eight hours.

The total number of adult employees of low-grade skill is given as 1,584 males and 1,725 females. The nationality of 1,446 males is noted as 14.1 per cent foreign born and 85.9 per cent American born; of 1,612 females 5.4 per cent are noted as foreign born and 94.6 per cent as American born.

The total number of adult male employees of high-grade skill is given as