A total of 16 males and 19 female employees under 18 years of age are reported. Sixteen males and 19 females are 16 or 17 years of age. The preferred age for beginners ranges from 15 years to 20 years for males and for females; out of five firms reporting for males two give 16 years the preference; for females the four firms report each a different age, viz., 15, 16, 18, and 20 years. The weekly wage paid such beginners at the start in as follows: nailers (male), two firms $4.00 and one $6.00; cutters (male), one firm each $6.00, $10.00, and $15.00; operators (male), three firms $6.00; operators (female), one firm $5.00 and one $6.00; finishers (male), three firms $4.00; finishers (female), two firms $4.00 and one firm $7.00. The average time required for male beginners to gain full wages ranges from 1 year to 4 years, two firms of the four reporting 4 years, one giving 2 years, and one giving 1 year; for females the range is from 6 months to 4 years, two of the firms reporting 4 years, 1 giving 3 years, and 1 giving 6 months. Four firms report that beginners are trained in one branch only and four firms report they are trained in all branches.

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

Two firms representing 77 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; eight firms representing 988 employees answer this question in the negative. No firms state that practical day trade schools giving a specialized training of 1 year or more after the age of 16, would help to meet the problem of skilled employees in their business; ten firms representing 1,065 employees answer this question in the negative. Representatives of no 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 noncommercial product; representatives of nine firms answer this question in the negative. Representatives of no 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 nine firms answer this question in the negative. One firm reports 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; eight firms answer this question in the negative.

GLOVES.

A large number of operations are involved in the manufacture of leather gloves, many of which are performed by unskilled labor

while others require a high grade of skill. The various processes are as follows: Sorting, shaving, cutting, slitting or punching of tranks, trimming of tranks, needle sewing to prepare the gloves for the silkers, silking, pulling, making, hemming or finishing, laying-off, fastening, tacking, examining, sorting, banding and boxing.

Sorting and shaving are skilled operations performed by male help that are represented by branches distinct from cutting only in large establishments. Cutting is the branch requiring the highest skill and is performed by men. This trade is jealously guarded and as a rule only relatives of the cutters are admitted to apprenticeship. Most of the cutters have learned their trade in Europe. Slitting or punching of tranks is unskilled machine work performed by males. Trimming by which the rough edges are removed is unskilled hand work performed by girls or women. Needle work preparing for silking is unskilled hand work done by girls. Silking is performed on embroidery machines and is a skilled operation. About one-third of the operatives are men. Pulling consists in tieing the embroidery silk ends and is performed by young girls generally under 16 years of age. Making is a machine operating trade and is the chief skilled branch for women. small number of men also are engaged in this work. Hemmers and finishers are skilled women operators. The layers-off are all men. This is a skilled branch and requires about two years to learn. The fasteners who put on metal clasps are generally boys and girls under 16. The tackers, who thread the gloves into pairs, and the examiners are girls. Sorters are skilled male help who commonly have learned the qualities of gloves in the shipping department. Finally the gloves are banded and boxed by skilled female help.

A

Boys commonly start as errand boys, or helpers, or as fasteners. They may eventually become cutters of a class suitable for a cheap grade of work. They may also become silkers and makers. Girls start at needle sewing, pulling, tacking, and operating fastening machines and eventually progress to makers and silkers.

Returns were obtained from thirteen establishments, one of which is in New York City and twelve in other parts of the State. The largest number of persons employed in the manufacturing departments of these establishments during the busy season of 1907 was 1,454 males and 2,038

females; during the slack seasons the totals were 1,065 males and 1,573 females. The length of the spring busy season ranges from 3 to 6 months, five out of eleven firms reporting 4 months and three giving 6 months; the fall busy season ranges from four to seven months, seven of the twelve firms reporting 6 months.

The length of the working day varies from 8 hours to 10 hours, twelve firms giving 10 hours.

The total number of adult employees of high-grade skill is given as 1,210 males and 1,824 females. The nationality of the males is noted as 43.4 per cent foreign born and 56.6 per cent American born; of the females 16.2 per cent are noted as foreign born and 83.8 per cent as American born. The weekly wage of the greatest number of adult employees in this highgrade class is as below:

For females the figures are as follows: Operators, range $6.00 to $13.00, nine out of twelve firms reporting $9.00 to $12.00; examiners, range $6.00 to $12.00, four out of seven firms reporting $7.00 to $8.00.

Eight firms report employees under 16 years of age with a total of 32 males and 34 females.

A total of 51 male and 49 female employees 16 or 17 years of age are reported. The preferred age for beginners that are to be trained for skilled work ranges from 16 years to 18 years for males and from 16 years to 19 years for females; out of eleven firms reporting for males five give 16 years, three give 17 years, and three give 18 years the preference; for females out of eleven firms reporting, four give 16 years and four give 17 years. The weekly wage paid such male beginners is as follows:

For females wages are as follows: Operators, range $3.00 to $6.00, five out of eight firms reporting $6.00; examiners, range $4.50 to $6.00, two out of three firms reporting $4.50. The average time required for male beginners to gain full wages ranges from 2 years to 3 years, seven firms of the eleven reporting 3 years; for females the range is from 3 months to 2 years, five of the ten firms reporting 1 year, and 3 giving 2 years. Three firms report that beginners are trained in one branch and nine firms that they are trained in all branches.

Six firms report that a majority of their skilled employees are trained in their own establishments; six firms report that a majority of such employees are obtained from other sources. Nine firms report that they have difficulty either in obtaining or training skilled employees; three firms report no difficulty.

Six report that the apprenticeship system meets the need for skilled employees in their business; two firms report the contrary; two firms report that the reason the apprenticeship system does not meet the need is inability to secure good material as apprentices. Four firms state that the restrictions of number of apprentices by trade unions do not prevent them from employing as many apprentices as they would otherwise employ; one firm reports that it is employing the full number of apprentices allowed by union rules.

Nine firms representing 2,868 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 483 employees answer this question in the negative. Eleven firms representing 3,318 employees state that practical day trade schools, giving a specialized training of 1 year or more after the age of 16, would help to meet the problem of skilled employees in their business; one firm representing 33 employees answer this question in the negative. Representatives of eight 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 eight 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. Eight 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.

CUSTOM DRESSMAKING.

Custom dressmaking is as a rule carried on in smaller establishments than the clothing factory and is a seasonal trade. Beginners enter as assistants and there is a tendency to advance the young learner through the successive operations to skilled work. This tendency, however, is largely counteracted by the irregularity of employment and consequent shifting from shop to shop characteristic of all seasonal trades.

Returns were obtained from eighteen establishments, all of which are in New York City. The largest number of persons employed in the manufacturing departments of these establishments during the busy seasons of 1907 was 192 males and 1,774 females; during the slack seasons the totals were 89 males and 710 females. The length of the busy spring season ranges from 1 month to 7 months, five of the seventeen firms reporting 4 months and 4 giving 5 months; the fall season ranges from 2 months to 6 months, seven of the seventeen firms reporting 4 months and four giving 2 months.

The length of the working day varies from 81⁄2 hours to 10 hours, thirteen firms giving 9 hours.

The total number of adult employees of low-grade skill during the busy seasons of 1907 is given as 39 males and 725 females. The nationality of the males is noted as 61.5 per cent foreign born and 38.5 per cent American born; of the females 32.3 per cent are noted as foreign born and 67.7 per cent as American born. The weekly wage of the greatest number of adult female employees in this low-grade class is as follows: assistants, range $6.00 to $12.00, seven out of twelve firms reporting wages from $8.00 to $9.00; skirt, sleeve and waist bands, range $9.00 to $12.00, eight out of ten firms reporting wages from $9.00 to $10.00.

The total number of adult employees of high-grade skill is given as 151 males and 1,037 females. The nationality of 126 males is noted as 42.9 per cent foreign born and 57.1 per cent American born; of 825 females 40.7 per cent are noted as foreign born and 59.3 per cent as American born. Of these highly skilled employees 5 of the males are sleeve trimmers, 39 are waist trimmers, 6 are drapers and 101 are fitters; of the females 186 are sleeve trimmers, 444 are waist trimmers, 353 are drapers and 54 are fitters. The weekly wage of the greatest number of adult male fitters in this highgrade class is as follows:

Firms.. Wages..

$15 00 $18 00 $20 00 $25 00 $60 00 $98 00 For females the most common wage is as follows: Sleeve trimmers, range $10.00 to $18.00, eight out of fourteen firms reporting wages from $10.00 to $12.00; waist trimmers, range $10.00 to $20.00, ten out of sixteen firms reporting wages from $12.00 to $15.00; drapers, range $12.00 to $25.00, six out of fifteen firms reporting wages from $15.00 to $16.00; fitters, two firms $18.00, one $20.00, one $22.00, two $25.00, two $30.00, one $35.00 one $40.00 and one $45.00.

Eleven firms report employees under 16 years of age with a total of 45 females. The effect of the law that went into operation October 1, 1906, relating to the hours of employment of boys and girls under 16 years of age is reported as follows: Nine establishments not affected; two establishments have ceased to employ children under that age.

A total of 1 male and 104 females employed under 18 years of age are reported in the low-grade class, of whom 1 male and 69 females are 16 or 17 years of age. The preferred age for assistant beginners in this class ranges from 14 years to 18 years; for females out of sixteen firms reporting five give 16 years and four give 18 years. The weekly wage paid assistants at the start ranges from $2.75 to $6.00; eleven firms out of thirteen reporting wages from $3.00 to $5.00. The average time required for assistants to gain full wages in low-grade work ranges from 12 to 5 years, nine firms of the fifteen reporting 12 to 21⁄2 years. Fourteen firms report that employees of low-grade skill have opportunities to advance to high-grade work and no firms report the contrary.

Two firms report that all and five that a majority of their skilled employees are trained in their own establishments; two firms report that all and nine that a majority of such employees are obtained from other sources; these other sources are reported by six firms as advertising and by one