THE OIL REFINING INDUSTRY.

The growth of the industry-The increase in the number of employees-Localities studied-Households studied-Members of households for whom detailed information was secured-Preparation of the report-Employees for whom information was secured [Text Tables 1 to 11 and General Tables 1 to 3].

New Jersey..

CHAPTER I.

INTRODUCTION.

The expansion of the oil-refining industry in the country as a whole during the period 1880-1905 may be seen from the fact that in 1880 there was only $27,325,746 invested in refineries and their equipment, while in 1905 the capital commitment was $136,280,541. In 1880, also, the value of the annual product of the refineries was only $43,705,218, as contrasted with the annual output of $175,005,320 in the year 1905. The growth of the industry during this period, both for the United States and the State of New Jersey, is shown in detail in the table below:

United States..

THE GROWTH OF THE INDUSTRY.

TABLE 1.-Growth of the oil-refining industry in the United States, 1880-1905, and New Jersey, 1890-1905.

[Copied from Census records, 1880-1905.]

From the standpoint of recent immigration the most significant feature of the growth of the oil-refining industry is to be found in the resultant increase in the number of employees, owing to the fact that it was necessary to recruit the increased labor force from immigrant races of southern and eastern Europe. The following table sets forth

the increase in the average number of employees in New Jersey during the period 1890-1905, and in the country as a whole during the period

1880-1905:

TABLE 2.-The increase in the number of employees in the oil-refining industry in the United States, 1880–1905, and in New Jersey, 1890–1905.

[Copied from Census records, 1880-1905.]

New Jersey.

United States.....

State.

LOCALITIES STUDIED.

Although small numbers of individual employees were studied in other localities, by far the greatest emphasis was put upon the study of the industry in Whiting, Ind., and Bayonne, N. J., for the reason that the oil-refining industry of the country is practically centered in these two localities. Detailed information was secured from the employees of the various refineries in these two localities and households, the heads of which were employed at the refineries. Detailed historical and descriptive data were also secured, as well as material bearing upon the industrial effects of immigration.

TABLE 3.-Households studied, by general nativity and race of head of household.

(STUDY OF HOUSEHOLDS.)

HOUSEHOLDS STUDIED.

A total of 525 households the heads of which were employed at the oil refineries were studied in detail. The following table shows, according to general nativity and race of head of household, the number and per cent of the households included in the investigation:

Year.

11

1905

1900

1890

1905

1900

1890

1880

Per cent
distribu-
tion.

Average number of wage earners.

4.0

1.9

1.9

2.1

2.9

18.3

13. 1
5.9

2.1

Women, 16 years of age

and over.

Total native-born.
Total foreign-born..

Total native-born of foreign
father...

Children under 16

years of

age.

Households.

111

53

87

134 21

0

525

432 198 516

346

Per cent Number. distribution.

10

31

494

21.1

10. 1

16.6

100.0

1.9

5.9

94.1

MEMBERS OF HOUSEHOLDS FOR WHOM DETAILED INFORMATION WAS SECURED.

The table next presented shows by general nativity and race of head of household the persons in households studied and persons for whom detailed information was secured:

TABLE 4.-Persons in households studied and persons for whom detailed information was secured, by general nativity and race of head of household.

(STUDY OF HOUSEHOLDS.)

Total
number

of house-
holds.

1,607

30

77

1,530

The following table shows, according to general nativity and race of head of household, the sex of persons for whom detailed information was secured, in the households studied:

TABLE 5.-Sex of persons for whom detailed information was secured, by general nativity and race of head of household.

(STUDY OF HOUSEHOLDS.)

1,227

78

1,149

10

15

69

11

111
53

87

525

10

31

494

Persons in house-
hold.

Per cent

Number. distribu

tion.

537

396

149

79 566

285

484

2,869

Total.

61

156 2,713

563

476

2,834

61 155 2,679

3.3

2.1

2.1

2.2

3.3

18.7

13.8

5.2

2.8

19.7

9.9

16.9

100.0

2.1

5.4 94.6

Male.

Persons for whom detailed information was secured.

50.0

49.2

58.9

45.2

53.2

53.0

63.4

Per cent.

3.3

2.2

60.4

62.0

59.5

59.3

52.7

56.7

49.2

49.7

57.1

2.0

2.2

3.3

18.7

13.9

5.3

2.5

19.9

10.1

16.8

100.0

2.2

5.5

94.5

Per cent of each sex.

Female.

50.0

50.8

41.1

54.8

46.8

47.0

36.6

39.6

38.0

40.5

40.7

47.3

43.3

50.8

50.3

42.9

The table submitted below shows, by sex and general nativity and race of individual, the persons for whom detailed information was secured, in the households studied:

TABLE 6.-Persons for whom detailed information was secured, by sex and general nativity and race of individual.

(STUDY OF HOUSEHOLDS.)

The series of tables following set forth, by sex, the number and per cent of employees of each race for whom information was secured, in Whiting, Bayonne, and for the industry as a whole. The first table submitted shows the employees for whom information was received at Whiting.

TABLE 7.-Total number of employees for whom information was secured, by sex and general nativity and race, Whiting, Ind.

(STUDY OF EMPLOYEES.)