THE GLOVE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY. CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION. Growth of the industry-Increase in the number of employees-Territory studied— Households studied-Members of households for whom detailed information was secured-Employees for whom information was secured [Text Tables 1 to 7 and General Tables 1 to 3]. GROWTH OF THE INDUSTRY. The growth in the glove-manufacturing industry in the country as a whole and in the State of New York during the period 1880-1905 is shown in a summary form in the table below. It is at once evident from a glance at the table that the industry is principally confined to the State of New York, about three-fifths of the total amount of capital invested being employed in that State. The expansion of the industry in all geographical divisions is also exhibited by the fact that only $3,379,648 were invested in 1880, as compared with a capital commitment of $10,705,599 in the year 1905. The detailed table follows: TABLE 1.--Growth of the glove-manufacturing industry in New York State and in the United States, 1880-1905.a a The figures reported for 1900 represent leather gloves and mittens only, and therefore do not agree with the totals for gloves and mittens in the General Report on Manufactures, Parts I and II. The. statisties for censuses prior to 1900 are for gloves or mittens, whether of leather or other material, except fur and knit gloves or mittens. INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES. The extent of the employment offered by the glove industry is the most significant feature in connection with the industry in its bearing. upon racial changes in the operating forces. In the table below it is seen that the number of employees rapidly increased both in the country as a whole and in New York during the twenty years, 18801900, but underwent a considerable decrease after the year 1900: TABLE 2.-Increase in the number of employees of the glove-manufacturing industry in New York State and the United States.a [Compiled from United States Census reports, 1890-1905.] a The figures reported for 1900 represent leather gloves and mittens only, and therefore do not agree with the totals for gloves and mittens in the General Report on Manufactures, Parts I and II. The statistics for censuses prior to 1900 are for gloves or mittens, whether of leather or other material, except fur and knit gloves or mittens. TERRITORY STUDIED. The study of the industry was limited to New York, all the information for employees and households being secured in that State. These data are combined in the tabulations for the present report. HOUSEHOLDS STUDIED. A total of 262 households, the heads of which were employed in the manufacture of gloves, were studied in detail. In the following table the number and percentage of households studied are presented, according to general nativity and race of head of household: TABLE 3.-Households studied, by general nativity and race of head of household. Of the total number of the 262 households studied in this industry 88.5 per cent are foreign-born and 11.5 are native-born. Of the 232 foreign-born households the French, South Italians, Hebrews, Irish, Germans, English, and Slovaks range from 16.4 to 9.5 per cent in the order named. MEMBERS OF HOUSEHOLDS FOR WHOM DETAILED INFORMATION WAS SECURED. The table which follows shows, by general nativity and race of head of household, the persons in the households studied and the 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. Of a total of 1,107 persons in the 262 households studied in the above table 90.7 per cent are foreign-born and 9.3 per cent nativeborn. Of the foreign-born the largest proportion, or 18.2 per cent, are South Italians, while the smallest proportion, or 9.2 per cent, are Slovaks. With regard to those for whom detailed information was secured it is seen that the proportions remain practically the same. The table next presented sets forth, by general nativity and race of head of household, the sex of persons in the households зtudied for whom detailed information was secured. TABLE 5.-Sex of persons for whom detailed information was secured, by general nativity and race of head of household. The foregoing table shows that of 1,105 persons for whom detailed information was secured 49.9 per cent are males and 50.1 per cent are females. The households the heads of which are native-born show a slightly larger proportion of males, consequently a smaller proportion of females, than the households of which are foreign-born. Of the several foreign-born races the proportion of males and females is approximately the same. In the following table persons for whom detailed information was secured is shown according to sex and by general nativity and race of individual: TABLE 6.-Persons for whom detailed information was secured, by sex and general nativity and race of individual. Of the total of 1,105 individuals for whom detailed information was secured, 57.2 per cent are foreign-born males, 32.8 per cent are native-born males of foreign father, and 10 per cent are native whites born of native father, while 52.3 per cent are foreign-born females, 36.5 per cent are native females born of foreign father, and 11.2 per cent are native whites born of native father. In other words, a larger proportion of foreign-born than of second generation and a larger proportion of second generation than of native-born whites. Of the foreign-born races the South Italian, followed by the Hebrew, shows the largest and, with the exception of certain races that show none, the Canadian other than French the smallest proportion of males. Approximately the same relative positions are occupied by the same races as regards females. |