Public Documents of the State of Wisconsin

Remarks. According to the United States census of 1900, Wisconsin in that year ranked first in this industry among all the states of the Union. There can be no doubt however that the industry as carried on within this state has already attained its maximum, and that henceforth it must decrease in importance as our pine forests become gradually exhausted. For the two years covered by this report the industry apparently shows a gain in some respects and a loss in others. But it should be stated that returns were received from only 69 establishments, less than 7 per cent. of the total number of firms, 1,066, reported by the census of 1900. The data contained in the foregoing tables are therefore not necessarily an index of the actual changes occurring in the industry in the period considered. For the establishments reporting, however, there was an increase in 1905 of 2 per cent. in the capital invested, all items of investment showing a slight gain; an increase of 5 per cent. in the materials used, and a slight increase in the average number of persons employed and in the value of the output. On the other hand, the number of days of operation decreased by 11 per cent., the total wages and salaries paid, by 6 per cent., and the average yearly earnings. by 7 per cent. Employment was very irregular each year, although less so than would be expected in an industry in which the occupations are so diversified, and in which the nature of the work done varies so widely in the dif ferent seasons of the year. But 1 per cent. of the total number of employees were females. The majority of these were empoyed in a subsidiary capacity, and not in occupations peculiar to the industry. They averaged ten hours of work per day.

66-L.