CODEBOOK AND USER'S MANUAL: A SURVEY OF 6,924 WORKING WOMEN IN CLEVELAND, COLUMBUS AND CINCINNATI, OHIO, 1901 REPORTED IN THE TWENTY-FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE OHIO BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS Version 1.1 July 11, 1993 Susan B. Carter Roger L. Ransom Richard Sutch Samuel H. Williamson Hongcheng Zhao Historical Labor Statistics Project Institute of Business and Economic Research University of California Berkeley, California 94720 This codebook is a preliminary draft. The data described here and accompanying this version of the codebook is still in a preliminary format and may contain errors. Those wishing to use this data for research purposes should check with the authors for an update. Neither the collectors of the data or those sponsoring the data collection wish to bear responsibility for the use to which others may make of this data. The financial support of the National Science Foundation, The Miami University of Ohio, the All-UC Group in Economic History, and of the Institute of Business and Economic Research and the Laboratory for Historical Research, both of the University of California, is appreciated. For further description of the Historical Labor Statistics Project, discussion of the social, economic, and political context in which the data were collected, and an assessment of data quality, see Susan Carter, Roger Ransom, and Richard Sutch. [1] Suggested Citation: Susan B. Carter, Roger L. Ransom, Richard Sutch, Samuel H. Williamson, and Hongcheng Zhao. Codebook and User's Manual: A Survey of 6,924 Working Women in Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati, Ohio, 1901; Reported in the Twenty-Fifth Annual Report of the Ohio Bureau of Labor Statistics. Berkeley: Institute of Business and Economic Research, 1993. A SURVEY OF 6,924 WORKING WOMEN IN CLEVELAND, COLUMBUS, AND CINCINNATI, OHIO, 1901 The data described in this Codebook come from a survey of 6,924 working women in Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati, Ohio conducted by the Ohio Bureau of Labor Statistics in 1901 and published in its Twenty-Fifth Annual Report. [2] The data resulted from an effort to collect statistics from working women and girls in the larger cities in Ohio. Results from an identical questionnaire administered to 7,825 working women in Akron and 15 other Ohio cities also in 1901 were reported in the Ohio Labor Statistics Bureau's Twenty-Sixth Annual Report. [3] The motivation for the survey is not explained in the written report. We are told quite a bit about the data collection methods, however. The data were collected by female agents who interviewed women and girls in their place of employment while the women worked or during their lunch break. We also know that the survey includes worker reports from firms that initially refused to cooperate with the Bureau's agents. When faced with non-cooperation, the Commissioner of Labor, M. D. Ratchford, wrote to the State Attorney General for an opinion regarding possible legal remedies. When informed that firms convicted of impeding the work of the Bureau could be fined from $50 to $500, the Commissioner used the threat of fines to gain all the desired information. Correspondence on this matter between the Commissioner of Labor and the Attorney General are published at the beginning of the Report. [4] At one point the Commissioner of Labor defends his vigorous exercise of his data collection powers by writing: I need not dwell upon the importance of gaining admission to those establishments, or of the great disadvantage that will result to the Bureau from any failure to do so. It is enough to say that its effects would be far- reaching, and would very likely be felt for years to come. [5] The Historical Labor Statistics Project has transformed these data into machine-readable form using the procedures and codes outlined in this Codebook. Table 1 lists the questions asked in the survey and the variable names assigned to each response. Tables 2 through 16 present descriptive statistics on the values and distributions of responses to the questions asked including, where necessary, the numeric codes used in entering the data into the computer. Since version 1.0, some of the variable names have been changed. Users are reminded to be aware of these changes. The data from this sample of 6,924 working women in Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati, Ohio, 1901 has been archived at the Laboratory for Historical Research at the University of California, Riverside. For additional information regarding the availability of these data please contact: Professor Roger Ransom Department of History University of California Riverside, CA 92521 FAX [909] 787-5299 NOTES [1] Susan B. Carter, Roger L. Ransom, and Richard Sutch, "The Historical Labor Statistics Project at the University of California," Historical Methods 24 (2) (Spring 1991): 52-65 and Susan B. Carter, Roger L. Ransom, and Richard Sutch, "Doing the Wright Thing: Carroll Wright and the State Labor Statistics Movement." Paper Presented at the Conference on Historical Labor Statistics, Lawrence, Kansas, June 1991. [2] The Ohio Bureau of Labor Statistics, Twenty-Fifth Annual Report 1901. Columbus, Ohio: Fred. J. Heer, State Printer, 1902. Note that while the published report claims 6,920 respondents, our computerized tabulation found 6,924. [3] We have coded and documented these data as well. See Susan B. Carter Roger L. Ransom, Richard Sutch, Samuel H. Williamson and Hongcheng Zhao, Codebook and User's Manual: A Survey of 7,825 Working Women in Akron and 15 Other Ohio Cities, 1901; Reported in the Twenty-Sixth Annual Report of the Ohio Bureau of Labor Statistics. Berkeley: Institute of Business and Economic Research, 1993. [4] The Ohio Bureau of Labor Statistics, Twenty-Fifth Annual Report 1901. Columbus, Ohio: Fred. J. Heer, State Printer, 1902: 505-9. [5] Ibid.: 507. Table 1 Questions Asked of Respondents Survey of 6,924 Working Women in Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati, Ohio, 1901 Name Description PAGE Page on Which the Survey Results Begin ID Case Number SUB_ID Case Number for each County RES Residence OCC Present Industry POB Place of Birth AGE Age WKSOCC Number of Weeks Employed at Present Occupation WKSOTH Number of Weeks Employed at other Occupation HOURS Hours of Labor Per Week if Employed WLOSTSIC Number of Weeks Idle through Sickness NOWORK Number of Weeks Idle through Non-employment WLOSTOTH Number of Weeks Idle through Strikes and other Causes WAGEWK Average Wages Per Week WGMALE Average Wages of Males Per Week for the Same Labor OTHINC Income other than Wages BOARD Living Expenses Per Week: Board and Lodging RENT Living Expenses Per Week: Rent, Light and Heat EXPCLOT Living Expenses Per Week: Clothing OTHEXP Living Expenses Per Week: Other Necessaries DEP Number of Dependents SAVINGS Average Weekly Savings GIVSAV If the Savings were Given to Parents STARTWK Began Work during Year Covered by Investigation Table 2 Residence [RES] Survey of 6,924 Working Women in Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati, Ohio, 1901 Code Response Frequency 5 Cincinnati 1,175 6 Cleveland 2,155 7 Columbus 3,594 Total 6,924 Table 3 Present Industry [OCC] Survey of 6,924 Working Women in Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati, Ohio, 1901 Code Response Frequency 2 Awnings, tents, flags 25 3 Bags-burlap, paper 32 4 Bags-paper 59 6 Blankets 73 7 Bolts, nuts, rivets, screws 37 8 Boots and shoes 719 9 Boxes 95 10 Boxes-paper 354 11 Boxes-wooden 84 12 Bread & other bakery prod's 151 13 Brooms and brushes 33 15 Buggies 18 16 Button holes 11 17 Buttons 39 18 Candles 44 20 Caps 17 21 Carriages and wagons 30 23 Chewing gum 36 24 Cigars 293 25 Cigars and tobacco 617 27 Clothing 108 28 Clothing-ladies' 309 29 Clothing-men's 390 30 Coffee, baking powder and spices 54 31 Coffins 18 32 Coffins and burial cases 51 33 Confectionery 410 35 Desk and office supplies 139 36 Drugs 99 37 Drugs and chemicals 76 40 Flavoring extracts 19 42 Gas mantels 18 44 Gloves 102 45 Hats and caps 33 46 Knit goods 55 48 Laundries 375 49 Liquors-distilled 30 50 Macaroni 40 53 Mattresses 20 55 Millinery 72 57 Neckwear and infant caps 52 59 Paints and varnishes 38 61 Pickles and preserves 25 64 Printing and binding 266 65 Railway supplies 14 66 Regalia 464 68 Rugs 10 72 Shirts 84 73 Shoes 271 74 Soap and candles 28 76 Suspenders 49 78 Telephone operators 288 80 Tools 38 83 Woolen goods 60 84 Woolen hosiery and underwear 52 Total 6,924 Table 4 Place of Birth [POB] Survey of 6,924 Working Women in Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati, Ohio, 1901 Code Response Frequency 1 Assyria 3 2 Austria 8 3 Bavaria 1 4 Bohemia 73 5 Canada 11 6 England 83 7 France 17 8 Germany 427 9 Holland 6 10 Hungary 21 11 Ireland 106 12 Italy 3 13 Jew 8 15 Poland 6 16 Russia 59 17 Scotland 17 19 Switzerland 8 20 United States 6,057 21 Welsh 10 Total 6,924 Table 5 Age [AGE] Survey of 6,924 Working Women in Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati, Ohio, 1901 Age Frequency 8 - 15 years old 304 16 - 20 3,480 21 - 25 1,732 26 - 30 780 31 - 35 299 36 - 40 190 41 - 45 65 46 - 50 33 51 - 68 41 Total 6,924 Table 6 Number of Weeks Employed Survey of 6,924 Working Women in Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati, Ohio, 1901 Frequency Weeks Present occ. Other occ. or code [WKSOCC] [WKSOTH] -9(No response) 106 5,158 1 - 4 weeks 295 173 5 - 8 274 123 9 - 12 239 211 13 - 16 226 108 17 - 20 178 107 21 - 24 93 102 25 - 28 250 184 29 - 32 169 121 33 - 36 197 130 37 - 40 359 155 41 - 44 292 115 45 - 48 837 115 49 - 52 3,409 122 Total 6,924 6,924 Table 7 Hours of Labor per Week if Employed [HOURS] Survey of 6,924 Working Women in Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati, Ohio, 1901 Hours or code Frequency -9(No response) 9 2.00 - 46.00 hours 70 46.01 - 48.00 295 48.01 - 50.00 1 50.01 - 52.00 196 52.01 - 54.00 1,185 54.01 - 56.00 76 56.01 - 58.00 627 58.01 - 60.00 4,392 60.01 - 65.00 73 Total 6,924 Table 8 Number of Weeks Idle, by Cause Survey of 6,924 Working Women in Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati, Ohio, 1901 Frequency Weeks Sickness Non-employment Others or code [WLOSTSIC] [NOWORK] [WLOSTOTH] -9(No response) 5,889 6,879 5,189 1 week 209 8 96 2 299 20 230 3 113 2 99 4 148 12 323 5 29 0 60 6 38 1 367 7 10 0 16 8 77 0 156 9 3 0 9 10 16 0 27 11 2 0 2 12 37 1 159 13 2 0 15 14 4 0 10 15 25 0 3 16 or over 23 0 163 Total 6,924 6,924 6,924 Table 9 Average Wages per Week [WAGEWK] Survey of 6,924 Working Women in Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati, Ohio, 1901 Wages Frequency $0.50 - 1.00 15 1.01 - 2.00 258 2.01 - 3.00 1,008 3.01 - 4.00 1,537 4.01 - 5.00 1,771 5.01 - 6.00 1,194 6.01 - 7.00 559 7.01 - 8.00 359 8.01 - 9.00 121 9.01 - 10.00 50 10.01 - 11.00 15 11.01 - 12.00 20 12.01 - 20.00 17 Total 6,924 Table 10 Average Wages of Males per Week for the Same Labor [WGMALE] Survey of 6,924 Working Women in Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati, Ohio, 1901 Wages or code Frequency -9(No response) 6,915 $9.00 1 12.00 5 13.00 1 14.00 1 24.00 1 Total 6,924 Table 11 Income other than Wages [OTHINC] Survey of 6,924 Working Women in Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati, Ohio, 1901 Value or code Frequency -9(No response) 6,855 $0.25 - 1.00 17 1.01 - 2.00 11 2.01 - 3.00 10 3.01 - 4.00 10 4.01 - 5.00 12 5.01 - 6.00 3 6.01 - 10.50 6 Total 6,924 Table 12 Living Expenses per Week by Category Survey of 6,924 Working Women in Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati, Ohio, 1901 Frequency Value Board Rent Clothing Others or code [BOARD] [RENT] [EXPCLOT] [OTHEXP] -9(No response) 3,828 6,532 3,949 3,601 $0.25 - 0.50 0 6 196 626 0.51 - 1.00 53 118 1,205 1,149 1.01 - 1.50 251 137 579 581 1.51 - 2.00 783 105 566 486 2.01 - 2.50 686 15 165 167 2.51 - 3.00 895 9 146 116 3.01 - 3.50 145 2 43 70 3.51 - 4.00 159 0 38 47 4.01 - 4.50 36 0 14 26 4.51 - 5.00 72 0 14 26 5.01 - 10.00 16 0 9 29 Total 6,924 6,924 6,924 6,924 Table 13 Number of Dependents [DEP] Survey of 6,924 Working Women in Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati, Ohio, 1901 Number or code Frequency -9(No response) 5,732 1 person 895 2 213 3 58 4 20 5 5 9 1 Total 6,924 Table 14 Average Weekly Savings [SAVINGS] Survey of 6,924 Working Women in Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati, Ohio, 1901 Value or code Frequency -9(No response) 2,793 -8("Give earnings to parents") 3,075 $0.10 - 0.50 483 0.51 - 1.00 380 1.01 - 1.50 76 1.51 - 2.00 74 2.01 - 2.50 16 2.51 - 3.00 10 3.01 - 3.50 4 3.51 - 4.00 7 4.01 - 10.50 6 Total 6,924 Table 15 If the Savings were Given to Parents [GIVSAV] Survey of 6,924 Working Women in Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati, Ohio, 1901 Code Response Frequency -9 No response 3,661 1 Give savings to parents, but not state the amount 3,075 2 Give the amount of savings as stated in SAVINGS to parents 188 Total 6,924 Table 16 Began Work during Year Covered by Investigation [STARTWK] Survey of 6,924 Working Women in Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati, Ohio, 1901 Code Response Frequency 1 No 6,307 2 Yes 617 Total 6,924