CODEBOOK AND USER'S MANUAL: A SURVEY OF 2,299 TEXTILE EMPLOYEES IN RHODE ISLAND, 1894 REPORTED IN THE EIGHTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF INDUSTRIAL STATISTICS IN THE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND AND PROVIDENCE, 1895 Version 1.1 July 12, 1993 Susan B. Carter Roger L. Ransom Richard Sutch 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 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 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. Suggested Citation: Susan B. Carter, Roger L. Ransom, Richard Sutch, and Hongcheng Zhao. Codebook and User's Manual: A Survey of 2,299 Textile Employees in Rhode Island, 1894; Reported in the Eighth Annual Report of the Commissioner of Industrial Statistics in Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. Berkeley: Institute of Business and Economic Research, 1993. A SURVEY OF 2,299 TEXTILE EMPLOYEES IN RHODE ISLAND, 1894 This survey of 2,299 textile employees in Rhode Island was conducted by that State's Bureau of Industrial Statistics in 1894 and published in its Eighth Annual Report. [1] The Bureau identified the textile industry as a primary focus of study in 1893 and hoped that it could pursue a "permanent line of inquiry" into this subject. It felt that the yearly comparisons such data would make possible "would reveal the measure of prosperity or depression in the industrial life of the State." [2] The Seventh Annual Report for 1893 included individual records from unionized male workers in the textile industry. The Eight Report included individual records from 2,299 textile employees designated simply "Employees' Returns." The Eighth Report also included mean values of returns from a survey of textile manufacturers in the state presented as summaries. The Bureau noted that statistics were secured from only a portion of the textile workers in the State. It felt, nonetheless, that the resulting statistics "may justly be considered a standard for estimating the condition of the entire industry" since the figures were furnished by "a collection of representative wage earners whose experience may justly be considered a standard for estimating the condition of the entire industry." [3] The Bureau also commented on the candor of its respondents. While the avenues of information are not as free as might be desired, yet I am confident, that each year will find the record of returns supplemented and the reports more amplified, and that the continuation of this permanent policy of investigation will prove of immediate and historic value and more nearly realize the object for which the Bureau was established. For the accomplishment of this purpose, it is, of course, essential that the Bureau should be accorded the friendly confidence of those from whom information is sought, and it is gratifying to realize that there is a growing recognition of this fact and that the public is yearly more willing to aid it in its work. [4] Then, except for a few summary remarks, the responses were presented without comment. 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 20 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 2,299 textile employees in Rhode Island in 1894 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] The Rhode Island and Providence Plantations Commissioner of Industrial Statistics, Eighth Annual Report 1895. Providence: E. L. Freeman & Son, State Printers, 1895. [2] Ibid., p. v. [3] Ibid. [4] Ibid., p. vi. Table 1 Questions Asked of Respondents Survey of 2,299 Textile Employees in Rhode Island, 1894 Name Description PAGE Page on Which the Survey Results Begin ID Office Number RES City of Residence IND Branch of the Textile Industry to Which Employee Belongs OCC Present Occupation MS Marital Status POB Birth of Place PPOB Parent Nativity FAMSIZE Number in Family SCH Number of Children Attending School DEP Number in Family Dependent Upon You for Support OWNHM Do You Own a Home? INCUMB Is it Incumbered? TENEMENT Do You Hire a Tenement? ROOMS Number of Rooms Occupied RENT Rent Per Month IFBOARD Do You Board? BOARD Board Paid Per Week WAGEDAY Daily Wages WGINC Percentage of Increase in Wages WGDEC Percentage of Decrease in Wages DLOST Number of Days Out of Employment Table 2 Residence [RES] Survey of 2,299 Textile Employees in Rhode Island, 1894 Code Response Frequency 1 Burrillville 244 2 Coventry 63 3 Lincoln 251 4 North Smithfield 57 5 Pawtucket 359 6 Providence 225 7 Scituate 33 8 Warwick 494 9 Westerly 78 10 Woonsocket 495 Total 2,299 Table 3 Branch of Textile Industry to Which Employee Belongs [IND] Survey of 2,299 Textile Employees in Rhode Island, 1894 Code Response Frequency 1 Cotton 1,439 2 Mixed Textiles 25 3 Woolens 835 Total 2,299 Table 4 Present Occupation [OCC] Survey of 2,299 Textile Employees in Rhode Island, 1894 Code Response Frequency 1 Back Boy 1 2 Back Tender 4 3 Beamer 10 4 Blacksmith 2 5 Bleacher 7 6 Bleachery Operative 9 7 Bleachery-Laborer 9 8 Bleachery-Overseer 1 9 Bleachery-Second Hand 1 10 Braider-Overseer 1 11 Burler 5 12 Calendar Man 1 13 Card Grinder 25 14 Card Stripper 7 15 Carder 68 16 Carder-Overseer 5 17 Carder-Second Hand 12 18 Carder-Third 2 19 Carder-Grinder 10 20 Carder-Stripper 4 21 Carding Room-Overseer 2 22 Carpenter 4 23 Cloth Inspector 5 24 Cloth Percher 3 25 Cloth Presser 1 26 Cloth Room-Inspector 9 27 Cloth Room-Second Hand 1 28 Cloth Room-Operative 2 29 Cloth Room-Overseer 8 30 Comb Tender 4 31 Comber 3 32 Designer 2 33 Doffer 24 34 Drawer-In 2 35 Drawer In-Overseer 1 36 Dresser 20 37 Dresser-Tender 18 38 Dresser-Overseer 12 39 Dyer 75 40 Dyer-Overseer 6 41 Engraver 1 42 Filler Carrier 1 43 Filling Boy 1 44 Filling Carrier 2 45 Finisher 33 46 Finisher-Overseer 6 47 Fireman 4 48 Floor Washer 2 49 Folder 21 50 Fuller 4 51 Gigger 1 52 Gill Box Tender 3 53 Harness Builder 2 54 Knitter 12 55 Knitter-Overseer 2 56 Laborer 140 57 Lapper Tender 6 58 Loom Chain Builder 1 59 Loom Fixer 151 60 Machinist 3 61 Mangleman 3 62 Oilers 3 63 Operative, n.s. 141 64 Overseer Assistant, 1 65 Overseer, n.s. 75 66 Percher 3 67 Picker 2 68 Picker Tender 5 69 Picker-Overseer 2 70 Piecer 1 71 Printer 7 72 Reeler 4 73 Roll Coverer 7 74 Roper 2 75 Scourer 3 76 Scrubber 1 77 Second-hand, n.s. 42 78 Sewer 4 79 Sewing-Overseer 2 80 Shaft Oilers 1 81 Shear Tender 1 82 Shearer 2 83 Shearer-Overseer 1 84 Slasher Tender 28 85 Slubber 2 86 Slubber Tender 3 87 Specker 1 88 Speeder Tender 16 89 Spinner 239 90 Spinner-Overseer 12 91 Spinner-Second Hand 12 92 Spinner-Third Hand 1 93 Spooler 12 94 Stamper 1 95 Starcher 3 96 Third-hand, n.s. 4 97 Thread Measurer 1 98 Time Keeper 1 99 Twister 18 100 Twister-Overseer 1 101 Twister-Second Hand 1 102 Velvet Cutter-Overseer 11 104 Warp Dresser 3 105 Warper 8 106 Washer 2 107 Watchman 6 108 Weaver 749 109 Weaver-Overseer 20 110 Weaver-Second Hand 11 111 Weaver-Third Hand 1 112 Weigher 1 113 Winder 3 114 Wool Scourer 1 115 Wool Sorter 30 116 Wool Washer 1 117 Yarn Hanger 1 Total 2,299 Table 5 Marital Status [MS] Survey of 2,299 Textile Employees in Rhode Island, 1894 Code Response Frequency 1 Single 689 2 Married 1,560 3 Widower 50 Total 2,299 Table 6 Birth of Place [POB] Survey of 2,299 Textile Employees in Rhode Island, 1894 Code Response Frequency -3 Not entered 2 1 Austria 8 2 Belgium 5 3 Canada 568 4 Denmark 1 5 East Indies 1 6 England 399 7 Finland 1 8 France 18 9 Germany 53 10 Ireland 254 11 Italy 3 12 New Brunswick 1 13 Poland 0 14 Portugal 2 15 Rhode Island 412 16 Russia 2 17 Scotland 83 18 Sweden 62 19 Switzerland 2 20 United States 417 21 Wales 4 22 West Indies 1 Total 2,299 Table 7 Parent Nativity [PPOB] Survey of 2,299 Textile Employees in Rhode Island, 1894 Code Response Frequency -3 Not entered 2 1 Austria 4 2 Belgium 2 3 Canada 0 4 Denmark 1 5 East Indies 0 6 England 429 7 Finland 1 8 France 709 9 Germany 66 10 Ireland 609 11 Italy 4 12 New Brunswick 0 13 Poland 5 14 Portugal 2 15 Rhode Island 0 16 Russia 1 17 Scotland 102 18 Sweden 62 19 Switzerland 2 20 United States 292 21 Wales 6 22 West Indies 0 Total 2,299 Table 8 Number in Family [FAMSIZE] Survey of 2,299 Textile Employees in Rhode Island, 1894 Number or code Frequency -9(No response) 677 -3(Not entered) 2 2 persons 264 3 301 4 286 5 245 6 179 7 131 8 80 9 53 10 42 11 12 12 15 13 7 14 4 15 1 Total 2,299 Table 9 Number of Children Attending School [SCH] Survey of 2,299 Textile Employees in Rhode Island, 1894 Number or code Frequency -9(No response) 1,485 -3(Not entered) 1 1 child 332 2 256 3 139 4 69 5 15 6 2 Total 2,299 Table 10 Number in Family Dependent upon You for Support [DEP] Survey of 2,299 Textile Employees in Rhode Island, 1894 Number or code Frequency -9(No response) 794 -3(Not entered) 2 1 person 306 2 339 3 287 4 246 5 129 6 101 7 53 8 27 9 10 10 2 11 1 12 2 Total 2,299 Table 11 Do You Own Your Home? [OWNHM] Survey of 2,299 Textile Employees in Rhode Island, 1894 Code Response Frequency -9 No response 2,055 2 Yes 244 Total 2,299 Table 12 Is it Incumbered? [INCUMB] Survey of 2,299 Textile Employees in Rhode Island, 1894 Code Response Frequency -9 No response 2,053 1 No 88 2 Yes 158 Total 2,299 Table 13 Do You Hire a Tenement? [TENEMENT] Survey of 2,299 Textile Employees in Rhode Island, 1894 Code Response Frequency -9 No response 931 2 Yes 1,368 Total 2,299 Table 14 Number of Rooms Occupied [ROOMS] Survey of 2,299 Textile Employees in Rhode Island, 1894 Number or code Frequency -9(No response) 790 2 rooms 12 3 107 4 303 5 394 6 409 7 153 8 72 9 35 10 20 11 2 13 1 Total 2,299 Table 15 Rent per Month [RENT] Survey of 2,299 Textile Employees in Rhode Island, 1894 Rent or code Frequency -9(No response) 928 $1.30 - 2.00 19 2.01 - 3.00 93 3.01 - 4.00 203 4.01 - 5.00 179 5.01 - 6.00 216 6.01 - 7.00 147 7.01 - 8.00 159 8.01 - 9.00 107 9.01 - 10.00 117 10.01 - 11.00 42 11.01 - 12.00 36 12.01 - 13.00 25 13.01 - 14.00 12 14.01 - 15.00 10 15.01 - 18.00 6 Total 2,299 Table 16 Do You Board? [IFBOARD] Survey of 2,299 Textile Employees in Rhode Island, 1894 Code Response Frequency -9 No response 1,573 2 Yes 726 Total 2,299 Table 17 Board Paid per Week [BOARD] Survey of 2,299 Textile Employees in Rhode Island, 1894 Board or code Frequency -9(No response) 1,573 $2.40 - 2.50 9 2.51 - 3.00 208 3.01 - 3.50 92 3.51 - 4.00 263 4.01 - 4.50 33 4.51 - 5.00 51 5.01 - 5.50 6 5.51 - 6.00 26 6.01 - 6.50 2 6.51 - 7.00 22 7.01 - 9.00 14 Total 2,299 Table 18 Daily Wages [WAGEDAY] Survey of 2,299 Textile Employees in Rhode Island, 1894 Wages or code Frequency -9(No response) 11 $0.40 - 0.50 2 0.51 - 0.75 33 0.76 - 1.00 420 1.01 - 1.25 519 1.26 - 1.50 600 1.51 - 1.75 259 1.76 - 2.00 216 2.01 - 2.25 71 2.26 - 2.50 55 2.51 - 2.75 17 2.76 - 3.00 36 3.01 - 3.25 10 3.26 - 3.50 15 3.51 - 6.00 35 Total 2,299 Table 19 Percentage of Increase and Decrease in Wages Survey of 2,299 Textile Employees in Rhode Island, 1894 Frequency Percent Increse in wages Decrease in wages or code [WGINC] [WGDEC] -9(No response) 2,268 934 2.00 - 5.00 % 1 60 5.01 - 7.50 5 79 7.51 - 10.00 7 550 10.01 - 12.50 3 133 12.51 - 15.00 4 171 15.01 - 17.50 2 28 17.51 - 20.00 3 141 20.01 - 22.50 0 10 22.51 - 25.00 2 82 25.01 - 27.50 0 5 27.51 - 30.00 1 39 30.01 - 81.00 3 67 Total 2,299 2,299 Table 20 Number of Days Out of Employment [DLOST] Survey of 2,299 Textile Employees in Rhode Island, 1894 Days or code Frequency -9(No response) 612 1 - 20 days 391 21 - 40 231 41 - 60 194 61 - 80 187 81 - 100 160 101 - 120 117 121 - 140 63 141 - 160 162 161 - 180 19 181 - 200 43 201 - 220 31 221 - 240 26 241 - 306 63 Total 2,299