MANUFACTURES. Prior to 1880 the manufac tures were little more than such necessary neighborhood industries as are common to rural communities. In the two decades following 1880 the value of products increased 100.9 and 135.1 per cent. respectively, and the corresponding in crease in the number of wage-earners engaged was 85.7 and 109.9 per cent. In 1000 the total number of wage-earners was 70.570, or 3.7 per cent. of the total population. The absence of legislation bearing upon child labor is reflected in the unusually large total of persons employed who are under sixteen years of age. They num ber one-tenth of the total employed. :Most mill owners, however, have agreed to discontinue the employment of children under twelve years of age.
From the table appended it will be seen not only that each of the ten leading industries made gains from 1800 to 1900, but in a number of them the value of the product increased three fold or more. The manufacture of cotton goods has realized the largest growth. Several favor able conditions have united to bring about this result. The fact that the cotton fields are near the factories results in the saving of the cost of transportation; the cheapness of living results in lower wages; there is a plentiful supply of wood for fuel ; and there is, as already mentioned, plenty of water power. The streams of the State, it is estimated. can furnish 3.500,000 horse power, only a little more than one-fifth of which is now utilized. From 1890 to 1900 the value of the manufactured cotton product in creased 190.7 per cent., amounting in 1900 to 29.9 per cent. of the total value of the products of tilt State. The cotton manufactures employed 42.9 per cent. 01 the wage-earners, the rank
of North Carolina during that perioil rising from tenth to third in the value of this product, las sachusetts and South Carolina alone exceeding it. North Carolina was exceeded by setts alone in the number of wage-earners in this branch of industry. The spindles now running annually consume an amount of cotton almost equal to the crop grown in the State. The in dustry is carried on for the most part by small mills scattered over the Commonwealth. The value of cottonseed oil and cake increased over 400 per cent. in the decade 1890-1900.
A number of other important industries are included in the group dependent upon agricul tural products, the manufactures of tobacco be ing, of greatest importance. This is one of the earliest established industries in the State. North Carolina has a wide reputation for certain brands of smoking tobacco and cigarettes. The value of the product increased 154.7 per cent. from 1S90 to 1900. The manufacture of Hour and grist mill products is another large and flourishing in dustry. The tanning and currying of leather developed from comparative insignificance into an industry of some prominence during 1890 1900. The following table of the leading indus tries explains itself: net increased from less than $1,000,000 in 1550 to $5.598,742 in 1890, and $14,862.593 in 1900. The dependent industries—the manufactures of planing-mill products, etc.—made large gains in the decade 1890-1900;as is shown in the above table. Tile turpentine and resin product was valued at over $1,000.000 in 1900.