1911, when they averaged 70.06 cents an hour, but still the 

 highest wages paid that craft in any state except Arkansas 

 and Louisiana. Seven gang sawyers in Minnesota mills aver- 

 age 37.64 cents an hour, a wage only exceeded in Texas. In 

 Minnesota 13 resaw sawyers averaged 29.82 cents an hour, 

 a wag only excelled in Oregon and 84 setters received 32.99 

 cents, than which no average wage higher was reported from 

 any state. In Minnesota 29 trimmer operators received 26.55 

 cents, a wage only exceeded in the three Pacific coast states. 



Mill Work Shows Gain. 



In mill work, under which the bureau classifies the manu- 

 facture of sash, doors, blinds, frames, fixtures and trim, 174 

 bench hands in nine Minnesota factories reporting for 1912 

 received an average of 31.7 cents for 59.2 hours per week. 

 An almost constant gain in the wage scale is shown since 1907 

 when two mills reported 45 bench hands receiving 23.71 cents 

 for 59.6 hours. This fell off in 1908 to 23.53 and in 1909 to 

 22.51, but in 1910 seven mills reported 190 bench hands re- 

 ceiving 24.96 cents for 59.8 hours, and in 1911 nine mills re 

 ported 198 bench hands receiving 25.69 cents for 60 hours. 



In such mills in Minnesota, male laborers in 1907 received 

 17.53 cents which fell off in 1908 to 16.68 and in 1909 to 16.52 

 but in 1910 it rose to 17.68, and 1911 to 18.22 and in 1912 169 

 such laborers are reported receiving 18.33 cents for 59.6 hours 

 a week. 



Machine hands averaged in Minnesota 22.14 in 1907; and 

 21.84 in 1908 but rose in 1909 to 22.18, in 1910 to 22.63; in 1911 

 to 22.81, and in 1912 255 such hands are reported receiving 

 25.27 cents an hour. 



The furniture industry in Minnesota has not risen to the 

 magnitude which dignifies it with separate recognition in his 

 bulletin, less than 1,700 employes all told being engaged in it. 



Those who are in the best position to know say that the 

 furniture industry is bound to gain. The fact that so much 

 wood that is just coming into use is to be found in northern 

 Minnesota leads them to predict that the day is near at hand 

 when the saw mills will be buzzing faster than ever. 



8 



