INDUSTRIAL CONDITIONS— FOREIGN POPULATION 



In the U. S. Census for 1910, about three per cent, of San Die- 

 go's population or 1071 were classed as wage earners- This was 

 on the basis of a total population of over 39,000. This percentage 

 is a little below the average for eight other of the largest cities 

 of California. On a basis of 80,000 population the city at present 

 has possiblv a working population of 12,000. This includes, in 

 addition to"^those classed distinctly as wage earners, all workers 

 in the building trades, mercantile establishments, on street cars, 

 etc. .Organized labor claims a total of 5,000 union men. This is 

 probably too high a figure at the present time of industrial de- 

 pression. The State Bureau of Labor for 1911-1912 gives 3,702 

 emplovees in a total of 187 manufacturing, wholesale and retail 

 establishments of the city. This number is exclusive for the 

 most part of workers in the building trades. Of this total 29 

 per cent were women. The following establishments employed a 

 total of over 150 persons, as follows: Lumber and milling, 269; 

 restaurants, 329 ; slaughtering and meat packing, 209 ; clothing, 

 retail, 349 ; department stores, 216 ; laundries, 316. 



Hours of Work and Wages of Males 



Of the above total working population, 29 per cent, worked 

 eight hours or less, 46 per cent, worked nine hours, 24 per cent, 

 worked ten hours. About 15 per cent, received $12.00 or under 

 per week. The remainder received over $12.00 per week. Rates 

 for organized labor were quoted as follows in the State Bureau 

 of Labor report: Carpenters, 50 cents an hour for forty-four 

 hour week; compositors, job and newspaper, $4.00 to $5.00 for 

 an eight hour dav ; bakers and confectioners, $18.00 to $25.00 for 

 a fifty-six hour week ; bartenders, $20.00 to $25.00 for a sixty 

 hour week; barbers, average $16.00 for a sixty-seven hour week. 

 From other sources it was learned that the contractor's price for 

 unskilled labor is at present a minimum of $2.00 for a nine hour 

 day. 



Women and Girl Employees 



According to the State Bureau of Labor report, 1076 women 

 were emploved in manufacturing, wholesale and retail estab- 

 lishments. Establishments employing over 85 women and girls 

 have the following number of employees: Clothing, retail, 166; 

 department stores, 148; restaurants, 86; laundries, 204. Wo- 

 men and girls are employed in seasonal industries at fish packing 

 and in olive works. Under the state law women and girls are 

 given an eight hour day. If we assume $9.00 as the lowest liv- 

 ing wage to be paid for women and girl employees oh the rather 

 incomplete figures given later in this investigation, and taken as 

 the basis of the minimum cost of living, we find from the State 

 Bureau of Labor report that 50 per cent, received $9.00 or over. 

 This is less than the percentage for the entire state, which is 60 



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