136 MASS. EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 266 



by industry. In addition, the work in part-time farming: enterprises 

 brings a return for the time spent by women and children, wlio ordin- 

 arily are not engaged in any other remunerative employment. 



Length of Time Employed and Wages of Operators 



Due to the general depression in the textile industries, the condition 

 of employment in the areas covered by this investigation was not very 

 satisfactory, and affected especially the operators in Lowell area. There 

 were some operators who, while working throughout the year, were occu- 

 pied only three or four days a week. Of those who were employed on a 

 full-time basis, the majority worked five and one-half days a week. The 

 average number of working days per week for all operators is shown 

 in Table 39. 



Table 39. — Lexgtii of time E^n-LOYED axd wages of operators. 



Average hours per day 



Average hours per week 



Average days per week 



Average weeks employed 



Average wages per week 



Average wages per year $1,216 



Owing to the presence in Taunton area of a consideral)le number of 

 seasonal part-time farmers, the average number of weeks of employment 

 during the year was slightly lower than in Lowell area. On tlie whole, 

 however, the condition of emjiloymeiit was better in Taunton area; and 

 when only regular operators are taken into consideration, the average 

 number of working weeks was higher than in Lowell area. 



Table 40. — Distribution of weekly and yearly wages. 



Lowell area Taunton area 



Wages 



X umber 



Per Week 



Under S20 10 8.7 5 6.0 



$20— 29 62 53.9 62 73.8 



30— 39 31 ■. 26.9 9 10.7 



40— 49 5 44 5 6.0 



50 or over 7 6.1 3 3.5 



Total 115 100.0 84 100.0 



Per Year 



Under $500 1 0.9 6 7.1 



$500—749 13 11.3 14 16.7 



750— 999 20 i74 9 10.7 



1000—1249 30 IS6.1 26 31.0 



1250—1499 20 274 19 23.6 



1500—1749 20 i74 5 6.0 



1750—1999 5 i.S 4 4-7 



2000or over.. .. 6 5.2 1 l.S 



Total 115 100.0 84 100.0 



