Annual report of the North Carolina Department of Labor

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UNIVERSITY OF
NORTH CAROLINA
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1954-/56
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Biennial Report
OF
The Department of Labor
JULY 1, 1954 TO JUNE 30, 1956
ISSUED BY
THE NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
FRANK CRANE, Commissioner
RALEIGH
Edited By The Information Service
Fall, 1956
PRESSES OF
CHRISTIAN PRINTING COMPANY
DURHAM, N. C.
v^ ^ '-^ 1
Ns 7 /
^ ry" i'^'
LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL
The Honorable Luther H. Hodges
Governor of North Carolina
Raleigh, North Carolina
Dear Governor Hodges:
I have the honor and pleasure of submitting to you here-with
a report of the work of the Department of Labor cover-ing
the biennial period of July 1, 1954 to June 30, 1956.
In transmitting this report to you, I wish to acknowledge
the fine cooperation of the heads of the various divisions of
the Department of Labor which made possible the record of
sound and useful accomplishment and service to the people
of North Carolina which this Department rendered during
the biennium.
Respectfully,
Frank Crane,
Commissio72er of Labor.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Letter of Transmittal 3
Biennial Report of the Commissioner of Labor 7
Report of Expenditures 12
Division of Standards and Inspections 14
Industrial Safety and Labor Regulations Inspections 16
Wage and Hour Investigations 19
Boiler Inspections 20
Elevator I nspections 26
Mine and Quarry Inspections 28
Construction Safety Inspections 33
Special Safety Services 35
Division of Conciliation and Arbitration 40
Division of Apprenticeship Training 46
Bureau of Labor for the Deaf 53
Information Service 59
Division of Statistics 60
Index of Statistical Tables 109
/
ORGANIZATION CHART OF THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
General Assembly of North Carolina
Department of Labor
Federal Wage &
Hour Advisory
Unit
Commissioner
1
Deputy Commissioner
Arbitration
Service
Division of
Standards and
Inspections
Office Administration
and
Budget Accounts
Bureau of
General
Inspections
State Labor Laws,
Safety and Sanitation
Regulations
Bureau of
Boiler
Inspections
Child Labor Certification,
in cooperation with Supts.
of Public Welfare
Fair Labor Standards Act,
Public Contracts Act; in
cooperation with Wageand
Hour and Public Contracts
Divisions, U. S. Depart-ment
of Labor
Bureau of
Elevator
Inspections
Bureau of
Mine & Quarry
Inspections
— In cooperation with the Bureau
of Labor Statistics, U. S.
Department of Labor
Division of
Conciliation
Division of
Apprenticeship
Training
Bureau of
Labor for
the DeaC
Information
Service
Division of
Statistics
BIENNIAL REPORT
OF THE
COMMISSIONER OF LABOR
The industrial population of North Carolina, which for the last four
years has averaged well over a million people employed in nonagricul-tural
occupations, experienced two prosperous years during the 1954-
56 biennium. Both employment and earnings registered substantial
increases during that period.
Nonagricultural employment in the State climbed from 980,500
in July, 1954 to 1,037,800 in June, 1956—an increase of 57,300 or
more than five per cent. Following the first month of the biennium,
the total of workers employed remained consistently above the million
mark during the remainder of the 24-month period. Both total em-ployment
and job opportunities remained excellent during the bien-nium.
Average weekly earnings of the State's factory workers increased
from $47.25 in July, 1954 to $53.84 in June, 1956, for a gain of nearly
14 per cent. Average hourly earnings increased 9.6 per cent, rising
from $1.25 at the beginning of the biennium to $1.37 in June, 1956.
The increase in both hourly and weekly earnings during the 1954-
56 biennium was in sharp contrast with the preceding biennial pe-riod,
during w4iich time the increases in gross earnings of factory
workers in North Carolina were very slight.
Together with this increase in employment and earnings, many
new^ and diversified industries began operations in the State and the
long-term expansion of existing industrial establishments continued.
Improvements w^ere made in working conditions and plant safety
practices. The occupational accident frequency rate of industry as
a whole continued to decline. The State's excellent record of produc-tive
and peaceful labor-management relations continued to be one
of the most outstanding in the nation.
DECADE OF INDUSTRIAL PROGRESS
North Carolina has made enormous strides forward during the
ten years which have elapsed since the end of World War II. Total
nonagricultural employment in the State increased 38.5 per cent
during the last ten years, rising from 755,000 in 1946 to 1,046,000 in
1956, as follows:
8 Biennial Report of The Department of Labor
Annual Avg. of
Year Non-Farm Employment
1946 755,000
1947 864,000
1948 879,000
1949 850,000
1950 911,000
1951 970,000
1952 992,000
1953 1,012,000
1954 1,002,000
1955 1,037,000
1956 1,046,000
Nonagricultural employment increased an average of 29,100 per
year in the State during the ten-year period.
Employment in factories increased 28 per cent during the ten
years, rising from 360,000 in 1946 to 461,000 in 1956.
Non-manufacturing employment, exclusive of agriculture, in-creased
48 per cent, rising from 395,000 in 1946 to 585,000 in 1956.
Average hourly earnings of all North Carolina factory workers
increased 67 per cent during the last ten years, rising from an annual
average of $.82 in 1946 to $1.37 in 1956. In the same period, the
average weekly earnings of factory employees increased 69 per cent,
rising from an annual average of $32.25 in 1946 to $54.56 in 1956.
The average duration of the workweek in North Carolina factories
was substantially the same in 1946 and 1956, rising only 1.5 per cent
from an annual average of 39.3 hours in 1946 to 39.9 hours in 1956.
Calculated upon the basis of 2,000 working hours per year, the
average gross annual wage of North Carolina factory workers in-creased
67 per cent during the last ten years, rising from $1,640 in
1946 to $2,740 in 1956.
The lost-time injury frequency rate in all North Carolina industry
decreased 48 per cent during the last ten years, dropping from 15.8
lost-time injuries per million manhours in 1946 to 8.2 in the year
1955, the latest year for which complete studies are available.
NEEDED LEGISLATION
The Commissioner of Labor is directed by General Statute 95-5
to furnish the Governor with "recommendations of the Commissioner
with reference to such changes in the law applying to or affecting in-dustrial
and labor conditions as the Commissioner may deem ad-visable."
Biennial Report of The Department of Labor 9
There are several fields in which legislation affecting industrial
and labor conditions is needed in North Carolina. These are as fol-lows:
1. State Minimum Wage Law. By far the most pressing need in
the State's legislative structure affecting labor conditions is the need
for a State Minimum Wage Law.
A wage survey based upon reports of the Department's inspection
staff during the 1954-56 biennium indicated that among some 205,000
people employed by retail trade and service-industry establishments,
more than 90,000—or 44 per cent—of these workers were earning less
than 75 cents an hour. A total of 45,000 workers in retail trade and
service-industry employment were found to be earning less than 55
cents an hour.
This survey indicated that among 156,000 workers employed in
retail trade establishments, 68,000 were earning under 75 cents an
hour. In the personal service industries, the proportion of workers
earning less than 75 cents was even higher—23,000 out of a total
of 49,000 employed in these establishments.
North Carolina cannot overcome her low per-capita income posi-tion
or build effectively for the future upon the basis of a low-wage
economy. The Federal Minimum Wage, applying to workers engaged
in interstate commerce, has been raised to $1.00 an hour. This was
accomplished with a minimum of dislocation and hardship. Some
170,000 North Carolinians received wage increases as a direct result
of the $1.00 minimum which became effective on March 1, 1956. Em-ployment
has not dropped in the industries which were principally
affected; on the contrary, it has continued to increase.
I therefore earnestly recommend that the General Assembly of
North Carolina enact legislation providing a statutory minimum wage
covering all of the industrial workers of the State. Such a law would
have no direct effect upon the 600,000 workers already covered by
the Federal Law, nor would it affect the earnings of employees of
Federal, State and local government agencies. It would, however,
provide the protection of the State for a large group of seriously un-derpaid
workers who comprise 44 per cent of the total employment
in retail trade and personal-service industries.
2. State Labor Relations Law. Application of the National Labor
Relations Act to a particular case is determined by whether or not a
labor dispute, if one should occur, would tend to burden, obstruct,
or, in general, "affect" interstate commerce. The National Labor Re-lations
Board has authority to act only when such disputes do affect
interstate commerce.
10 Biennial Report of The Department of Labor
Since the National Labor Relations Board has relinquished juris-diction
of cases in which there is only a minor effect upon interstate
commerce, I am of the opinion that legislative study should be given
to ascertaining whether North Carolina needs a State Labor Rela-tions
Law. A particular labor dispute occurring in a North Carolina
community may have only a minor effect upon interstate commerce,
yet may at the same time be an important matter in the econoiTiy of
the local cominunity.
3. Improvement in Child Labor Law. A weakness of our present
Child Labor Law is that it provides inadequate protection for young
people engaged in street trades, particvdarly for those under 16 years
of age. Special safeguards are needed for children who engage in
street trades, since these youngsters are continually subject to influ-ences
not ordinarily encountered by minors performing other types
of work. I therefore recommend that the North Carolina Child Labor
Law be made the subject of legislative study, -with the view of im-proving
the protection of young people engaged in street trades.
4. Wage Collection Law, The Department of Labor for many
years has received complaints from workers who state that their em-ployers
have failed to pay them wages which they have earned. In
instances where the employee's work is covered by the Federal Wage
and Hour Law, the Department makes investigations and takes ap-propriate
action in accordance with the provisions of that statute. In
many other cases, however, the complaining employees' jobs are not
covered by the Federal Law. In these instances, the Department is
unable to act due to our lack of a State Wage Collection Law.
These wage complaints have been sufhciently numerous to con-vince
me that North Carolina needs a statute authorizing the De-partment
of Labor to make investigations and take appropriate ac-tions
in the courts of competent jurisdiction in cases where investi-gation
reveals that employers have failed to pay employees wages
which have been earned. The enactment of a State Minimum Wage
Law would serve to alleviate this situation.
DIVISION REPORTS
The work and accomplishments of the Department of Labor
during the 1954-56 biennium are summarized in the Division Reports
which follow, by Mr. Lewis P. Sorrell, Deputy Commissioner of La-bor
and Chief of the Division of Standards and Inspections; Mr. Gail
Barker, Director of the Division of Conciliation and Arbitration;
Mr. C. L. Beddingfield, Director of the Division of Apprenticeship
Biennial Report of The Department of Labor 11
Training; Mr. J. M. Vestal, Director of the Bureau of Labor for the
Deaf; and Mr. W. L. Strickland, Director of the Division of Statis-tics.
Of particular significance are the sections which describe North
Carolina's excellent record in labor-management relations during the
last 16 years; the sharp reduction in industrial accidents during the
last ten years; the large increase in the number of youngsters train-ing
as apprentices in the skilled trades; the securing of profitable
employment for deaf workers; and the detailed presentation of
wages, hours and employment trends in North Carolina industries
during recent years.
12 Biennial Report of The Department of Labor
TABLE 1
REPORT OF EXPENDITURES
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
1954—1955
REVENUE
Appropriation-Chapter 1165, P. L. 1953 $374,846.00
Federal Wage and Hour Payments 90 , 511 . 56
Boiler Bureau Fees for Inspections 34,694.34
Apprenticeship Training 18,063.12
$518,115.02
REFUNDS
Refund of Expenditures $ 1,829.12 $519,944.14
EXPENDITURES
Expenditures $482 , 969 . 02
Refund of Expenditures 1 , 829 . 12 $484 , 798 . 14
Unexpended Balance Reverted to General Fund. $ 35,146.00
PURPOSES
Administration $ 31,966.88
Employment Services for the Deaf 7,540.35
Statistical Division 23 , 013 . 59
Standards and Inspections 208,974.25
Wage and Hour Division 89,610.32
Supplies, Services and Expenses 6 ,934 . 18
Apprenticeship Training 59,224.28
Conciliation Service 19,458.11
Arbitration Panel 190.62
Boiler Bureau 36,056.44
$482,969.02
OBJECTS
Salaries and Wages $393 ,175.01
Supplies and Materials 2 , 509 . 59
Postage, Telephone and Telegrams 6,573.68
Travel Expenses 64 , 460 . 40
Printing and Binding 6,099.24
Repairs and Alterations 536.40
General Expenses 8 , 697 . 77
Equipment 916.93
$482,969.02
Biennial Report of The Department of Labor 13
TABLE 2
REPORT OF EXPENDITURES, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
1955—1956
REVENUE
Appropriation-Chapter 907, P. L. 1955 $359,887.00
Federal Wage and Hour Payments 107 ,763 . 54
Boiler Bureau Fees for Inspections 36,773.97
Apprenticeship Training 18,662.66
$523,087.17
REFUNDS
Refunds of Expenditures $ 746.90
EXPENDITURES
Expenditures $500,540.34
Refund of Expenditures 746.90
Unexpended Balance reverted to General Fund .
PURPOSES
Administration $ 32 ,306 . 10
Employment Service for the Deaf 7,869.23
Statistical Division 21,034.93
Standards and Inspections 208 , 528 . 00
Wage and Hour Division 112,979.32
Supplies, Services and Expenses 4 ,492 . 13
Apprenticeship Training 56,262.98
Conciliation Service 20,430.55
Arbitration Panel 88.15
Boiler Bureau 36 , 548 . 95
$500,540.34
OBJECTS
Salaries and Wages $406,757.42
Supplies and Materials 2 , 049 . 24
Postage, Telephone and Telegrams 6,963.43
Travel Expenses 70,450.98
Printing and Binding 3,227.75
Repairs and Alterations 841 . 81
General Expenses 9 , 642 . 20
Equipment 607 . 51
$523,834.07
$501,287.24
$ 22,546.83
$500,540.34
14 Biennial Report of The Department of Labor
DIVISION OF STANDARDS AND INSPECTIONS
Lewis P. Sorrell
Deputy Coynmissioner of Labor
The division of standards and inspections performs a variety of
inspection and investigation work required of the Department of
Labor by statute. It enforces the State Child Labor Law, the State
Maximum Hour Law, the State Elevator Code, the State Boiler Law,
the Construction Safety Code, the Mine and Quarry Safety Code, the
Federal Wage and Hour Law, and the Federal Public Contracts Act.
It also plans, recommends for adoption, and enforces Safety and
Health Regulations designed to eliminate industrial hazards and
provide better working conditions in North Carolina industry.
The work of our industrial safety inspectors is concerned pri-marily
with the maintenance of safe and healthful working condi-tions
in all places of industrial employment. The principal func-tions
of these inspectors are to discover hazards to safety and health,
to discuss these hazards with management, and to advise management
concerning the most helpful methods of carrying out the provisions
of the Safety and Health Regulations. Another important fvmction is
making special investigations in response to complaints indicating
Labor Law or Safety Code violations. The inspectors also consult and
advise on problems of mutual concern to labor and management
which are not specifically covered by the laws or safety codes.
North Carolina's many alert and progressive employers do not
have to be "sold" the desirability of providing satisfactory working
conditions. In most instances, no direct enforcement measures are
required in order to secure compliance with the laws and regulations,
since a majority of Tar Heel employers are anxious to make im-provements
which are needed. However, a minority of employers,
some of whom will violate the law or disregard the Safety and Health
Regulations even though inspections are made as frequently as our
personnel permits, resist all efforts of the inspector to secure volun-tary
compliance with the laws and regulations. In these cases, the
Department of Labor has to resort to the courts to obtain the com-pliance
which cannot be obtained by less drastic measures.
The work of our labor regulations inspectors is similar to that
performed by our industrial safety inspectors, except that the former
work chiefly in the State's retail trade, service, and other intrastate
establishments. These inspectors specialize in work concerning child
labor and female employees.
Biennial Report of The Department of Labor 15
The Department also uses the services of inspectors who devote
their full time to inspections of elevators and to study and approval
of proposed plans for elevator installations. Other inspectors make
inspections of high and low pressure boilers. Another specialized type
of inspection work is the inspection of mines and quarrying opera-tions.
Likewise, we have a specialized inspection service to promote
safety in the construction industry.
Continuously since Dec. 1, 1939, the administration of the Fed-eral
Wage and Hour Law and the Federal Public Contracts Act in
North Carolina has been entrusted to the State Department of Labor.
North Carolina is the only State in the nation which enforces these
federal statutes by virtue of annually renewed cooperative agreements
with the United States Department of Labor. Assisted by a Federal
Representative and a small office staff assigned to the Department
by the Wage and Hour and Public Contracts Divisions of the U. S.
Labor Department, we have developed a well coordinated program
under which we administer locally both State and Federal laws in
the fields of safety and health, minimum wages, maximum hours,
child labor and general working conditions. Operating under this
arrangement, we have another group of inspectors whose work con-sists
principally of making investigations under these Federal statutes.
Under the North Carolina law requiring the licensing of private
employment agencies by the Department of Labor, licenses were
issued to eleven firms during the biennium. There has been a notice-able
increase in the number of inquiries made by out-of-State firms.
Most of these inquiries concerned the efforts of out-of-State firms to
secure the services of domestic employees to work outside the State.
The remainder of this report of the Division of Standards and
Inspections will consist of detailed explanations of the various types
of inspection work performed. An analysis of our industrial safety
and labor regulations inspection work will be found in the report of
Mr. W. G. Watson, Supervising Inspector.
A detailed report of our wage and hour operations during the
biennium will be found in the report of Mr. S. G. Harrington, our
wage and hour Investigation Supervisor.
The activities of the Bureau of Boiler Inspections have continued
to expand greatly as a result of the General Assembly's action in
bringing low pressure boilers under coverage of the State Boiler Law.
An account of the Boiler Bureau's operations will be found in the
report of Mr. S. F. Harrison, Boiler Inspection Supervisor.
Installation of new elevator equipment and remodeling of older
equipment has continued at an accelerated pace during the last two
16 Biennial Report of The Department of Labor
years. This continued expansion in the demand for elevator service
has kept our elevator inspection service very busy. A detailed report
of these activities will be found in the report of Mr. Pryor E. Sugg,
our Chief Elevator Inspector.
Mining and quarrying operations also have continued at a high
level. A detailed report of these activities will be found in the report
of Mine Inspectors H. M. Hall and J. R. Brandon.
The Department continued during the biennium to develop its
specialized inspection and safety promotion service for the State's
extensive construction industry. A detailed account of this work will
be found in the report of Mr. J. E. Fisher, Construction Safety In-spector.
In addition to our regular inspection services under State and
Federal laws, the Division continued during the biennium to promote
safety in industry through the Department's specialized accident pre-vention
program. This program is aided by the expert assistance of
21 industrial safety experts employed by leading representative in-dustries,
who serve without compensation as the Department's Safety
Advisory Board. A detailed explanation of this phase of our safety
work will be found in the report of Mr. W. C. Creel, Supervisor of
Safety.
INDUSTRIAL SAFETY AND LABOR
REGULATIONS INSPECTIONS
W. G. Watson, Supervisor
Industrial Safety and Labor Regulations Inspectors of the Division
of Standards and Inspections completed 28,040 inspections during the
1954-56 biennium. These inspections covered 799,336 employees, ex-clusive
of duplications in plants in which more than one inspection
was made.
The inspectors also made 236 special investigations in response to
complaints alleging violation of the State Labor Laws and the Safety
and Health Regulations.
Additional special investigations were made by the inspectors in
79 industrial accident cases involving fatal or serious injuries to work-ers.
These investigations were made to determine the causes of the
accidents and to find the methods necessary to prevent their recurrence.
Reinspections or compliance visits were made in 3,215 instances to
insure compliance with recommendations previously made to correct
violations of the Labor Laws and assist management with problems
arising in connection with safety, health and general working con-ditions.
Biennial Report of The Department of Labor 17
A total of 6,477 conferences were held with employers, employees,
superintendents of public welfare and other officials for the purpose
of explaining the Labor Laws, Safety and Health Regulations and
other matters with which the inspectors are officially concerned.
A total of 20,604 violations were found in the course of inspection
work during the biennium. Recommendations to correct these viola-tions
were made by the inspectors. Compliances were reported in
21,771 instances, including a few compliances with recommendations
made during the closing month of the previous biennium. A detailed
analysis of these violations and compliances will be found in Tables
3 and 4.
The 236 complaints received during the biennium alleged viola-tions
of the Maximiuu Hour and Child Labor Laws, unsafe and un-healthful
working conditions, unsanitary and inadequate toilet facili-ties,
inadequate ventilation and lighting, and failure to provide seats
for female employees. These complaints were given priority over
routine inspection work and were investigated immediately. In each
case, where violations were found, immediate action was taken to
secure compliance.
Where violations were considered willful and no disposition was
shown to correct them, the Department instituted legal actions. Will-ful
violations were found in 16 establishments during the biennium
and the violators were prosecuted in the local courts. In each case,
the defendants were found guilty of violations as charged and were
penalized by fines, costs of court, and, in several instances, suspended
jail sentences.
The Division's Industrial Safety Inspectors completed a total of
5,990 routine and special accident prevention inspections during the
biennium, extending their services to 401,235 employees in the in-spected
establishments.
The Division's Labor Regulations Inspectors completed 16,953 in-spections,
extending their services to 199,867 employees.
Another group of the Division's inspectors, who perform both in-dustrial
safety and labor regulations inspection work, completed 5,097
inspections, extending their services to 198,234 employees.
In accordance with the State-Federal Wage and Hour Agreement,
our inspectors made spot checks for compliance with the Federal Wage
and Hour Law on each routine inspection. Where indications of
violations of the Federal Law were observed, a report containing this
information was submitted. During the biennium the inspectors sub-mitted
262 such reports indicating some type of violation of the Fed-eral
Law, including the record-keeping, child labor, minimum wage
and overtime provisions.
18 Biennial Report of The Department of Labor
Also in accordance with the State-Federal Agreement, our Industrial
Safety Inspectors completed a total of 200 safety and health inspections
under the Federal Public Contracts Act. These inspections were made
concurrently with their regular State Law inspection work.
TABLE 3
VIOLATIONS NOTED DURING THE BIENNIUM—JULY 1, 1954 THROUGH JUNE 30, 1956
INDUSTRY Child
Labor Hours
Record
Keeping
Posting
Labor
Laws
Sanita-tion
Seats First
Aid
Drink-ing
Water
Safety Total
Textile Yarn & Weave Mills.
Textile Knit Goods
Other Textiles
2
12
43
9
23
25
4
20
1
6
34
36
1,808'
749
78
286
104
4
3
8
23
62
5
11
19
2
8
16
9
25
22
352
316
68
16
1
3
1
31
40
3
15
81
17
1
12
6
12
30
40
346
156
74
3
9
5
4
6
39
191
11
37
250
43
6
36
32
35
250
334
2,314
1,319
144
114
120
5
58
57
131
74
13
39
86
149
8
14
9
30
84
64
301
50
199
7
29
7
2
2
3
1
1
6
108
2
23
9
4
36
16
1
10
41
17
6
2
2
8
23
18
8
1
7
2
1
3
2
3
1
2
19
8
1
1
1
1
8
6
45
8
1
2
5
1,606
1,277
785
485
122
223
897
657
62
51
295
190
509
214
358
28
434
15
86
42
1,688
1,357
1,052
921
Tobacco Manufacturing
Apparel Manufacturing
Lumber and Timber
Furniture Manufacturing _._
152
341
1,408
935
90
Printing__- ....
Chemical Manufacturing
Stone, Clay and Glass
Other Manufacturing
Wholesale Trade
Retail Trade .__ ^
Eating and Drinking.
Laundries and Dry Cleaning
Amusement. .
Other Service*
Other Non-Manufacturing-
_
144
362
291
963
740
5,640
2,621
1,035
426
368
70
GRAND TOTAL 3,244 966 885 5,280 1,409 148 212 124 8,.336 20,604
'Includes: Lod'-ini Places, Personal, Repair & Miscellaneous Business Service, and Radio Broadcasting & Televisicn
TABLE 4
COMPLIANCE WITH ORDERS ISSUED JULY 1954—JUNE 1956 INCLUSIVE
Posting Drink-
INDUSTRY Child Record Labor Sanita- Seats First mg Safety Total
Labor Hours Keeping Laws tion Aid Water
Textile Yarn & Weave Mills_ 1 4 5 6 55 12 1,673 1,756
Textile Knit Goods 2 12 3 7 61 3 2 1,371 1,461
Other Textiles 14 26 36 36 128 1 33 2 792 1,068
Food Products. ._ 37 74 49 190 89 4 19 6 487 955
Tobacco Manufacturing 4 12 25 1 1 142 186
Apparel Manufacturing 10 5 17 32 40 2 12 144 266
Lumber and Tim'ner. . 21 17 72 227 84 41 20 957 1,439
Furniture Manufacturing., 22 14 15 39 162 22 657 936
4 1 2 6 9 6 54 83
Printing. 24 10 12 41 17 4 63 173
Chemical Manufacturing 1 17 6 33 13 3 370 444
Stone. Clav end Glass . 7 6 14 31 46 12 197 317
Other Manufacturing. 35 23 47 261 113 29 554 1,071
Wholesale Trade . . . . 34 21 50 317 75 6 16 218 744
Retail Trade 1,890 348 333 2,315 396 81 10 45 441 5,859
Eating and Drinking 689 336 162 1,329 96 3 1 46 2,663
Laundries and Dry Cleaning 80 63 68 148 217 26 11 12 529 1,154
Amusement .. 345 4 118 12 2 21 502
Other Service* . . . _ 127 23 16 143 94 8 2 5 201 619
Other Non-Manufacturing.. 4 6 5 6 1 5 48 75
GRAND TOTAL 3,347 1,000 921 5,296 1,738 132 238 134 8,965 21,771
'Includes: Lodging Places, Personal, Repair & Miscellaneous Service, and Radio Broadcasting & Television.
Biennial Report of The Department of Labor 19
FEDERAL WAGE-HOUR AND PUBLIC
CONTRACTS INVESTIGATIONS
S. G. Harrington, Supervisor
The Wage and Hour investigators check the payrolls of industrial
and commercial establishments and interview employers and em-ployees
to determine compliance with the Fair Labor Standards Act
(Federal Wage and Hour Law) and the Walsh-Healey Public Contracts
Act.
Priority is given to complaint investigations, Public Contract in-vestigations,
employer requests, and requests from the National Office
of the Wage and Hour and Public Contracts Divisions in Washington,
D. C. Special attention is given to establishments which have not
previously been investigated.
In addition to regular investigation activities mentioned above,
special investigations are made to determine compliance with the
provisions of the Davis-Bacon Act on government financed construc-tion
projects when requested by the Secretary of Labor. Where pro-visions
of the State labor laws apply, concurrent State inspections are
made with Wage-Hour and Public Contracts investigations.
Wage and Hour investigation activities during the biennium, vio-lations
noted, and back wages found due workers, are summarized in
the following Table:
TABLE 5
WAGE AND HOUR WORK FOR PERIOD JULY 1, 1954—JUNE 30, 1956
Wage-Hour investigations (except agriculture) 1806
Public Contracts investigations made concurrent with Wage-Hour 104
Special Child Labor investigations in agriculture 288
Wage-Hour investigations (except agriculture) revealing violations
of Child Labor provisions of Wage-Hour Law 63
Special Child Labor investigations in agriculture showing violations 139
Investigations showing violations of minimum wage
provisions of ^Vage-Hour Law 298
Investigations showing violations of overtime
provisions of Wage-Hour Law 788
Complaint investigations made 429
Davis-Bacon investigations made 24
Investigation visits in agriculture 72
Employees found due back wages 5672
Amount of back wages found due $427,822
State inspections made concurrent with Wage-Hour 1243
20 Biennial Report of The Department of Labor
In addition to investigation activities, the staff is called upon to
engage in public educational programs to bring employers and em-ployees
up-to-date on the provisions of the Wage-Hour and Public
Contracts Laws. For this purpose general clinics, as well as clinics for
specific industries, are conducted. In addition, numerous appearances
are made before civic clubs, employee and employer clubs. Countless
numbers of individual conferences with both employees and employers
are held. Individual inquiries by telephone and by mail have been
answered.
Special certificates for employment of the physically handicapped
at subminimum rates, Sheltered Workshop Certificates, Homework
Certificates in restricted industries. Apprenticeship Certificates, and
Student Learner Certificates have been issued by the Raleigh office.
With the passage of the bill increasing the minimum rate under
the Wage and Hour Act, all of the above extra-investigative activity
increased tremendously. Thousands of pieces of literature were dis-tributed,
mail and telephone inquiries increased manifold, radio talks
were made in vastly increased numbers, certificates of all kinds trebled
many times, and new and additional investigators had to be selected
and trained.
During the fiscal year 1954-55, we operated with a staff of twelve
field investigators. This staff was increased to nineteen on March 1,
1956. These new investigators underwent a fom-weeks period of formal
classroom training, followed by a period of field training with trained
investigators. By the end of the fiscal year 1955-56, they were ready to
begin regular field investigations.
BUREAU OF BOILER INSPECTIONS
S. F. Harrison, Superx'isor
The North Carolina Boiler Law is an important factor in the pro-tection
of life and property from the disastrous results of high and
low pressure boiler and hot water tank explosions. The usefulness of
this law increases proportionately with the growing power demands
of an industrially expanding State.
Without an inspection service adequate to determine the need for
periodic boiler repairs and replacements, boilers will deteriorate more
rapidly and the likelihood of expensive and destructive explosions
will increase. When an inspection is made by either the State Boiler
Inspector or by an Insurance Company Inspector, the owner or oper-ator
of the boiler inspected is instructed in the safe care and main-tenance
of his boiler. Such instruction helps the boiler and tank
Biennial Report of The Department of Labor 21
owners financially. It also undoubtedly helps to prevent explosions.
The North Carolina Boiler Law, which is strictly a safety measure
to prevent loss of life and property, covers all high pressure boilers,
low pressure boilers, hot water boilers and hot water supply tanks,
except those which are specifically exempt under General Statute 95-60.
According to all reports received by the Boiler Bureau during the
1954-56 biennium, only one hot water supply tank explosion and three
high pressure boiler explosions occurred in the State during the bien-nium.
In the spring of 1955, a hot water storage tank 12" in diameter
and 60" high exploded in a Service Station due to the bottom head
rupturing with a force which carried the vessel through 2" x 8"
timbers and wood roof, collapsing a 12" cement block wall. Fortu-nately,
no one was injured. An employee had just walked away from
the tank moments before the explosion occurred. The tank was not
equipped with the approved type of relief devices.
Two of the high pressure boiler explosions occurred due to low
water conditions. One boiler failed due to an accumulation of scale
in the automatic water feeding device, which locked the control on a
normal water level and allowed the boiler to operate on low water
conditions until the failure occurred, which damaged only the furnace
sheet and tubes.
Another high pressure boiler explosion was caused by the operator
tampering with the control switches, causing the boiler to be operated
after it had cut off on low water. The explosion occurred a few min-utes
later, causing an estimated damage of approximately $15,000.00.
The third high pressure explosion was of a vertical tubular boiler,
^vhich exploded when the corroded tubes of the bottom head slipped
out of the tube holes, causing the boiler to explode with a jet action.
The boiler landed approximately 125 feet from its original setting,
causing approximately $1,500.00 damage.
The three above-mentioned high pressure boilers have since been
properly repaired, retubed and returned to service.
A number of boilers have been damaged by low -water conditions
due to the operating controls failing and the lack of attendance in
keeping the controls in proper operating condition.
During the last two years, this Bureau gave special attention to
individual and special requests for boiler inspections. We operated
with a staff of four inspectors until May, 1955, and four office em-ployees.
From August 1, 1955, to November 1, 1955, a Boiler Inspector
was in training who left our employment on November 1, 1955, for a
higher salai~y. This job was filled on November 15, 1955 and we have
22 Biennial Report of The Department of Labor
continued to operate since November 15, 1955, with four inspectors
—
tliree full-time boiler inspectors and the Supervising Boiler Inspector.
Our inspection work in the Boiler Bureau has increased to such
an extent that we need two additional inspectors for full-time field
work in order to adequately inspect the boilers we have on our present
records and pick up the boilers and tanks which have never been in-spected.
There are estimated to be between five and eight thousand
uninspected boilers and tanks. We need one additional office employee,
a file clerk, to handle the growing increase in the Boiler Bureau Work
and the additional work the two above-mentioned boiler inspectors
will create from their inspection services.
The Supervising Boiler Inspector, who is located in Raleigh, spends
a considerable portion of his time in the office handling essential cor-respondence
and supervising all phases of the Bureau's work. This
work includes checking the inspection reports sent in by Insurance
Company Boiler Inspectors, who are authorized representatives of the
State insofar as inspection of insured boilers is concerned; checking
blue prints on shop-inspected boilers and tanks in instances in which
the State Inspector makes the shop inspections; and making field as-sembly
inspections in cases where boilers are assembled in the field.
The Supervisor has the responsibility of seeing that all boilers
operating in the State are in compliance with the Boiler Law.
One State Boiler Inspector is located in Charlotte, making inspec-tions
in the southwestern part of the State and shop inspections. The
second Inspector is located in High Point, making inspections in the
northwestern part of the State. Our third Inspector is located in Ra-leigh,
making inspections in the eastern part of the State.
A detailed statistical explanation of the operations of the Boiler
Bureau will be found in the accompanying tables concerning inspec-tion
activities, revenues received and Boiler Bureau expenses from
July 1, 1954, to June 30, 1956.
TABLE 6
REPORT OF BOILER BUREAU
REVENUE RECEIVED FOR BIENNIUM JULY 1, 1954, THRU' JUNE 30, 1956:
Certificate fees $18,438.00
State inspections 52.114.15
Commissions (Insurance Companies) 883.50
Symbol Stamps for stamping boilers (Sold to Insurance Companies) 30.46
Testing Welders 105.00
TOTAL $71,571.11
Biennial Report of The Department of Labor 23
TABLE 7
COMBINED REPORT OF INSPECTORS' ACTIVITIES
Number of
Inspections Income Disbursements
Externals 1,484
External fees collected $ 4.532.00
External fees due 1,508.00
Internals 2,408
Internal fees collected 8.526.00
Internal fees due 6,178.00
Generals 9,112
General fees collected 4,187.00
General fees due 20,655.70
Specials 74
Special fees collected 787.00
Special fees due 1,290.00
Shop inspections 153
Shop fees collected 300.00
Shop fees due 3,585.00
Field assembly inspections 11
Field assembly fees collected
Field assembly fees due 280.00
Travel collected for inspections 279.41
Travel due for inspections 717.03
Testing Welders (Collected) 7 685.00
Testing Welders (Due) I 105.00
Total Inspections 13,250 $53,615.14
TABLE 8
COMBINED REPORT OF INSPECTORS' ACTIVITIES
Income Disbursements
Travel paid to Inspectors $10,321.63
Total salaries paid to Inspectors 34,900.66
Total amount paid to Inspectors $45,222.29
Total inspection income in excess of disbursements $ 8,392.85
Accidents investigated 3
Complaints investigated 22
Compliance visits 1,176
Conferences 74
Boilers found insured 339
Boilers found out of use 232
Firms found out of business 88
Boilers or tanks condemned 61
Boilers or tanks junked 58
Court Case I
Total 2,054
24 Biennial Report of The Department of Labor
TABLE 9
STATE-INSPECTED BOILERS AND TANKS UNDER STATE INSPECTION
Low pressure boilers and tanks:
Certificate file 9,236
Pending file 770
TOTAL 10,006
High pressure boilers:
Certificate file 1,339
External pending file 48
Internal pending file 257
TOTAL 1,644
GRAND TOTAL 11,650
TABLE 10
BOILERS AND TANKS INSPECTED AND REPORTED
BY INSURANCE COMPANIES
Low pressure boilers and tanks:
Certificate file 11,159
Pending file 767
TOTAL 11,926
High pressure boilers:
Certificate file 4.580
Pending file 250
TOTAL 4,830
ACTIVE GRAND TOTAL 16,756
Total number of boilers and tanks in active use 28,406
Total number of boilers and tanks in out-of-use file 1,588
Grand Total worked 1954-1956 biennium 29,994
Number of Boilers & Number of
Tanks State Inspected Inspections Required
Low pressure number of inspections once
10,006 every two years 10.006
High pressure boilers number of inspections
1,644 over two year period 6,576
Total number of boilers and tanks to be
1 1 ,650 inspected
Total niunber inspections required every
two years 16,582
Present force can make paid inspections
in two years 13.250
Inspection required but cannot be made with
present force 3.332
Each fidl-time field inspector can make 4.417 (paid inspections)
and non-paid compliance, etc 685
TOTAL 5,102
This ecjuals 2.551 inspections per year for each inspector.
Biennial Report of The Department of Labor 25
TABLE 11
BIENNIAL REPORT OF BOILER BUREAU
JULY 1, 1954 TO JUNE 30, 1956
Reports received 32,875
Bills sent 27,692
Certificates issued 27,207
Repair letters 5,587
Repair letters complied 5,170
Correspondence:
Dictated 1-258
Composed 2,019
Follow-up letters 21,249
Form letters of insurance cancellation 188
Total fees received $71,571.11
TABLE 12
BUREAU OF BOILER INSPECTIONS
REVENUES AND EXPENSES JULY 1, 1954—JUNE 30, 1956
Attending Board Meetings $ 353.29
Salaries and Wages 55,928.15
Office Supplies and Printing 2,057.95
Postage, Telephone and Telegrams 2,670.96
General Expense, Bonding Employees, Repairs, Reimbursement
to State College 837.06
Travel Expense 10,321.63
Office Equipment 436.35
Total expense 72,605.39
Appropriated 4,942.00
Collections 71,468.31
Total Income 76,410.31
Less: Total Expense 72,605.39
Amount Reverted 3,804.92
State Inspection Fees Due $ 1,500.99
Insurance Inspected Boilers, Certificate Fees Due 274.00
TOTAL DUE $ 1,774.99
Repairs Pending 223
26 Biennial Report of The Department of Labor
BUREAU OF ELEVATOR INSPECTIONS
Prvor E. Sugg, Chief Elevator Inspector
The public regulation of elevators in the State of North Carolina
is now in its seventeenth year. During these 17 years, elevator and
escalator equipment have been completely revolutionized. The ele-vator
industry has kept pace with the general trend of progress by con-structing
and installing highly technical, automatic type elevators
with modern controls. With this trend has come more work for the Ele-vator
Bureau personnel since the drawings and plans submitted to us
for review are more complicated. Also, without the assistance of an
attendant, the inspection of the elevator equipment requires more
time and knowledge of the dangers involved.
When the State Elevator Code came into existence in 1939, only
one escalator was in operation in North Carolina. There are now 33
in use and 14 others in the process of being installed. There were
very few hydraulic elevators in 1939, but at present approximately
30 percent of all freight elevators are of the hydraulic type. Our
Elevator Code Regulations were not, in all cases, made retroactive;
therefore, a number of sub-standard elevators, mainly freight ele-vators,
are still in use.
However, owners and users of passenger elevators are becoming
more safety-minded and the absence of the State certificate displayed
in an elevator car is quite noticeable. Often we have inquiries by the
users of elevators as to whether or not the certificate is being withheld
due to unsafe conditions of the elevator. Consequently, we have
made a survey of all passenger elevators which were installed prior
to the effective date of the Code and have been successful in having
most of them brought into a sufficient degree of compliance to justify
a certificate.
The American Standard Code for Elevators, Dumbwaiters and
Escalators is a supplement to our State Code and is used as standard
and guide for our authority and regulations for installations and in-spections
of elevators. This Code also is used as a standard by the
leading architects; therefore, we are called upon very often to assist
them with their elevator problems.
We spend much time advising elevator manufacturers and agents
in an effort to improve safety features and prevent Code violations.
Numerous accidents occur while the elevators, dumbwaiters and esca-lators
are being installed and serviced by the skilled mechanics. The
injuries resulting from such activities range from minor to severe and
fatal. We are including among our activities a safety campaign, visit-
Biennial Report of The Department of Labor 27
ing the jobs as often as possible while they are under construction to
observe the methods used and the general conditions on and around
the project. In most cases we find that the time element appears to
supercede many needed safety precautions. A lecture on safe methods
of performance often is worthwhile. We have made a special effort
to have safe access to the elevator machine rooms provided for the
protection of the inspector and the mechanics. This is a serious prob-lem,
especially with elevators which were installed prior to any legal
regulations requiring such provisions. In this effort we have made
some progress.
Due to our varied activities, including all the necessary office work
pertaining to elevator problems, it is impossible for us to make as
many routine inspections as should be made according to Code re-quirements
and in the interest of the safety of the users of elevators.
During the past biennium we received plans, specifications and
applications for review and permits by various elevator concerns for
the installation of 453 elevators, dumbwaiters and escalators. Accord-ing
to the reports of estimated costs furnished us with each applica-tion,
the total of expenditures for new installations during the bien-nium
amounts to $4,775,627.79. This represents an increase of
.$1,015,351.79 over the previous biennial period. The figures, as shown,
are only for the parts of the projects furnished by the elevator concerns.
They do not include the cost of preparing hoistways, which must be
constructed properly in order to maintain the load and impact of the
elevator equipment and to comply Avith the Building Code and Ele-vator
Regulations for various types and locations of elevators.
A statistical summary of our activities during the 1954-56 bien-nium
is contained in the table which follows.
TABLE 13
BUREAU OF ELEVATOR INSPECTIONS
SUMMARY OF ACTIVITIES FROM JULY 1, 1954 TO JUNE 30, 1956
Approval of plans and specifications for new elevators, dumbwaiters and
escalators 453
Approval of plans and specifications for major repairs and alterations of ex-isting
elevator projects 91
Test and inspection of new elevators and dimrbwaiters 369
Test and inspection of new escalators 17
Certificates issued for new installations 365
Certificates issued for existing elevators 593
Regular inspection of existing elevators 1422
Compliance inspection of existing elevators 367
Elevators condemned as being unsafe for further use 38
Elevator accidents investigated 19
Conferences with various elevator manufacturing representatives and agents
relative to elevator problems 140
28 Biennial Report of The Department of Labor
BUREAU OF MINE AND QUARRY INSPECTIONS
H. M. Hall and J. R. Brandon, Miiie Inspectors
The highly diversified mining and quarrying industry of North
Carolina experienced considerable growth and achievement during
the 1954-56 biennium. The more than $71,000,000 total value of
materials produced by North Carolina mines and quarries during
1954 and 1955 exceeds the previous two-year total by five and one-half
million dollars. Operations have continued at a rapid pace, in
general paralleling economic trends throughout the United States.
Highly favorable market conditions, stockpiling of strategic ma-terials,
defense spending by the Federal Government, and a high rate
of consumer demand have furnished the incentive for this substantial
growth. Accordingly, the Bureau of Mine and Quarry Inspections
has experienced an ever-increasing demand for its services.
Two mine inspectors were available during most of the past bien-nium
and were fully occupied in making routine inspections, pro-moting
safety, and investigating accidents in what is generally recog-nized
as one of the State's most hazardous industries.
With accident prevention the goal, the mine and quarry inspectors
have striven to make an adequate number of inspections in an in-dustry
in which the workers are exposed to a number of unusual haz-ards.
Falling rock and caving ground, dark working areas, the pres-ence
of harmful dust, the use of explosives and powerful machinery,
the handling and movement of heavy objects and loads through
cramped, often rough-surfaced and inclined working areas—all of
these factors tend to make mining and quarrying more dangerous
than most other industrial operations.
Many activities of the mining and quarrying industry require a
great amount of physical exertion and stamina on the part of the
worker: handling and setting up heavy drills, pushing loaded ore carts,
climbing up and down steep walkways, walking through muddy,
slippery, rock-strewn tunnels and working in an atmosphere often
with extremes of temperature and humidity. Conditions of working
places often change from day to day, particularly in mines, exposing
workers to new hazards as the work progresses. Considering the un-usual
hazards peculiar to this highly dispersed and diverse industry,
it has become increasingly difficult for two inspectors to provide ade-quate
inspection coverage. Consequently, safety programs and ac-cident
prevention measures are of special importance in the industry.
Biennial Report of The Department of Labor 29
During the past biennium the mine and quarry inspectors have
worked closely and successfully with both management and labor in
establishing and maintaining sound safety programs which extend to
the individual worker level. Acceptance at this level governs the
success of any accident prevention and safety program. Statistics
show that during the biennium there has been a marked reduction
in the lost-time injury frequency rate in the mining industry, a slight
reduction in the processing plants, and an increase in the quarrying
industry.
An important service in the Bureau of Mine and Quarry Inspec-tions
is assisting operators of mines and quarries in obtaining Work-men's
Compensation Insurance under the Assigned Risk Program of
the North Carolina Compensation Rating and Inspection Bureau.
Due to occupational disease hazards in the industry, many insurance
carriers are reluctant voluntarily to provide such coverage. Before
insurance can be assigned under the program. Certificates of Com-pliance,
sho^ving the applicant's operations meet the minimum safety
and health standards of the State, must be obtained from the De-partment
of Labor. They are issued upon the recommendation of
the mine and quarry inspectors after a careful inspection of the ap-plicant's
operation. These Certificates of Compliance are revocable
at any time the operator fails to comply with the State's safety and
health requirements but are renewable when the recommended cor-rections
are made. A total of 63 Certificates of Compliance Avere is-sued
during the biennium. None were revoked.
It is anticipated that the mining and quarrying industry will shoAV
further marked expansion during the next two years. The extension
of the Federal Government-subsidized exploration and development
]3rogram until June, 1962, along with a 20 per cent increase in the
subsidized price schedide for sheet mica, will promote growth in the
industry. The largest known reserves of spodumene in the Western
Hemisphere are located in North Carolina From this mineral the
element lithium is refined. This element is reported to be a source
of the hydrogen isotope tritium (H^) used in thermonuclear devices.
Considerable demand for this material and other strategic minerals is
seen in the future.
North Carolina Avill receive many additional millions of dollars
in Federal road building funds from a bill recently enacted into law.
An extensive higliAvay construction program, as well as continued
industrial expansion, will create a large demand for crushed stone,
gravel and other quarry products and promote further expansion of
the industi"y.
30 Biennial Report of The Department of Labor
As mining and quarrying expand in North Carolina, an increased
demand for the services o£ the Bureau of Mine and Quarry Inspections
is generated. Only through careful apportionment of time has it been
possible for the Bureau's two inspectors to make even a minimum
niunber of routine inspections during the biennium. Although these
inspections have been proven to be one of the most effective weapons
in the elimination of the causes of accidents and occupational hazards,
they are much more effective when made more frequently than has
been possible.
Though much has been accomplished during the biennimn, there
still remains room for considerable improvement. Adequate time and
sufficient personnel to organize and conduct safety programs, make
frequent compliance and enforcement visits, and furnish technical
assistance, together with routine inspections, w^ill do much in the
future to continue the Bureau's effort to eliminate the needless waste
of human lives and limbs in the mining and quarrying industry.
Detailed statistical information regarding the operations of the
Bureau of Mine and Quarry Inspections will be found in the ac-companying
tables.
TABLE 14
ACCIDENTS REPORT OF MINE AND QUARRY OPERATIONS, AS
REPORTED BY INDUSTRY, FOR THE CALENDAR YEAR OF 1954
Total Time Lost Minor Number
Number of not Lost Time no Ddys
Accidents Compensable Compensable Tijne Lost Fatal Lost
MINES:
Mica 16 10 6 268
Feldspar 32 18 10 3 1 271
Pyrophyllite and Talc 35 8 9 18 674
Miscellaneous 212 53 76 3 1 2626
295 89 101 24 2 3839
QUARRIES:
Stone Products 215 65 47 103 2978
PITS:
Sand and Gravel 52 H 8 33 139
Biennial Report of The Department of Labor 31
TABLE 15
ACCIDENT REPORT OF MINE AND QUARRY OPERATIONS, AS
REPORTED BY INDUSTRY, FOR THE CALENDAR YEAR 1955
Total Lost Time Minor Number
Number of not Lost Time no Days
Accidents Compensable Compensable Time Lost Fatal Lost
MINES:
Mica 16 7 7 1 1 310
Feldspar 48 24 22 1 1 787
Pyrophyllite 29 11 6 12 557
Kaolin 7 4 3 87
Olivine 4 3 1 34
Miscellaneous 227 44 48 135 1859
331 90 89 150 2 3634
QUARRIES:
Stone Products 214 34 47 125 1218.75
PITS:
Sand and Gravel .... 79 10 24 44 1 1383.50
TABLE 16
VIOLATIONS AND COMPLIANCES IN MINES, QUARRIES
AND SAND AND GRAVEL PITS
July 1, 1954—June 30, 1956
Industry
Number
Establishments
Found in
Violation
State Safety &
Labor Health
Laws Regulations Total
Mines, Quarries, Sand
and Gra\el Pits
340 Violation 7 836 843
Compliance 3 716 719
32 Biennial Report of The Department of Labor
TABLE 17
ANNUAL REPORT MINES, QUARRIES AND PITS FOR CALENDAR YEAR 1954 INCLUDING
STATE HIGHWAY QUARRIES
Number
Mines and
Quarry
Oper-ations
Kind
Actual
Number
Em-ployed
Payroll
Exec, and
Office
Employees
Payroll
Other
Employees
Quantity
Tons
Value
* 24 Stone Products State High-way
& Public Works
Commission 557
1,357
328
252
398
201
166
25
20
788
$ 19,932.00
576,693.19
208,805.08
71,761.00
77,129.21
1.33,574.73
10,895.00
4,060.00
351,706.66
$ 401,984.25
2,793,930.60
853,157.39
401,355.62
607,314.30
513,007.82
366,127.31
70,366.82
11,946.00
2,622,569.61
1,086,374.55
9,158,636.30
3,883,939.45
523,614.79
78,860.02
114,292.00
202,931.20
9,614.31
680.00
591,233.39
$ 1,400,728.50
42 9,527,993.47
20 3,408,003.37
29 Feldspar . 740 084.50
51
10
3
Mica
Pyrophyllite and Talc
Kaolin
2,027,345.80
1,515,272.08
344,598.00
3
5
Olivine- - 93,518.53
6,085.20
** 5 Miscellaneous 11,196,474.87
192 4,092 SI, 454, 556. 87 $8,641,759.72 15,650,176.01 $30,260,104.32
*This represents quarries operated by the State Highway and Public Works Commission which are operated by State
employees and prison labor.
**Spodumene, Lithium, Halloysite and Tungsten.
TABLE 18
ANNUAL REPORT MINES, QUARRIES AND PITS FOR CALENDAR YEAR 1955 INCLUDING
STATE HIGHWAY QUARRIES
Number
Mines and
Quarry
Oper-ations
Kind
Actual
Number
Em-ployed
Payroll
Exec, and
Office
Employees
Payroll
Other
Employees
Quantity
Tons
Value
* 22 Stone Products State High-way
& Public Works
460
1,406
369
352
377
147
185
28
837
$ 68,157.00
615,681.58
222,391.01
89,754.00
119,025,42
45.309.96
33,040.00
4,800.00
409,612.34
J 363,134.15
3,892,875.00
943,664.22
589,060.64
585,647.73
304,071.25
319,354.88
60,435.21
2,962,983.91
989,870.05
10,311,013.43
4,017,962.40
341,794.94
50,321.42
115,243.00
194,601.90
13,699.26
2,143,555.00
$1,275,125.71
42
17
Stone Products
Sand and Gravel
16,316,853.01
4,073,149.17
33 Feldspar 2,518,948.51
51
5
3
Mica
Pyrophyllite
2,913,390.01
1,185,424.00
356,366.00
4 139,641.22
** 6 Miscellaneous 12,270,965.83
183 4,161 $1,597,771.31 $10,021,226.99 18,178,061.40 $41,049,863.46
*This represents quarries operated by the State Highway and Public Works Commission which are operated by State
employees and prison labor.
**Spodumene, Lithium, Halloysite, Asbestos and Tungsten.
Biennial Report of The Department of Labor 33
CONSTRUCTION SAFETY INSPECTIONS
James E. Fisher, Construction Safety hispector
The program of accident prevention in the construction industry of
North Carolina was started by the Department of Labor in 1953.
Details of the initial steps taken by the Department in launching
this program can be read in the 1952-54 Biennial Report.
The main problem that confronted the Commissioner of Labor in
getting this program under way has been laregly overcome. This was
to get the contractors of the State acquainted with the workings of
our accident prevention work in their industry and also to get all the
contractor participation in the program that was possible. Frequent
conferences and contacts with the individual contractor and with the
contractors' association has helped very much in getting this participa-tion
of the contractors, which was and continues to be so necessary
to make Construction Safety work of the Department a successful
operation.
During the past biennium, the construction inspector has con-tinued
to assist construction companies in setting up safety progiams.
This action takes the form of gathering accident statistics from the
company records, compiling these statistics into report form, and then
conferring with top management of the company on the need for
setting up a safety program. Follow-up conferences are often neces-sary
and follow-up studies are also necessary in getting a safety pro-gram
set up and working.
We feel that a great amount of good has been accomplished in
this line of work. Due to the nature of construction operations, with
conditions on projects undergoing constant change, the company
itself must have a program of accident prevention. This program
must extend to the individual project level in order to insure con-tinuing
adherence to safety standards and practices. Otherwise, it
would be necessary to have a safety inspector constantly on a project
to maintain safe standards.
The construction inspector has continued to compile educational
pamphlets on current safety problems in the construction industry.
These articles have received very favorable comment from the leaders
of the industry. The contractors' association has published all of
these articles in their Trade Bulletin so as to give the contents of the
articles the widest possible circulation among its membership. The
Department sends copies of these safety pairiphlets to a mailing list
of 192 construction companies in the State.
34 Biennial Report of The Department of Labor
As the work of this section has become more highly organized, it
has become possible for more time to be devoted to project inspection
work. The total number of initial inspections and reinspections made
on North Carolina projects is listed in the accompanying table. In-spection
of projects is without doubt the most important phase of
accident prevention work in our construction industry. With this
fact in mind, every effort has been made to organize the work so as
to permit as much as possible of the inspector's time to be spent on
project inspections
Equally important is the fact that with only one man to cover
all the construction projects in the entire State, constant attention
has to be given to ways of better organizing the construction safety
work in order to get at least a large proportion of the projects
inspected.
During the past biennial period, efforts have been continued to
bring labor and management together in this work of accident pre-vention
which is so important to both groups. Meetings have been
held with representatives of labor for the purpose of getting their
cooperation and ideas on how to make the program more successful.
Considerable effort likewise has been made in promoting management
interest in construction safety. An example of this, and a measure
of the success of these efforts, is the recent attendance of the Con-struction
Section of the State-wide Safety Conference which was held
in Charlotte. There were sixty-four construction companies repre-sented
at this meeting, whereas at the previous conference only sixteen
companies were represented.
As to enforcement and compliance with the Construction Safety
Code of the Department, most of the project superintendents have
usually shown very satisfactory cooperation. There have been few
instances in which the superintendent did not start making the neces-sary
corrections to make working conditions safe on the project.
There have of course been several cases in which the project super-intendent
did not show any cooperation and where no action was
taken to carry out the recommendations of the inspector. Due to the
limited time of one man, it has not always been possible for the
inspector to follow up on these cases as needed. For example, if an
unusually hazardous condition is found and then allowed to exist
for a period of as much as two weeks, the conditions of the project
change so that the violation is "corrected by default" so to speak. Due
to the growing need for following up on violations where the condi-tions
on the project are considered to be very hazardous and where
Biennial Report of The Department of Labor 35
there is an indication that the superintendent does not intend to
make the necessary correction, I feel that the addition of at least one
man to help in this work would allow more time for the inspector
to follow up on serious conditions whenever necessary.
At the end of this biennial period, we can look back for three
years and see that considerable progress has been made in the field
of construction safety. All the major construction companies have
set up safety programs, and these programs are working not only for
the benefit of the contractor, but also for the benefit of the man
working on the job.
Relations between the Department and the construction industry's
association are very satisfactory and the two are making real progress
at getting the idea of safety across in the construction industry. All
of the North Carolina contractors and their project superintendents
are familiar with our safety program. With only a few exceptions
they are working whole-heartedly with the Department to reduce the
high toll of accidents in one of our most hazardous industries.
SPECIAL SAFETY SERVICES
W. C. Creel, Supervisor
The safety work of the Division of Standards and Inspections is
directed through a Special Safety Service Unit.
The work of the Special Safety Service Unit is centered around a
Safety Advisory Board from industry. This Board is composed of
23 men who are in charge of the plant safety programs of leading
North Carolina industrial establishments. Organized in 1946, this
group of industrial safety experts has served without compensation,
devoting much time, effort and skill to working cooperatively with the
Department of Labor in planning accident prevention programs for
the industries of the State. Through the splendid cooperation and
interest of industrial management in several of our leading industries,
these men have been able to give the Department of Labor the benefit
of their time and advice as a public service in safety.
The work of the Safety Advisory Board with the Department
of Labor is divided into three principal activities with a standing
committee for each phase of the work. These committees are for the
planning and promotion of Education, Awards, and Special Industry
Safety Programs.
Special Industry Safety Programs have continued to be most efiiec-tive
and popular. During the Biennium special safety programs
36 Biennial Report of The Department of Labor
have been conducted in the fertilizer industry and the cotton yarn
division of the textile industry.
The Special safety program for the fertilizer industry, including
70 plants with an average employment of 2,700, was started in 1952
and completed in 1955. The results were most pleasing. At the
beginning of the program the accident frequency rate was 18.6. At
the end of the program the rate had dropped to 9.8. This 47% re-duction
in disabling injuries is highly indicative of the safety progress
in the industry. Already requests for follow-up materials are being
received from the industry and steps are being taken to comply with
these requests.
The Special Safety Program for the State's cotton yarn plants was
started in 1953. Five visits by the Department's 14 industrial safety
inspectors were made during the two-year program. In addition,
monthly safety pamphlets and special material aids were sent to the
430 participating plants. At the beginning of the program, the ac-cident
frequency rate was 10.0. At the end of the formal program,
the rate was 7.3. During the two-year period the cotton yarn plants
had an average of 132,626 employees.
An important duty of the Safety Section of the department is the
collection of accident frequency rate information. During the Bien-nium,
accident information from more than 6,000 manufacturinsf
plants and service establishments was collected each year. Accident
frequency rate information is of immeasurable value to the Depart-ment
in planning its safety activities- An individual record is kept
for every industrial and service establishment. These records show
the safety progress or lack of progress, in the individual plants.
Industry accident rate averages are also compiled and used as a guide
in planning Special Industry Safety Programs.
Statewide and industry accident rates are compiled quarterly and
published yearly. An indication of the effectiveness of the Depart-ment's
statewide accident prevention services can be seen in the sub-stantial
reduction in the statewide lost-time injury rate. In 1946,
the year in which the Special Safety Service Program was started, the
statewide accident frequency rate was 15.8. At the end of 1955 the
rate was 8.2—a reduction of 48 per cent during the ten-year period.
Safety awards are a basic part of any complete safety program.
Since 1946, the North Carolina Department of Labor has recognized
outstanding work in accident prevention in industrial and service
establishments by a series of safety awards. Under this program,
plants which reduce their accident frequency rates 40 per cent or
Biennial Report of The Department of Labor 37
more during a calendar year, operate with an accident rate 75 per
cent or more below the State average for the particular industry, or
operate for a year without a lost-time injury, are eligible for the
Department's Certificate of Safety Achievement. In 1954 a total of
947 awards were presented. In 1955 a total of 919 awards were pre-sented.
Since the inauguration of the program in 1946, a total of
7,353 awards have been presented.
Research and special projects for individul plants are continually
being planned. The industrial safety inspectors as part of their safety
work assist plant management in analyzing their accident problems
and direct their attention to the safety services of the Department as
a means of helping to solve their accident problems. Once a problem
has been solved, the methods are summarized and reproduced for the
use of the Department's inspectors and other industrial plants having
similar situations.
A well planned program of accident investigation is directed
through the Safety Service Section. All industrial fatalities and many
serious accidents are investigated. They are then analyzed for the
purpose of preparing suitable materials to be used in helping to pre-vent
the recurrence of similar accidents.
While the safety services of the Department are available and used
by both large and small plants, the program is directed principally
to the small plant. The small plant does not have a safety director,
the money, or the know-how to plan and conduct a safety program
and for these reasons needs the special assistance of the State. This
need has been recognized and met to the extent that thousands of
small plants are being more safely operated.
Lost Time Accident
Plants Manhours Injuries Frequency Rates
1955 1955 1955 1955 1954
Biennial Report of The Department of Labor
TABLE 19
Accident Frequency Rates In North Carolina Industries
Final 1955, compared with final 1954
INDUSTRY
MANUFACTURING
Chemical:
Drugs, Insecticides & Paints 31
Fertilizer (Manufacturing
and mixing) 62
Miscellaneous Chemical and
Allied Products 52
Clay, Cement and Stone:
Block, Pipe and Cement 97
Brick, Tile and Pottery 43
Electrical:
General 48
Furniture:
Upholstering 98
Wood 249
Iron and Steel:
Foundries 27
Machine Manufacturing 130
Machine Shop Ill
Sheet Metal 69
Not Elsewhere Classified 113
Leather:
Tanning, Manufacturing Shoes,
Belting and Rolls 11 1,637,057 38 23.2 24.5
Lumber:
Logging, Sawing and Planing 381
Millwork 224
Plywood and Veneer 82
Miscellaneous Wood Products 49
AVniing:
Mines 51
Pits and Quarries 46
Processing Plants 82
Paper:
Paper and Pulp 6
Set up boxes and containers 46
Printing:
Job, Newspaper and Books 173 9,437,205 34 3.6 3.3
1,869,752 26 13.8 6.8
3,954,477 33 8.3 9.8
8,775,101 32 3.6 9.3
5,660,943
4,172,534
107
69
18.9
16.5
18.1
18.2
27,490,418 69 2.5 3.2
9,630,248
59,234,012
147
795
15.2
13.4
13.1
10.5
1,809,049
10,675,243
6,366,287
2,733,552
12,540,408
49
127
137
45
233
27.0
11.8
21.5
16.4
18.5
18.7
11.2
13.1
21.2
11.0
23,546,896
10,224,783
13,470,186
2,957,204
693
187
300
48
29.4
18.2
22.2
16.2
26.3
20.9
19.1
24.5
359,896
3,113,706
5,397,933
10
71
195
27.7
22.8
36.1
39.5
18.8
47.3
13,600,569
4,656,657
42
73
3.0
15.6
5.0
13.5
1,871 7.3 7.5
144 3.8 7.2
314 3.5 3.9
83 4.2 2.1
211 5.4 4.1
9 4.8 4.5
42 3.9 4.7
43 2.2 2.4
216 15.3 12.2
130 12.9 11.3
6,623 8.9 8.6
Biennial Report of The Department of Labor 39
Textiles:
Cotton Yarn & Weaving 413 255,527,695
Dyeing and Finishing 58 37.426,388
Knit Goods 370 87,859,731
Silk and Synthetic 35 19,751,924
Wearing Apparel 144 38,872,689
Woolen Worsted 7 1,846,251
Not Elsewhere Classified 62 10,729,374
Tobacco:
Cigarette, Cigar and Smoking 6 18,810,748
Leaf Processing 214 14,027,164
Miscellaneous Manufacturing:
General 155 10,031,196
ALL manufacturing
INDUSTRY 3,745 738,197,276
NON-MANUFACTURING
Food:
Baking 97 15,482,674
Botthng Plant 125 7,550,394
Canning and Preserving 23 1,192,907
Dairy Products 82 74,218,812
Ice and Coal 100 1,970.609
Meat Packing 77 5,925,598
Milling, Flour and Feed 161 6,871,387
Semice:
Dry Cleaning 579 6,975,236
Dry Cleaning and Laundry 232 16,492,757
Garage 437 17,660,992
Trade:
Petroleum Products 210 4,225,749
Wholesale & Retail 391 17,215,881
Miscellaneous Non-Manufacturing:
General 67 6,333,865
ALL NON-MANUFACTURING
INDUSTRY 2,581 182,116,861 1,058 5.8 9.4
ALL INDUSTRY MANUFACTURING
& NON-MANUFACTURING 6,326 920,314,137 7,681 8.3 8.7
Technical Notes:
(1) These data were compiled according to the American Standard Method of Compiling Industrial
Injury Rates, approved 1954 by the American Standard Association.
( 2 ) The lost time injury frequency rate is the average number of disabling work injuries for each
million manhours worked. A lost time injury is one which prevented the injured man's return
to work on his next regular day, shift or turn; or which results in some permanent bodily
impairment.
113 7.2 11.0
105 13.9 14.2
16 13.4 12.4
125 16.8 13.0
23 11.6 7.8
118 19.9 22.4
90 13.0 13.0
9 1.2 1.2
62 3.7 2.2
133 7.5 7.6
17 4.0 5.9
126 7.3 8.5
121 19.1 21.2
40 Biennial Report of The Department of Labor
DIVISION OF CONCILIATION AND
ARBITRATION
E. Gail Barker, Director
The North Carolina Conciliation Service is guided by legislative
policy to the use of voluntary methods in the adjustment of labor-management
disputes. The State Conciliator wields no club over the
bargaining parties in the nature of regulatory powers; nor by the use
of government pressure. The Conciliator strives to maintain com-plete
freedom of action by the parties. Under this legislative and
administrative policy, the State Conciliator is therefore committed
to refrain from any statement or procedure which might appear to
throw the weight of public pressure on either side.
In the vast majority of establishments in North Carolina, working
relationships of employers and employees are orderly and cooperative.
It is well known that for every critical labor-management dispute
which develops into a work stoppage, many more negotiations are
culminated by joint agreement between the parties withovit the need
for outside assistance. This is a great tribute to the common sense
of management and labor representatives in North Carolina.
Nevertheless, when employers and workers face each other over
the bargaining table, there remain important areas in which conflict
may arise. Group interests may flow in parallel but separate chan-nels.
The issues may involve questions of principle, economic con-ditions,
or terms of employment. In such labor-management conflicts,
State Conciliators perform useful and valuable service both to the
parties and to the economic community as a whole.
Conciliation is a part of the collective bargaining process and is
not a substitute for it. The essential problem of collective bargaining,
when the parties are at loggerheads over an issue or issues, is the
necessity of asserting strength, even as they seek a peaceful settlement.
Each side may take an unyielding position to test out how determined
the other side is to stick to its position. A willingness to make even
the most fragmentary concession in some situations can be interpreted
as an evidence of a hidden weakness. For this and other reasons it
becomes extremely difficult, and sometimes impossible for them to
explore various alternatives which might lead to a mutually accept-able
solution.
The Conciliator advises and makes suggestions in joint negotiating
sessions, or in exploratory discussions with the parties separately, and
thereby acts as a new line of communication. He possesses con-
Biennial Report of The Department of Labor 41
fidential information of what the parties will give and take. He
functions purposefully, and not just as a messenger carrying offers
back and forth. He must possess a keen sense of timing and skill in
revealing the information given to him, sometimes directly but more
often by hint and indirection. Not the least of the Conciliator's
skills is the knowledge of when to say nothing. Thus he protects
the position of the parties while they are being brought closer to
agreement, until the gap between them is finally bridged.
The tables presented in this Section tell the 1954-56 story of the
North Carolina Conciliation Service in terms of operating records.
Table 20 presents the number of cases coming to the attention
of the North Carolina Conciliation Service, shown by industry and
month. The 396 cases were distributed among 19 industries (plus a
"miscellaneous" classification)
.
Table 21 presents a monthly summary, including fiscal year totals,
of the number of cases coming to the Division's attention, and the
approximate number of workers involved.
Table 22 presents a monthly summary, including fiscal year
totals, of strikes, workers idle, and man-days idle. There were 81
strikes during the biennium. Six of these strikes during 1955 were
interstate, and negotiations were not conducted in North Carolina.
The three major ones involved the Southern Bell Telephone and
Telegraph Company, The Atlantic Greyhound Company and the
Louisville and Nashville Railroad.
These six strikes involved 24% of the workers and accounted for
55% of the man-days idle in 1955.
Table 23 presents a summary, on a calendar year basis, of the
number of cases, workers directly involved, number of strikes, workers
idle, man-days idle and the North Carolina percentage of the national
total of man-days idle. This table includes data from 1941 through
1955.
Knowledge of an existing controversy generally was brought to
the attention of the Service by the initiating party desiring to amend
or terminate the existing contract, giving the thirty-day notice required
by the Labor-Management Relations Act of 1947. These notices were
acknowledged promptly by the Service, with a copy of the acknowl-edgement
always being sent to the other party to the contract. In
order to encourage the parties to settle their own differences, it was
constantly emphasized that it was our sincere hope that the parties
would reach amicable agreement through collective bargaining and
free discussions.
42 Biennial Report of The Department of Labor
Whenever the parties were unable to reach agreement through
their own endeavors, the services of the Conciliation Service were
offered. Contact was maintained with the parties during the thirty-day
notice period. In cases in which the parties had failed to reach
agreement during that period, a representative of the Conciliation
Service called the parties together and endeavored, through concilia-tion
and mediation, to bring about a meeting of minds and an under-standing
concerning the issues in dispute.
The Division also responded to requests for assistance in settling
grievances involving individuals and small groups of workers. Cases
of this type are not included in the 396 total. Also, frequent requests
for information about the conciliation, arbitration and related laws
were acted upon. Consultations, both in the offices and in the field,
on labor-management relations are handled as routine and on a
day-to-day basis and no attempt is made to record these matters
statistically.
ARBITRATION SERVICE
The Department of Labor attempts to promote the settlement of
differences between labor and management. Through frank and open
discussion of their differences and by the mutual exercise of good
will, labor and management in North Carolina have been able in
most instances to settle their problems peacefully and satisfactorily.
The assistance of the Conciliation Service often is instrumental in
bringing about such settlements.
Differences between labor and management are not always ironed
out in collective bargaining. In those instances where the parties
are unable to reach agreement, the machinery of arbitration estab-lished
under the North Carolina Voluntary Arbitration Act is avail-able
to them. This method has proved itself very useful by bringing
about expeditious decisions on the disputed issues.
The Voluntary Arbitration Act gives legal status to contracts
entered into by labor and management which provide for arbitration
of disputes which may arise in the future. Where the parties' con-tract
permits "demand" arbitration, the Act empowers the Commis-sioner
of Labor to appoint an arbitrator at the request of either party;
the Act further provides for the legal enforceability of arbitration
awards made under its provisions.
Getting quick disposition of the disputed issues is one of the
prime attributes of arbitration. Because of that fact, the Department
of Labor makes all requests for arbitration a first order of business.
Biennial Report of The Department of Labor 43
In accordance with the provisions of the Act, the Commissioner
of Labor has maintained since 1945 a list of qualified, public-spirited
citizens who have served as arbitrators under the Act. The personnel
of the list of arbitrators has changed from time to time due to resigna-tions
and new appointments. The present list of 15 arbitrators is
composed of men who have gained experience in previous government
or private arbitration work.
44 Biennial Report of The Department of Labor
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Biennial Report of The Department of Labor 45
TABLE 21
NUMBER OF WORKERS INVOLVED IN CASES COMING TO ATTENTION OF NORTH CAROLINA
CONCILIATION SERVICE DURING PERIOD JULY 1, 1954 to JUNE 30, 1956
BY MONTH AND FISCAL YEAR.'
MONTH
TOTAL
July
August
September..
October
November.
.
December..
January
February
March
April
May
June
1954-55
Number
Workers
Involved
6,678
.765
681
147
4
3
2
1,888
2,739
4,502
6,727
2,243
4,686
20,026
2,569
1955-56
Number
209
Workers
Involved
53,495
5,739
3,027
3,556
2,057
3,813
6,898
1,670
530
14,476
6,917
3,389
1,423
'Source: North Carolina Conciliation Service; North Carolina Statistical Division; U. S. Department of Labor; Federal
Mediation and Conciliation Service and Unpublished data.
TABLE 22
STRIKES IN NORTH CAROLINA DURING PERIOD JULY 1, 1954 to JUNE 30, 1956,
BY MONTH AND FISCAL YEAR.*
MONTH
TOTAL
July..
August
September..
October
November..
December..
January
February...
March
April
May
June..
1954-55
Number
46
Workers
Idle
13,790
970
417
332
55
1,569
762
209
2,844
3,622
683
1,011
1,316
Man-Days
Idle
(All Strikes)
301,853
5,734
2,289
2,043
275
38,076
2,156
627
13,951
151,105
56,197
11,106
18,294
Number
1955-56
Workers
Idle
8,554
1,777
471
2,166
698
1,941
62
570
135
420
55
180
79
Man-Days
Idle
(All Strikes)
84,840
24,473
2,295
14,336
2,302
20,756
558
13,516
175
840
275
4,745
569
'Source: North Carolina Conciliation Service; North CaroUna Statistical Division; U ^. Department of Labor;
Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service and Unpublished data.
46 Biennial Report of The Department of Labor
TABLE 23
LABOR-MANAGEMENT CASES AND STRIKES IN NORTH CAROLINA*
Percent
Year Number of Workers Number of Workers Man-days of National
Situations Involved Strikes Idle Idle Total
1941 State Concilia tion Service
Established 34 18,731 105,085 .5
1942 109
""""64^827"""'
26 4,826 24,354 .6
1943 201 114,865 57 18,511 103,368 .8
1944 187 75,584 45 11,056 68,057 .8
1945 113 40,355 37 17,470 438,000 1.2
1946 109 37,424 56 14,400 452,000 .4
1947 193 61,212 37 16,000 542,000 1.6
1948 202 103,186 22 2,698 59,420 .2
1949 180 53,245 18 3,850 136,130 .3
1950 148 38,392 31 12,700 75,700 .2
1951 183 54,276 38 24,300 508,000 2.2
1952 173 63,557 37 15,600 277,000 .5
1953 160 54,475 25 10,100 196,000 .7
1954 163 45,375 31 5,540 82,900 .4
1955 229 65,843 49 16,800 316,000 1.1
*Source: North Carolina Conciliation Service; North Carolina Department of Labor, Statistical Division; U. S. De.
partment of Labor; Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service and Unpublished data
DIVISION OF APRENTICESHIP TRAINING
C. L. Beddingfield, Director
North Carolina's Voluntary Apprenticeship Act of 1939, which is
the statute under which this Division operates, was designed as a
working arrangement whereby committees of employers and em-ployees,
working together, or individual employers or companies, may
promote the training of young workers in the skilled trades of in-dustry.
The law was designed to provide reasonably continuous
employment for apprentices, guarantee them a living wage, and pro-vide
them with thorough on-the-job training in their trades, supple-mented
with related technical training.
The welfare of the apprentice being trained is the first consider-ation
of the Division of Apprenticeship Training. It is a well known
fact that the interests of employers, employees and the public will be
served best when the interest of the apprentice is kept in the fore-front.
The Apprenticeship Act provides for the appointment of a State
Apprenticeship Council by the Commissioner of Labor, with equal
representation of employers and employees. It provides that the
Commissioner of Labor shall be Chairman of the Council and that
the State Supervisor of Trade and Industrial Education shall be
Vice-Chairman. The law also provides for the appointment of a
Director of Apprenticeship, whose responsibility, with the advice and
guidance of the Council, is to promote a Statewide, voluntary ap-
Biennial Report of The Department of Labor 47
prenticeship training program covering all o£ the skilled trades and
requiring two years or more to become a recognized, skilled craftsman.
The purpose of the law is to insure that a sufficient number of crafts-men
will be trained to meet the needs of the State's industrial
economy.
APPRENTICESHIP COUNCIL
The composition of the State Apprenticeship Council at present
is as follows: Frank Crane, Commissioner of Labor, Chairman; M. D.
Thornburg, State Supervisor of Trade and Industrial Education,
Vice-Chairman; C. L. Beddingfield, Director of the Division of Ap-prenticeship
Training, Secretary; and three members representing
employers and three representing employees, as follows:
Employer Representatives Employee Representative's
DwiGHT L. Casey, CaroUnas Chapter W. L. Causey, Business Agent
Mana(rer Plumbers and Steamfitters
National Electrical Contractors Associa- Local Union 640
tion Greensboro, N. C.
Charlotte, N. C. Henry C. Sawyer, Business Representa-
A. J. Fox, General Contractor tive
Raleigh, N. C. International Brotherhood of Electrical
Workers, Local 553
D. W. Randolph, Supervisor of Training Durham, N. C.
Champion Paper & Fibre Company
Canton, N. C. Lloyd D. Hardy, Foreman
The Raleigh Times Composing Room
Raleigh, N. C.
The Apprenticeship Council is recognized as the sole registration
authority for apprenticeship training in North Carolina in connection
with the National Defense Training Program, which includes im-provement
of working skills and advanced workers' training- The
Council works in close cooperation with other State and Federal
agencies in the advancement of this program. It also serves as the
certifying agency for registered apprenticeship training programs in
connection with the deferment of apprentices from the draft until
their training has been completed. It is the approving agency for
all apprenticeable trades and occupations for veterans training under
Public Law 550 passed by the 82nd Congress.
DIVISION OPERATIONS
For several years past, it has been thought that the fluctuation
in registered apprenticeship programs and registered apprentices
would level off and that the number of programs and apprentices in
48 Biennial Report of The Department of Labor
training would remain upon a more or less constant level. Such,
however, has not been the case. There has been a steady increase
in both programs and apprentices training under these programs.
Our Biennial Report of June 30, 1954 gave a total of 3,688 active
apprenticeship training progiams registered in the State, with 3,582
apprentices training under these programs.
During the 1954-56 biennium, a total of 1,423 new programs were
approved and registered and 4,253 additional apprentices were reg-istered.
A total of 670 programs were cancelled during the biennium.
A total of 646 apprentices completed their training, and a total of
2,539 apprentice agreements were cancelled.
At the end of the 1954-56 biennium, a total of 4,262 apprentices
were in active training in the State—an increase of 780 over the
previous biennial period.
Also at the end of the 1954-56 biennium, a total of 4,350 programs
were in operation in the State—an increase of 662 over the preceding
two-year period.
The 646 apprentices who completed their training during the
biennium were awarded their Certificates of Completion. These ap-prentices
have now taken their places as skilled craftsmen in the
industries of the State. As of June 30, 1956, a total of 3,325 ap-prentices
had received their Certificates of Completion since the be-ginning
of the State apprenticeship training program. Distribution
of these former apprentices by industry and occupational groups will
be found in the accompanying tables.
Our records indicate that there will be 900 or more apprentices
completing their training each year through 1958.
Special training programs for other types of on-the-job training
were approved and certified to the Veterans Administration during
the biennium. A total of 97 of these programs were approved under
the provisions of Public Law 550 for the purpose of training veterans
in occupations which are not apprenticeable as such but which are
component parts of apprenticeable trades. Veterans trained under
these programs in most cases become production-line workers in the
industries of the State.
North Carolina's skilled labor market continues to show a serious
shortage of skilled workers and craftsmen. This fact indicates that
apprenticeship training must be further advanced and extended in
order to meet the demands of our expanding State economy.
Biennial Report of The Department of Labor 49
TABLE 24
REGISTERED APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS, PARTICIPATING ESTABLISHMENTS,
AND APPRENTICES, BY TYPE OF PROGRAM
June 30, 1956
Programs, Total
Programs with no Apprentices --
Programs having Apprentices
Establishments Participating in all Programs
Establishments Participating in Programs
having Apprentices ._
Apprentices, Total
Apprentices per Program having Apprentices
Apprentice per Establishment in Programs
having Apprentices _.
Type of Program
All
Types
4350
2200
2150
4610
2400
4262
2.0
1.8
Group
Joint
30
5
25
260
245
452
18.1
1.8
Not-joint
6
1
5
36
35
70
14.0
2.0
Individual
Joint
21
9
12
21
12
57
4.8
4.8
Not-joint
No
Union
4289
2185
2104
4289
2104
3664
1.7
1.7
Union
Waiver
4
4
4
19
4.8
4.8
*Group Joint More than one establishment participating, and a joint committee of labor and management
to effectuate the over-all program.
Group not-joint More than one establishment participating, but the program effectuated by representatives
of one party only.
Individual Joint One establishment only, with joint representation of management and organized labor to effec-tuate
the over-all program.
Individual not-joint (No union) one establishment only, but the program effectuated by management only, because
of the absence of an interested union.
Individual not-joint (Union Waiver) one establishment only, but the program effectuated by management only,
because union has waived participation.
50 Biennial Report of The Department of Labor
TABLE 25
REGISTERED PROGRAM-OCCUPATIONS, AND EXPECTED COMPLETION DATE OF
REGISTERED APPRENTICES, BY OCCUPATION GROUP
June 30, 1956
OCCUPATION GROUP
All Occupation Groups
Commercial Artist
Draftsman
Laboratory Technician
Photographer _
Cook (Exc. Private Family)
Barber, Beautician
Technical and Personal Service
(N.E.C.)
Brick, Stone, Tile Layer
Carpenter __
Cement Finisher
Painter (Construction)
Plasterer _.
Plumber, Pipefitter
Roofer, Slater
Construction Occupations (N. E. C.)
Electrician (Not Construction)
Electrician (Construction)
Machinist
Tool Maker, Die Sinker
Polisher, Buffer (Metal) __
Machine Shop (N.E. C.)
Jeweler, Watchmaker
Engraver
Sheet Metal Worker
Molder
Foundry Worker (N.E.C.)
Boilermaker
Structural Iron Worker
Metal Working Occupations
(N.E.C.)..
Auto Mechanic and Repairman
Millwright
Railroad Mechanic and Repairman.
Airplane Mechanic and Renairman_
Mechanic and Repairman (N. E. C.)
Compositor, Typesetter
Electroty per, Stereotyper
Lithographer
Photoengraver
Pressman ^Printing) ..
Printing, Publishing (N. E. C.)
Stationary Engineer
Hoistman, Craneman
Glazier
Miscellaneous Occupations
(N.E.C.)
Powerhouse Operator
Lineman
Meatcutter (Excluding
Slaughterhouse) -
Nonmanufacturing (N. E. C.)
Baker
Loomfixer
Furrier
Milliner
Dressmaker
Tailor.
Cabinetmaker
Millman
Upholsterer
Shoe Repairman
Stonecutter
Optician, Lens Grinder. . .
Painter (Not Construction!
Pattern Maker (Not Paper)
Mannfacturin"- Occms. (N. E. C.)..
Occu-pation
Group
Code
(1)
01
02
03
04
05
06
09
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
19
21
22
26
27
28
29
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
39
41
46
47
48
49
51
52
53
54
55
59
61
62
63
69
71
72
73
79
81
82
83
84
85
Prog-
Occups
Per
Occup'
Group
(2)
5628
16
18
9
7
116
238
320
16
113
57
372
6
88
12
327
153
13
16
13
223
24
1
16
19
1696
8
1
8
630
141
8
12
176
33
1
19
16
1
49
6
1
155
15
82
17
13
29
18
9
88
All Ex-pected
Com-ple-tions
4262
13
12
7
1
92
186
262
3
41
39
349
2
74
5
468
151
23
7
1
249
5
481
126
16
14
140
18
11
14
181
55
41
6
4
77
2
74
11
19
15
6
4
44
Expected Completion Date
Before
1956
199
10
15
7
1
1
8
21
1
6
1
40
3
1
10
23
11
5
1
1
7
1
C
10
1956 1957
927
2
3
4
26
51
42
1
7
3
70
18
3
99
38
1
1
46
2
5
214
1
100
24
2
1
24
7
5
2
34
16
12
18
1
15
8
3
3
3
12
1057
4
5
3
1
29
67
72
15
7
89
1
28
88
30
4
3
64
1
2
2
173
1
1
2
151
19
5
3
34
5
2
11
27
21
14
3
1
14
1
28
10
3
2
11
1959
1210
4
3
11
28
91
1
6
7
72
13
1
126
41
10
81
3
1
334
4
140
30
5
3
41
2
2
1
1960
412
3
1
3
30
5
3
45
1
52
29
7
1
24
2
76
50
16
16
1
32
2
7
1
2
2
1
1961
4
17 9
1
4 2
7 2
1
1
1
iFor content see Table VI.
aProgram-occupation is an occupation in a program. Because some programs include more than one occupation,
total program-occupations exceed total program.
Biennial Report of The Department of Labor 51
TABLE 26
JOURNEYMEN EMPLOYED, AND ESTIMATED POTENTIAL APPRENTICES, BY OCCUPATION GROUP,
IN PROGRAMS CURRENTLY REGISTERED AND REPORTED TO THE BUREAU OF APPRENTICESHIP.
June 30, 1956
OCCUPATION GROUPi Occup.
Group
Code
Estimated -
Journey-men
Apprentices Ratio
Actual
Estimated
Potential Actual
Poten-tial
01
02
03
04
05
06
09
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
19
21
22
26
27
28
29
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
39
41
46
47
48
49
51
52
53
54
55
59
61
62
63
69
71
72
73
79
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
91
92
93
94
95
96
99
27,140
63
36
18
14
320
1,804
3,829
259
685
557
2,101
27
493
80
1,426
968
64
37
26
1,188
140
2
80
43
5,474
94
2
107
2,121
730
47
47
527
94
25
53
55
25
1,221
280
182
28
63
2
530
45
345
34
150
73
49
23
454
4,262
13
12
7
1
92
186
262
3
41
39
349
2
74
5
468
151
23
7
1
249
5
7
9
887
6
2
2
481
126
16
14
140
18
11
14
181
55
41
6
4
__0
2
74
11
19
15
6
4
44
15,229
37
36
18
14
237
803
1,352
80
286
227
1,211
17
276
49
940
512
41
32
26
657
73
2
42
43
3,797
36
2
41
1,450
362
31
29
372
76
7
38
37
7
441
241
177
18
17
2
350
40
214
34
51
63
36
18
231
6.4
4.8
3.0
2.6
14.0
0.0
3.5
9.7
14.6
86.3
16.7
14.3
6.0
13.5
6.7
16.0
3.0
6.4
2.8
0.0
0.0
5.3
26.0
4.8
28.0
0.0
0.0
11.4
4.8
6.2
15.7
1.0
53.5
4.4
5.8
2.9
0.0
3.4
3.8
5.2
0.0
0.0
4.8
3.9
0.0
6.7
5.1
4.4
4.7
15.8
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
6.9
22.5
4.7
3.1
7.9
4.9
8.2
5.8
10.3
1.8
1.7
1.0
1.0
1.0
0.0
Technical and Personal Service (N. E. C) 1.4
2.2
2.8
3.2
2.4
2.5
1.7
1.6
1.8
1.6
1.5
1.9
Tool Maker. Die Sinker . 1.6
Polisher, Buffer (Metal) 0.0
Machine Shop (N. E. C.) . _ 0.0
1.2
1.0
Sheet Metal Worker 1.8
Foundry Worker (N. E.G.)
1.9
0.0
1.0
1.9
1.0
1.4
2.6
1.0
2.6
Mechanic and Repairman (N. E. C.) 1.5
2.0
1.5
0.0
1.6
1.4
Printing, Publishing (N. E. C.) . 1.2
0.0
3.6
1.4
1.5
3.6
2.8
1.2
1.0
1.6
3.7
0.0
Milliner_ _
Dressmaker
Tailor
0.0
0.0
1.0
Cabinetmaker - 1.5
1.1
Upholsterer
Shoe Repairman
1.6
1.0
2.9
1.2
1.4
Pattern Maker (Not Paper)
Man'iffictnrin" Occipations fN. E. C.)
1.3
2.0
iFor definitions see Table VI footnote 2.
52 Biennial Report of The Department of Labor
TABLE 27
ALL APPRENTICES COMPLETED BY INDUSTRIAL GROUP
July 1, 1954 - June 30, 1956
Industry Number Of
Industry Groups Group Apprentices
All Industry Groups 646
Construction 1 253
Wood Products Manufacturing 2 16
Machinery Manufacturing 3 20
Metal Products Manufacturing 4 11
Auto Repair Services 5 103
Other Repair Services 6 26
Building Supplies Retail 7 26
Printing 8 69
Food Preparation 9 52
Personal Services 4
Manufacturing N.E.C X 1
Non-Manufacturing N.E.C R 65
TABLE 28
APPRENTICES COMPLETED BY OCCUPATION GROUP
July 1, 1954—June 30, 1956
Occupation Group
All Occupation Groups
Commercial Artist
Draftsman
Laboratory Technician
Photographer
Cook (Except Private Family)
Barber, Beautician
Technical and Personal Service
(N.E.C.) ---.
Brick, Stone, Tile Layer .,
Carpenter
Cement Finisher
Painter (Construction)
Plasterer ,_
Plumber, Pipefitter
Roofer, Slater
Construction Occupations (N.E.C;
Electrician (Not construction)
Electrician (Construction) ,
Machinist -.
Tool Maker, Die Sinker.
Polisher, Buffer (Metal)
Machine Shop (N. E. C.)
Jeweler, Watchmaker
Engraver
Sheet Metal Worker
Molder
Foundry Worker (N. E. C.)
Boilermaker
Structural Iron Worker
Metal Working Occupations
(N.E. C.)_. .
Auto Mechanic and Repairman
Occup. No. of
Group Appren-
Code tices
646
01
02
03
04
05 1
06
09 6
11 27
12 76
13 1
14 5
15 28
16 66
17
19 17
21 2
22 81
26 19
27 2
28
29
31 2
32
33 32
34 2
35
36
37 2
39 2
41 110
Occupation Group
Millwright
Railroad Mechanic and Repairman
Airplane Mechanic and Repairman
Mechanic and Repairman
(N.E.C.)
Compositor, Typesetter
ElectroTyper, Stereotyper
Lithographer __
Photoengraver __.
Pressman (Printing)
Printins, Publishing (N. E. C.).__.
Stationary Engineer
Hoistman, Craneman
Glazier
Miscellaneous Occupations
(N.E.C.)
Powerhouse Operator
Lineman
Meatcutter (Excluding
Slaughterhouse)
Nonmanufacturing (N. E. C.)
Baker
Loomfixer
Furrier _
Milliner
Dressmaker ^
Tailor
Cabinetmaker
Millman
Upholsterer
Shoe Repairman
Stonecutter
Optician, Lens Grinder
Painter (Not Construction)
Pattern Maker (Not Paper)
Manufacturing Occupations
(N.E.C.)
Occup.
Group
Code
No. of
Appren-tices
33
19
3
23
4
3
6
12
2
1
1
20
12
12
1
Biennial Report of The Department of Labor 53
BUREAU OF LABOR FOR THE DEAF
J. M. Vestal, Chief
Herewith I respectfully submit my twelfth biennial report, covering
the period from July 1, 1954 to June 30, 1956.
Section 7312 (j) of the Consolidated Statutes of North Carolina
refers to the creation of the Bureau of Labor for the Deaf by the
General Assembly in 1923. Information which may not appear herein
can be obtained in our previous reports.
The purposes of this Bureau are many and varied but the most
important aim is assisting the deaf to secure gainful employment in
which they become self-supporting citizens and repay the State for
having provided means by which they have been benefited educa-tionally,
morally and socially. Briefly speaking, this Bureau serves
as a clearing house for the deaf and their problems.
In carrying on its work, the Bureau continues to operate with
two employees—the Chief and his secretary. The duties required of
this Bureau are outlined in the law creating it, but new trades re-sulting
from mechanical changes have increased our load. Glancing
at present-day world conditions, one can readily see and understand
the essential role this Bureau must continue to play in its efforts to
help the deaf hold their line in this fast-stepping industrial world.
The size of the job of overcoming the many obstacles which con-tinue
to confront our group is increasing daily- The employing
public is becoming more and more safety-minded when it comes to
employment for the deaf. However, it is a tedious task to convince
employers that the deaf are already safety motivated and that they
only need to become acquainted with the safety rules, as must all
workers.
This Bureau creates no jobs but by virtue of its day-to-day work,
we have been able to keep informed on what has taken place in the
labor market, and consequently we try to move as the industrial world
moves. It has been, and continues to be, our job to place deaf em-ployees
where their productivity will be the most efficient. Results
of this are being shown in the increased acceptance of the deaf ap-plicants
by industry as a whole. We have been pleased to have em-ployers
inform us that our clients have made good workers and have
had records of absenteeism, tardiness and turn-over strikingly better
than other groups. However, in spite of this, preference usually will
be given to hearing applicants whose principal qualification, from
the employer's viewpoint, is that they are people of his own group.
54 Biennial Report of The Department of Labor
In holding back this tendency so that our deaf clients can be placed,
our Bureau continues to have a very difficult task to perform. Re-moved
barriers must be kept down and others which may come up
must be destroyed.
With this report, I am presenting a table showing that in the past
biennium the Bureau registered 60 applicants and placed 47 in jobs
of their choice. For various reasons, three were cancelled, leaving an
active file of 10 to be carried over to the next biennium.
At the close of the 1956 term of the School for the Deaf in
Morganton, we had 19 boys and 8 girls to register with us—a total
increase of 27 added to our July, 1956 file, so that we now have an
active file of 37 clients to be carried over to the next biennium. Some
of these applicants have unfortunate limitations which will make it
necessary for them to undergo special training and progress through
experimental stages. Six of the new applicants already have prospec-tive
employment, which we have found for them. The workmanship
of our clients and the small turnover have removed many of the
difficulties we once encountered, but we continue to be confronted
with new problems from time to time.
By request, I have spoken eighteen times during the past biennium
at various conventions, banquets and special occasions—both to the
deaf and hearing groups. To the deaf I dealt with labor problems
and matters not clear to them, and to the hearing groups I referred
to our program and gave information on matters about which they
inquired. My service, when requested, was also given as interpreter
in dealing with problems concerning the deaf, especially to those
deaf coming from other states and violating our State laws.
During the past biennium I made 82 official trips in this State,
covering 16,990 miles. Follow-up visits were made, checking to see
if the placements were satisfactory to both the employer and the
employee. Contacts and interviews with employers and supervisors
concerning the possibility of employing additional deaf clients were
made. Inquiries and discussions were brought up about new job open-ings
in which the deaf might be employed. My field work, as usual,
has played an invaluable role in the success we have had in placing
our applicants. Employers have displayed a very cordial attitude
towards our group and have given our clients employment when and
where conditions permitted. It can be repeated that our program
of educating and getting employers interested in our group continues
to bring gratifying results.
Biennial Report of The Department of Labor 55
With reference to the overall employment situation among our
deaf citizens, our file shows that on June 30, 1956, approximately 93
per cent of them had employment. In the manufacturing plants they
earned an average weekly wage of $53.88. In the printing trades our
linotype operators earned an average of |95.80 per week. This
includes operators on weekly and daily newspapers and commercial
job printing. Main types of employment for our men are: Linotype
operators, printers, carpenters, furniture factory employees, weavers
and cigarette factory employees. Average pay for men in manufactur-ing
plants, $71.08. Main types of employment for our women: Key
punch operators, typists and file clerks, loopers, seamers, knitters and
seamstresses. On a monthly basis, the women earned an average of
1198.70; on a weekly basis in manufacturing plants, an average of
$51.23.
From July 1, 1933 to June 30, 1956, ^ve find that this Bureau has
had 1,176 men and women to register with us seeking employment of
their choice. Of this number we have placed 982 in gainful employ-ment.
Deducting the number placed from the number registered,
we have a difference of 194, a majority of whom have married, left
the State, died or have been classified as unemployable. The pro-ductive
abilities in action of those placed and the taxes which they
have paid have brought additional wealth to the State. The harvest
has been greater than the planting.
Comparing the present employment of the deaf in North Carolina
with that of other states is difficult, since we do not have definite
information from other states. School publications and other periodi-cals
from other states coming regularly to us contain references to the
employment situation of their deaf which indicate that their per-centage
of employed runs from 76 to 83 per cent. No figures are
available as to the weekly or monthly wages. Besides State and Fed-eral
agencies, Minnesota has a setup very much like ours. Wisconsin
has the Service Bureau for the Deaf. Michigan has a Bureau for the
Deaf and Hard of Hearing. These agencies are headed by competent
deaf persons. On the eighth of this past June, upon invitation, I
spoke to the Indiana Association of the Deaf on our setup and its
functions. Plans have already been started by them to get a bill
through the Legislature creating a division patterned after ours.
Properly managed, better services are given by agencies which are of,
for, and by the deaf because of their familiarity with that particular
group.
56 Biennial Report of The Department of Labor
With reference to organizations and activities of the adult deaf
in our State, we have the North Carolina Association of the Deaf,
the North Carolina Sunday School Association of the Deaf, the North
Carolina School Alumni Association of the Deaf, and two divisions
of the National Fraternal Society of the Deaf—one located in Durham
and the other in Charlotte. These organizations, along with this
Bureau, are able to give beneficial services—either individually or
collectively. Without employment and financial means, our deaf
would not have had these progressive avenues of activities. They
naturally feel grateful for the opportunity of becoming self-support-ing
citizens instead of wards of the courts.
Here I should like to say that it is with profound gratitude that
we make note of the very fine cooperation which continues to come
to us from the North Carolina School for the Deaf in Morganton. As
the boys and girls leave school each year, they are referred to this
Bureau for placement in employment. On my field trips to the
vicinity of this school, I have made as many stop-overs there as pos-sible
in order to keep myself familiarized with each individual and
his or her problems. This has served its purpose well by enabling us
to match the applicants to jobs more effectively.
Our working relationship with the other State agencies—the Blind
Comission, the Social Security Commission, the Public Welfare De-partment,
the Department of Vocational Rehabilitation, and others,
continues to be very cordial and helpful. Much good for all con-cerned
has come from this cooperation.
As modern changes constantly develop in the personnel and job
requirements of industry, this Bureau must always be prepared
to meet the challenge in order to keep the deaf in pace with this fast-stepping
age. Mechanical devices, taking the place of manpower,
tend to create a surplus of available help. This fact will eventually
increase the complexity of our problems.
Much progress has been made in the services rendered by this
Bureau but when I visualize what confronts us in the future, I do not
foresee for our group a smooth road in the industrial field. The
challenge ahead will continue to drain heavily on our efforts and
means, but with hope and confidence we will strive to hang on to
the "old boat." We naturally are looking to the coming Legislature
for adequate provision so that we can meet the challenge and carry
on efficiently.
Biennial Report of The Department of Labor 57
TABLE 29
BUREAU OF LABOR FOR THE DEAF
1954-1956
Industry and Occupation Registered* Placed Cancelled*
Building and Construction
Carpenters 4 3
Clerical
Filing and Clerical 1 1
Typist-Clerk 2 1 1
Machine Operators Ill Clothing and Textile
Clipper 1 1
Knitter 8 6
Other
Further Education
School
College 2 2
Furniture and AV^oodwork
Cabinet Maker 3 1
Crater 1 1
Dry Cleaning
Pressing and Laundry 2 2
Hotel
Kitchen Help
Machinery Operator 6 4
Printing Trades
Proof Reader 2
Linotype Operator 7 7
Printer 2 2
Press Feeder 1 1
Photo Finisher
Professional
Teachers or Supervisors 2 2
Seamstress 5 5
Shoe Repairing 4 3
Watch Repairing 1 1
Lumber Company 1
Miscellaneous 4 3 1
TOTAL 60 47 3
*Includes those carried from last biennium.
Includes those who have married, died, left the state, etc.
***Includes those now on active file.
Actirt
Balance*
1
1
10
58 Biennial Report of The Department of Labor
TABLE 30
BUREAU OF LABOR FOR THE DEAF
summary
A glance at the summary of our report of activity from July 1, 1954 to June 30,
1956, shows the following:
Active
Registrations* Placements Cancellations** Balance***
Men 41 32 1 2
Women 19 15 2 8
TOTAL 60 47 3 10
Firm visits 221
Field interviews 761
Office interviews 96
Official trips made by the Chief 82
Miles traveled by the Chief 16,990
* Includes those carried over from last biennium.
* * Includes those who have married, died, left the state, etc.
* * * Includes those now on aaive file.
Biennial Report of The Department of Labor 59
INFORMATION SERVICE
Almon Barbour, Information Officer
Working in cooperation with all divisions of the Department of
Labor, the Information Service attempts to keep the public informed
of all significant developments in labor and industrial conditions with
which the Department is concerned.
The Service publicizes regularly the data on wages, hours, employ-ment
and building construction which are prepared by the Division
of Statistics. It promotes compliance with the State and Federal
labor statutes by publicizing important features of the laws and all
significant changes which are made in these statutes. It prepares for
publication the Department's official monthly bulletin. North Caro-lina
Labor and Industry, assists in preparation of Departmental
speeches, pamphlets, safety codes, and specialized promotional litera-ture,
edits the Biennial Report, makes photographs used in illustrat-ing
Departmental publications and feature articles, and answers re-quests
from the public for information about a variety of labor and
industrial matters.
The Service prepared and circulated approximately 300 news and
feature articles dealing with the various phases of the Department's
work during the 1954-56 biennium; prepared or edited radio scripts
and spot-announcements used on approximately 150 radio programs;
answered approximately 800 requests from the public for various
types of labor and industrial information; prepared approximately 35
speeches and special articles for trade magazines, industrial and labor
publications; made approximately 180 photographs; edited the Bien-nial
Report; made special studies of labor and industrial subjects for
Departmental use or at the request of press and radio representatives;
and performed miscellaneous research and inter-agency contact jobs.
The Service also wrote, edited, proofread, and otherwise prepared
for publication 24 monthly issues of North Carolina Labor and
Industry.
Productions of the Information Service continued to be used ex-tensively
by the State's press and radio, and by labor and management.
60 Biennial Report of The Department of Labor
DIVISION OF STATISTICS
William Strickland, Director
The industrial economy of North Carolina continued to expand and
develop in numerous ways during the 1954-56 biennium. Substantial
increases occurred in employment, hourly and weekly earnings of
workers, new industrial plant development, and building construction
in the State's principal cities. These changes are recorded in detail in
the tabulated statistical summaries which follow.
Compared with the preceding biennial period, total nonagricul-tural
employment in the State registered a gain of more than five per
cent during the 1954-56 period, rising from 980,500 in July, 1954 to
1,037,800 in June, 1956. This increase is consistent with the State's
long-term trend of general economic expansion which has been in
progress since the end. of World War II. An increase of more than
38 per cent has been recorded in total nonagricultural employment
in North Carolina during the ten-year period 1946-1956, in which
time the total job figure increased from 755,000 to 1,046,000.
Substantial increases occurred in the average hourly and weekly
earnings of Tar Heel factory workers during the biennium. Hourly
earnings gained more than nine per cent, rising from $1.25 in July,
1954 to $1.37 in June, 1956. The increase in weekly earnings was
even higher, due to the fact that the average factory workweek re-mained
upon a somewhat higher level than during the preceding
biennial period. Weekly earnings increased almost 14 per cent,
rising from $47.25 in July, 1954 to $53.84 in June, 1956.
Impressive gains likewise were recorded in the total volume of
building construction in the State's cities of more than 10,000 popu-lation
during the biennium. The total estimated cost of building
in these cities, as reported by municipal building inspectors, soared
to $298,200,793 during the 1954-56 biennium, for an increase of 24.4
per cent over the previous two years.
The building increase was well distributed throughout all types of
construction activity. New residential building, totaling $129,974,424,
showed an increase of 20.6 per cent. New non-residential building
in the cities, totaling $120,985,336, increased 28.3 per cent. Additions,
alterations and repairs to existing buildings, both residential and
non-residential, totaled $47,241,033, for an increase of 25.4 per cent
over the preceding two years.
In the residential building category, 15,583 new family dwelling
units were reported. This represented a gain of six per cent over
Biennial Report of The Department of Labor 61
the total of family dwelling units authorized in the cities during the
preceding two years.
One further indicator of the generally high economic level which
prevailed during the last two years is the number of employment
certificates which were issued to minors under 18 years of age. These
certificates were issued by County Superintendents of Public Welfare,
who serve as issuing agents for the Department of Labor with regard
to the employment of minors under 18 years of age.
A total of 46,868 employment certificates were issued during the
biennium. Although this represents a decrease of five per cent from
the 49,432 certificates issued during the 1952-54 biennium, the total
number of certificates issued was sufficiently high to indicate that
employment opportunities for minors were abundant.
The Division of Statistics continued during the biennium its
routine work of collecting, systematizing, tabulating and publishing
each month valuable data on employment, hours and earnings in
each of the principal industries of the State. The Division currently
receives regular monthly reports from a total of 2,695 business estab-lishments.
These reports form the basis of our detailed monthly
summaries. Emphasis is placed upon improving the quality of re-porting
by obtaining information from the more representative firms
in each industry.
By virtue of our arrangement with the Bureau of Labor Statistics
of the U. S. Department of Labor, the information on employment,
hours and earnings collected by this Division is also used by the
Federal agency, and several Federal statistical employees work in the
State office.
The Division of Statistics also tabulates the statistical information
reported by the Division of Standards and Inspections and the Divi-sion
of Apprenticeship Training, handles the duplication of all De-partmental
forms, form letters, bulletins, pamphlets and news releases,
and maintains extensive addressograph plate files for use in the De-partment's
mailing of bulletins and other materials.
The Division of Statistics during the 1954-56 biennium collected
the information which was used as the basis for the 1956 edition of
the A^orth Carolina Directory of Mamijactiiring Firms, which was
printed and released to the public immediately following the end of
the biennium. This 540-page industrial directory is much in demand,
both in and out of the State, and is extensively used by both buyers
and sellers of products manufactured in North Carolina and of
products used in the State's manufacturing industries. Each of the
62 Biennial Report of The Department of Labor
individual listings contains the name of a manufacturing firm, the
plant location, the firm's mailing address, the name of the principal
official in charge, and code references to the type of industry, county
in which located, and the approximate number of employees. The
Directory lists all manufacturing firms alphabetically, by type of in-dustry,
and geographically by county.
The Directory is published at four-year intervals. The present
volume is the fourth edition to be offered to the public, other editions
having been published in 1944, 1948, and 1952. At two-year intervals
in between the publishing of the Directory, a free, printed supplement
containing information about new firms is issued and is available
upon request to all purchasers of the regular Directory.
TABLE 31
TOTAL NUMBER OF CERTIFICATES ISSUED TO MINORS FOR SELECTED YEARS
BY TYPE OF CERTIFICATE AND BY SEX
Total All Certificates.
Boys
Girls
Minors 16 & 17 Years of Age.
Boys
First Regular
Reissued Regular
Vacation & Part-Time...
Girls...
First Regular
Reissued Regular
, Vacation & Part-Time...
Minors 14 & 15 Years of Age*.
Bovs
Girls
Minors 12 k 13 Years of Age*
Year
1955 1954 1953 1952 1951 1950
24,295 18,641 25,981 26,998 26,118 20,331
12,349 9,237 13,998 13,922 13,904 10,514
11,946 9,404 11,983 13,076 12,214 9,817
18,809 13,994 19,608 20,352 19,679 15,245
9,467 6,767 10,657 10,839 10,829 8,163
3,382 2,630 4,637 5,013 5,166 4,246
931 772 1,586 1,911 1,696 1,171
5,154 3,365 4,434 3,915 3,967 2,746
9,342 7,227 8,951 9,513 8,850 7,082
2,374 1,972 2,723 3,027 2,883 2,340
854 624 1,116 1,367 1,166 822
6,114 4,631 5,112 5,119 4,801 3,920
5,226 4,418 6,101 6,438 6,241 4,906
2,622 2,241 3,069 2,875 2,877 2,171
2,604 2,177 3,0.32 3,563 3,364 2,735
260 229 272 208 198 180
1949
16,204
7,970
8,234
11,721
5,749
2,782
871
2,096
5,972
2,018
765
3,189
4,306
2,044
2,262
*Minors 14 & 15 Years of Age all Part-Time & Vacation certificates
•*Minors 12 & 13 Years of Age all Par .-Time & Vacation certificates and all Boys
Biennial Report of The Department of Labor 63
TABLE 32
TOTAL NUMBER OF CERTIFICATES ISSUED TO MINORS 16 AND 17 YEARS OF AGE
FOR SELECTED YEARS BY EMPLOYING INDUSTRY AND BY TYPE OF CERTIFICATE
Year
1955 1954 1953 1952 1951 1950 1949
Grand Total . 18.809
5,368
2,977
2,037
940
840
1,551
13,036
2,653
1,220
1,433
919
9,464
405
126
125
1
26
253
13,994
3,706
2,234
1,595
639
620
852
10,030
2,263
933
1,330
872
6,895
258
105
102
3
21
132
19,608
7,140
4,196
3,226
970
1,438
1,506
12,087
3,005
1,256
1,749
1,220
7,862
381
159
155
4
44
178
20,352
7,608
4,582
3,545
1,037
1,698
1,328
12,317
3,261
1,276
1,985
1,523
7,533
427
197
192
5
57
173
19,679
6,797
4,219
3,371
848
1,334
1,244
12,357
3,608
1,576
2,032
1,459
7,290
525
222
219
3
69
234
15,245
5,707
3,727
3,016
711
1,034
946
9,292
2,750
1,121
1,629
928
5,614
246
109
109
31
106
11,721
3,839
2,598
1,750
Girls 848
684
557
7,703
2,125
955
Girls 1,170
935
4,643
179
77
77
Girls
17
85
TABLE 33
EMPLOYMENT CERTIFICATES ISSUED TO MINORS IN
SELECTED NORTH CAROLINA CITIES
July 1954—June 1956
Asheville Charlotte Durham Greensboro Winston-Salem
TOTAL ALL CERTIFICATES
By Sex
1,190
657
533
187
74
929
19
46
1,125
3,288
1,677
1,611
451
184
2,653
67
287
2,934
2,352
1,297
1,055
216
202
1,934
37
100
2,215
3,104
1,661
1,443
684
372
2,048
52
953
2,099
3,434
1,775
Girls 1,659
By Type Certificate
676
279
2,479
By Employing Industry
100
638
2,696
64 Biennial Report of The Department of Labor
TABLE 34
EMPLOYMENT CERTIFICATES ISSUED TO MINORS IN NORTH CAROLINA
BY COUNTY OF ISSUE
July, 1954—June, 1956
GRAND TOTAL
Alamance
Alexander
Alleghany
Anson
Ashe
Avery
Beaufort
Bertie.
Bladen
Brunswick
Buncombe
Burke.
Cabarrus. _
Caldwell
Camden _
Carteret
Caswell
Catawba
Chatham
Cherokee
Chowan
Clay
Cleveland
Columbus
Craven
Cumberland
Currituck
Dare.
Davidson
Davie
Duplin
Durham
Edgecombe
Forsyth
Franklin..
Gaston
Gates
Graham
Granville
Greene
Guilford
Halifax
Harnett
Haywood
Henderson..
Hertford
Hoke.. -.
Hyde
Iredell
Jackson
Johnston
Jones
Lee
Lenoir.
Lincoln
Macon
Madison..
Martin
McDowell
Mecklenburg
Mitchell
Montgomery
Moore
Nash
New Hanover
Total
46,868
1,308
96
65
179
52
16
277
47
122
10
1,223
730
1,080
766
6
254
19
1,512
182
74
116
2
485
232
399
1,251
39
1,342
152
146
2,513
192
3,530
151
1,957
1
53
247
18
4,980
406
260
244
296
101
96
4
896
48
286
2
453
497
213
30
20
340
3,276
78
213
271
263
1,215
16-17 Years of Age
First
Regular
Boys
6,398
273
24
1
11
1
25
2
14
2
106
234
376
149
2
13
4
342
17
1
170
13
9
77
4
358
49
6
132
17
242
7
511
1
16
1
762
13
37
11
56
8
4
230
4
24
37
43
50
2
63
201
14
70
34
10
60
Girls
,622
170
14
49
49
9
9
26
8
91
147
66
42
20
3
141
34
15
4
95
14
30
64
1
215
24
2
104
13
459
4
204
11
2
473
17
84
7
35
8
1
156
9
18
26
50
25
1
42
214
15
37
28
11
48
Reissued
Regular
Boys
1
2
1
5
1
40
64
46
40
10
92
2
23
3
2
27
146
5
1
129
4
106
102
3
485
2
1
1
7
2
22
5
16
14
7
1
3
86
1
4
1
1
9
Girls
1,572
86
1
2
3
1
9
35
45
21
13
8
54
3
2
12
6
18
38
74
2
87
6
185
53
5
1
276
10
10
1
26
3
10
15
4
5
98
1
9
4
16
Vacation and
Part-Time
Boys
9,935
219
24
2
28
3
1
55
14
30
3
336
26
206
160
1
54
3
364
29
24
23
39
48
87
283
10
152
31
27
531
57
896
49
422
25
40
3
1,164
75
35
53
75
13
28
1
107
15
57
2
74
65
33
17
7
89
1,078
4
32
51
50
223
Girls
11,511
261
10
5
39
28
2
76
6
27
351
26
262
136
60
4
276
35
13
45
43
54
89
368
5
237
10
50
790
37
884
46
337
24
73
7
1,247
135
48
62
63
16
22
1
124
9
123
119
136
52
3
5
104
978
20
15
39
113
3,56
14-15
Years of Age
Boys Girls
5,383
120
18
3
19
5
1
30
11
24
3
190
89
50
102
3
48
2
144
26
6
17
1
46
40
48
149
11
83
16
23
413
19
586
21
167
3
41
2
302
43
24
59
38
28
9
2
115
7
38
44
37
27
8
2
25
297
4
15
33
36
211
5,076
81
4
1
29
5
3
49
14
17
1
65
99
52
75
41
3
99
36
7
17
57
54
116
200
8
76
15
37
167
39
162
24
161
1
51
2
271
111
21
51
21
28
30
115
4
18
127
136
15
1
3
9
324
19
39
72
38
148
12-13
Years
of Age
Biennial Report of The Department of Labor 65
Total
16-17 Years of Age
12-13
First
Regular
Reissued
Regular
Vacation and
Part-Time
14-15
Years of Age
Y'ears
of Age
Boys Girls Boys Girls Boys Girls Boys Girls Boys
Northampton
Onslow
Orange
31
207
162
66
346
50
51
229
318
49
953
557
455
753
702
388
199
321
508
23
795
90
103
10
343
296
1,822
123
76
93
639
342
378
34
24
2
11
15
4
40
4
67
24
15
180
141
13
107
117
44
2
44
82
5
74
3
6
70