1893 - State Library Information Center

INTRODUCTION.xxiiisummary of the returns from 3,877 individual working womenand girls regarding their work and wages is given. This chapteron woman's work and wages forms the most important in thisvolume—questious which, for two generations, have been theserioiiB concern of every country of any industrial development.The usual tabulations of statistics from our co-operative buildingand loan associations, as required under the legislation of1890, ate published in Part V. lieports have been received fromall except two local associations. But in several instances thesecretaries of these associations have exhibited a decided disinclinationto furnish their statements to the Bureau, and a considerableproportion of the returns were not verified. Generally,however, our association officials willingly report all the requiredinformation, notwithstanding-no extra compensation is obtainedfor this extra work. These data, summarized and in detail for1893 below, show the increased prosperity of this successful cooperativemovement, although the rate of increase, for well-knowncauses, has not been as great as that of the years immediatelypreceding. The 297 associations, known to have been in activeoperation in the fall of 1893, had 93,889 shareholders, owning634,163 shares, valued at $38,836,487. All but a fraction of thetotal gross resources, which exceeded these net assets by $1,989,-025, was loaned to borrowing stockholders, who aggregated22,910, and owned 173,767 shares pledged for their loans.In the appendix to Part V., extracts from the more importantpapers read before the State league of building and loan associationsare reproduced ; also the opinions of the Courts of Chanceryand of Errors and Appeals in the case of the Lincoln Associationof Jersey City v, Bowen, on the questions of interest and fines.Attention also is directed to the brief outline ot what appears to bethe most practicable plan of providing for payment of maturingshares, by Hon. Seymour Dexter, author of one of the standardworks on building and loan associations.No court decisions on questions affecting the interests of wageearnershave been reported duriug the year in this State. Thecurrent labor legislation, which is not extensive, and the lawsgoverning building associations in New Jersey, are given in theconcluding parts of the present report.