Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1867-11-29
The wInoOski WOODEN Mills.

EcoSD REPORT OF THE CovNiTTEE on TIE tn
HOUR BILL
The adage that " one story is good til
another Is told" was never better illus rated
than before the General Committee Of the
House, at Montpelier last week. Our read
ers know that Mr.. MeGregor, town repre-
sontauon Of Colchester. was elected by the
Workingmen's Union, and went to Montpe-
lier TO procure the passage Of law by
which ten hours should be made the legal
limit Of a days work lie accordingly in
traduced a bill TO that eject, backed it up
by petitions from the Unions in several
towns, and went before the Committee to
whom IL was referred, with statement of
the grievances which called for such a rene
dy lie aycrrcd that the Wiuooski Wooden
Mil Company worked It's COO hands for
teen hours a day that the operatives had
asked repeatedly for shorter hours and had
been fused; that their pay was too small,
and that from seyenty-fye 10 one hundred Of
them were under twelve years OF age. These
and o-Ler s,ill r.ugher statements, made by
tire momter from Colchester, made some I'M
preston on the committee, and they reported
in substance that they found no cali for such
law. anless M the case OF the Wino5ski
Mi. Comg ny, and further Fec',ed the al
legations made before them in regard to that
tao orr. The appearance Of this report in
the Legislative Proceedings, called the at.
tantion of Nr. Kennedy, the supcriuteni-
ent Of the Mills, to the matter, and IN due
time the committee had an opportunity to
hear the other side Of the story. The re-
suit of this Investigation was a second Re
port from the committee, as follows:
SECOND REPORT.
The general committee, to whom was
referred u. Us, regulating the hours Of Ia
Dor. report rs follows
That they have a second time had said
bill under consideration, and find that the
statement of facts a. set forth in a former
report Of the committee in relation to the /
Winooski Wooden Factory located in Col |
chester, are not sustained. At the meeting I
of committee, when the ball was first CON /
sidered, the member Of this House from the /
town OF Colchester appeared and il was
from his statement that the committee Oh
'gired what APPEARS IN their report r lajing
70 tie Winocski Mil, emitting some Of his
harsher statements and. putting the others
IN their mildest form. No other person then
appeared before Us from the town OF Colohes-
ter Or from any o.her place, who claimed to
have any knowledge of the facts vt the
second meeting Of the committee, F. c Ken
needy, the Superintendent of that mill, and
oT other gentlemen, citizens Of Colches-
Ter. appeared before the committee, and
ieverally, under oath, testified in relation to
he Nlnooski Mill, and the management Of
lie same and also as 20 the condition Of
he operatives. From their testimony 1t ap-
poaTed that the mil Is owned by a COMPANY
n Boston that the property, including the
MIL and machinery, l. valued at $500 600
mi that there are about 500 operatives IN
md about the business Of the mill that
bout 30 per cent. OF these operatives are
dult males, about 10 per cent. adult fe-
males, and that there are none under l2J
iears Of age. and that there are but two IN
Ter - years Of age. Ii also appeared from
he testimony OF these witnesses that II
i0urs work per day has been the established
Glc' and that NJ complaint by the opera
ives mad ever been made to the present
who has held that position.
1 being oyeT-worked OF working too many
ours in day; that five eighths Of the work
as bcen piece wOrk-the remainder has been
work by the day or By the month that the
ay has been equal to that IN the mills At
lawrence, and other -, tee. and that the
IeIa;ivcs, by the expense OF living being
-, have been able TO save more that the Z
peratives have been generally healthy. have '
ccumulated property and are happy and
and that the mill is in flourish
~ condition From the testimony OF these E
entlemen, We are bound to believe that. in C
slation 10 the Winooski mill. these are tie
lets.
On the lat hearing. when the above ties
mony was taken, tie member from Colches- Il
II was present lac declined to interrogate ,