Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1874-01-23

INDUSTRIAL STA TISTICS OF MAINE. |


INDUSTRIAL STATISTICS OF MAINE.
The abstract Of the report of the State
Statistician which we publish in other col
umns this morning, will be scanned by our
readers with great interest. 1t contains
such an exhibit Of the wealth and indus
try of our State as was never published
before, being the result of the first at
tempt by the State to gather and put in
shape for dissemination and preservation
statistics of its industries and annual pro-
ducts.
In looking over the facts presented the
first thought will be, that our industries
are greatly diversified, and the capabilities
of the State wonderfully numerous. The
enumeration in detail OF the various kinds
of manufactures which are carried on in
the State would make formidable list,
comprising those in cotton, lumber, iron,
wool, leather, paper, granite, lime, and
slate, in all forms, down to canned corn
and CLANS and the rendering of porgy
chum into shape for fertilzing uses. The
advantage of such a variety of industries
will be appreciated by every intelligent
reader. A State whose people depend
upon single employment for support is
subject to distress if employment fails,
whether it be tilling tho soil, spinning cot
ton, or going down to the sea in ships.
But State that has so many kinds of in
dustry as Maine is seldom without some
resource among them all to compensate for
the failure Of one branch of business or
several. If the crops fail, the mills and
shops or the fisheries do not; if the cotton
factories suspend, the logging camps may
be kept in operation; and so by this lavish
diversity Of employment there is some-
thing that our people can turn their hands
to for livelihood. This was one reason
probably why the late financial panic was
felt so little in Maine. 1t is also the rea-
son why our people generally are in com
Portable circumstances, though large pri-
vate fortunes are not common.
What the increase in our industries and
products were the last year Of course the
Commissioner is unable to tell, having no
records Of the previous year with which
to make comparison, and so he has to go
back to the census of 1870, or to such
other reliable source of information as he
can find in order to make his estimates.
By continuing his work from year to year
this difficulty will be removed.
We find that the making of cotton goods
takes the lead in our manufactures, en-
ploying more capital and greater num-
Der of hands than any other. Our growth
in that direction since 1860 has been 106
per cent. since 1870. 20 per cent. so that
we now rank among the leading States in
the manufacture of cotton. Our lumber
manufacture ranks next to that of cotton.
Although this must decrease gradually it
is yet one of our most important resources
and will be for many years to come.
Shipbuilding the past year has produced
luC dliC VI IlOlC tubu llNC uOlltlS
worth of vessels. In the making of boots
and shoes we are doing very fair busi-
ness, but as yet outside of Auburn there
are few places where the manufacture can
be said to be thoroughly and proftably es-
tablished. Many new factories have been
started, some of which arc in successful
operation, but they will need time and
perseverance to develop complete and sat
isfactory results. No doubt this business
is destined to be very large and successful
in this State. The leather product is
large. In the manufacture of wooden
goods we have considerable capital and
quite number of hands employed, turn
ing out articles of various kinds Brick,
canned products, edge tools, fertilizers.
fisheries, grst mill products, works in
iron, the making and casting OF machinery,
the production of oil, oil floor cloth, print
ing and wrapping paper, mining and quar-
rying, all these and others OF our produc-
tions are taken mp in the report and their
value stated.
We have in various manufacturing in
dustrics Il capital employed Of $4s, ,Sos, ,44s,
according to the Commissioners figures,
but this he thinks is below the actual
amount. We have 1861 mechanical and
manufacturing industries, with 6072 es-
Establishments, employing 55.6l4 hands.
men, women and children, whose average
earnings per week are, males l1,40;
females S6,3l; board not included. This
makes quite an array of operatives, all OF
whom are the patrons of the butcher,
grocer, dry goods dealer and farmer.
The agricultural returns are not so COM
plete as is desirable, but they are enough
to show the extent and Importance of our
farming interest, and in what directions
the most profit is found. The hay crop is
the most valuable of our farm products,
amounting in 1878 it is estimated to s25,-
0s7 800, sum larger than the products OF
several of our leading manufacturing in
dustries added together. The facts in re-