Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-12-10

ecretary OF States Annual Statfsttea
Report.

Inc annual review Of the industries of
MAINE prepared by the Secretary of State. is
larger than usual, this year, and contains sew
, elai ne" ieatures-notably history of the
iaoor troubles IN the State during the year. a
inscription OF the laws of other states reyu.
ia'ine iaoor, an account of cooperation and
Plont-sharing In Maine and other states. a
history of our railroads and a sketch of our
summer resorts.
Looking back over the history of Maine in.
hustries, the Secretary of State saws il ..ha.
been an altogether prosperous wear for tba
State. In the spring general business started
wen out the succeeding labor troubles in diff
iercnt parts OF the country were felt bv sew
eral OF the Industries of Maine, and the de.
preston thus caused was further argumented
oV TABOR troubles in different localities within
our own boundaries. The lumber business
was quite seriously affected along the Kenne-
Dec river on account of the loss of contracts
TOT building materials in Boston, New York.
ana elsewhere. occasi0ned Dy the labor diff
culties IN those localities and the wear has
seen considerable less amour, of money
distributed by lumber manufacturers than
was expected, woul1 be the case early in the
spring What Il true along the Kennebec is
also rue on the Penobscot, although to less
degree"
The Granite Business
has also been seriously AFT cited by the same
cause The loss Of building contracts in
large cities, owing to these disturbances. has
greatly reduced operations. Il is estimated
that an average of At least a million dollars
per year has been Distributed in Maine dur
ing the past decade bv grant, companies en-
gagged on WORK for private and public build
lngs In different parts of the country. DGr.
ing the past year the absence of contracts has
prevented the distribution of only one-half
the above amount. Several large contracts
r granite paving have been secured by
different companies in the State. and several
quarries have therefore had a very prosperous
year on that kind of work This is a ousi-
mess that has been annually increasing for
several years. The shoe business has
suffered. The ship-building industry has
been in depressed condition. But the
bright spot in all the darkness seen by the
Secretary of State, is the report from nearly
all the leading industries of the State, OF an
Increase of Wages
of about ten per cent.
Speaking of the ten-hour movement, the
Secretary saws it has made considerable pro-
gress in the State during the year. "No cot
ton factories have made any change in the
HuRtii VI udy WOEk, Uut lhERe HuWDeE
of wooden manufacturers have done so, and
from present appearances there will hardly
be n wooden mill in the State. a year from
now, that will require more than ten hours
for a days work Thus reduction of the
hours of labor has not been followed by any
reduction in the wages paid employees. SO that
the advantage gained BY the movement has
been in favor of the laboring.'
The Secretary thinks the fact ''that manu-
facturers are becoming more awake to the
needs of their employees, is evidenced by the
action of the York Manufacturing Co. of
Saco, and the Sanford Mills of Sanford, in
establishing and supporting private schools
for the education of the children employed in
their mills. The laws of the STATE provide
that children shall not be employed in manu-
featuring est ,blishments without they have
attended school certain number of weeks
during the year. The law is difficult of en-
forcemtnt and too often manufacturers are
innocent violators of its provisions The
method adopted by these two corporations
will enable them to retain their regular EN-
plnyes, and yet compel them to observe the
law to their own personal advantage and the
general good of the State"
The first chapter of the report is devoted TO
Agriculture.
The statistics of the United States census are
cited to show the increase in farms and their
value in Maine. The changes IN the various
products since 1850, and the average yield
per acre of crops, are shown by the SAINT
census report no new data being obtanable
by the Secretary, his last material being the
census of 1880. There is nothing new in this
part of the report According to the tenth
census, the average cash value of farm pro-
duets per acre i. higher in Maine than in any
Il
number Of the Western States which have
been extensively advertised rs offering the
greatest inducement to emigrants, prices are
only about one-thIrd as high as in Maine,
necessitating the raising of three times as
large crops to obtain the same amount of
money. With the exception OF hay the aver
age per acre is higher in Maine than in the
Western States.
Butter and Cheese Factories.
An account OF the dairying operations of the
State for the year is given. The following