The Portland daily press., 1889-01-08
MAINE WORKERS AND THEIR AFFAIRS.
Second Annual Report of Labor Com
missioner Mathews.
Child Labor In the Mills and the Ten
Hour Law.
What the Worklngmen Themselves
Have to Say.

| helerrlng TO the law TO compel children u
go to school so as to give them better op
portunity to acquire at least the rudiments o.
an education. the Commissioner says that
one of the things that retard the enforce
| ment of such a law, is the efforts of the par
ents to get their children at work in factor
| les, who will falsify as to their age. HI
recommends that the State shall be more
| strict as to registering births. Referring t
the law against child labor the COMMISSIONS
says:
| have given my best efforts in the enforce
ment OF this section; and. although it may
not have accomplished as much as might bt
| wished have received many words of com
| mendati0n of its workings from superin,
tendents, teachers of schools, and employers
in mills, in towns and cities where children
| are employed.
| When children in great many cases are
sent out of the mills to attend school, they
| play truant in the streets. We often heal
the argument that the factory is a better
place for the child than running the streets
II children play truant and run the streets
| the town authorities are somewhat to blame
| as well as the poor, ignorant.parents.
Manufacturers claim, in some cases, that
| when they send children out 20 go to school,
| they will get certificates that they are old
| enough TO clear the school law, and make APP
| plication for employment in other mills. To
| prevent this as far as possible the manufac
| turers in Lewiston when they send out a
child send notice to all other manufacturers
| in Lewiston.
| In the last few years there has been won
| derful improvement in those things that give
| comfort and health to the homes, work shops
| and places of business The intelligent EN-.
| ployer has learned that it pays well to have
| his factory well lighted. ventilated, warmed
| and kept in P tidy cOnditi On. have visited a
number of the best regulated mills in Massa-
chusetts, and | can frankly and gladly say
that, as whole, the mills in Maine compare
fayorably with the mills in Massachusetts,
in their sanitary conditions, and in other re-
spects that give comfort TO the employees.
But am sorry to say there are number of
mills and work shops in our State which ale
in poor sanitary condition, poorly ventilat-
ed, and in number OF cases the water clos
means for flushing the bowls are not ade-
Quate.
DANGERS TO BE AVOIDED.
The Commissioner refers to the general
neglect to observe the law requiring that the
doors of buildings used as factories and for
other purposes where large numbers of pe0-
pie are in the buildings, shall open outward.
He finds neglect to observe the law respecting
fire escapes. Cases Of accidents have also
been reported to him, caused by the cleaning
of machinery while in motion. He accord
ingly suggests that no child under the age of
IA years be permitted to clean any part of
the machinery in any factory while such
part is in motion by the aid of steam, water
or any other mechanical powers.
THE TEN HOUR LAW.
Referring to the ten-hour law. the Deputy
Labor Commissioner says that the ten-hour
law, or sixty hours per week, forlminors and
women is, at this writing generally observed
in factories and workshops where they are
employed. | have made it my duty, says he,
to interview number of manufacturers and
a great number OF employees. and IL is the
general opinion among them that the ten
hour law is a benefit to all concerned, finan
cially, socially and physically; of course
there are those who believe that the working
time should not be limited by law; among
those persons are some women piece-work-
ers; now and then you find manufacturer.
A superintendent Of paper box factory.
said: 81 shall never like this ten-hour law.
l think the child labor law a good one but
the women in my shop want to work at
times more than ten hours a day, as they
work at piece-work. Notwithstanding
what is known as the labor law" was
passed more especially to benefit women and
children, / have had in the past year, great
deal of difficulty in keeping women piece
workers from violating the sixty-hour clause.
When found violation of the above law,
L called the attention of the help to the
hours required by the time table. When
notified the agent of the violations, he either
claimed that he gave strict orders to all over
seers and persons in his employ TO work
strictly by the time table, or he claimed that
he was working oD the sixty-hour clause
found in part of section first of this law,
which is as follows: Provided, however,
any female of eighteen years of age or over,
may lawfully contract for such labor for a
number of hours in excess of 10 hours today,
not exceeding six hours in any one week or
go hours in any one year, receiving addition
al compensation therefor" | have found
women at work in few mills at noontime
10 minutes before starting time, with notice
.l.t ltwx.x~ w..l. 81 49,
doubt that the power was run for the pur-
pose of allowing such extra work, but in no
case did / find the superintendent, overseer,
or agent present at the time. After years
trial and investigation, your deputy commits
missioner is of the opinion that the extra 60
hour clause should be struck out of the law,
as it furnishes to the piece workers and man
ufacturers a chance to violate the law, and
when caught at work loi ger than the time
table gives, they fall back on the excuse: 81
am working on my extra 60 hours" Now
that the law may be carried out
more effectually, your deputy commits
sioner would recommend a law be
passed whereby in every manufacturing or
mechanical establishment, a certain number
of minutes be allowed to start their power
before the time desis in their time ta-
BILE. | would suggest five to six minutes be
the maximum time allowed by law to start
and regulate the machinery in all manufac-
turing or mechanical establishments where
the time stated on the time table. Now this
arrangement would be just if there were no
other parties concerned than manufacturers
themselves, on the ground that competition
in the same lines is so sharp that an advan-
tage of few minutes daily would give to
manufacturer great advantage to his year
ly production. The public, and the manu-
facturer as well, demand that the law shall
be justly and fairly executed
Although the law prohibiting the employ
mt nf oh m Or fxun Iva nf nm
has been in force in this State not quite
year, the benefits resulting are seen in every
manufacturing city and village in our State.
1t has given us great deaf of pleasure, In
tho enforcement of this law to fiud that the
public are in full and hearty accord with the
law; also agents and overseers in mills have
told me at first the law caused them great
deal of trouble, but that when it got regu-
lated it would work well, and that they were
in favor of its enforcement. 1t has taken a
number of generations to get public opinion
up to its present state in regard to the en-
ployment of small children in our manufac-
tories. That it has not obtained that full
measure of attention which its great import
ance merits, will not be questioned by any
one who has had experience in its enforce
ment.
The Deputy Commissioner favors free text
books, something similar to the system
adopted in Massachusetts.
THE woRKINGMEN.
Inc worklngmenS S returns ana the taDieS
connected furnish an interesting portion of
the report. The blank form used for dis
tribution contained 27 ques estions, and invited
views and suggestions ON matters of interest
to wage workers. The recapitulation is as
follows
ANALYSIS.
Number of reports 11S
N tive born. n.......................... S...... SO
Foreign born 70
Assisted by their families. es................... 81
Owning homes. Observation-Disclosures. 43
Homes mOrtgaged ..............,........,..,1 IL