Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-01-03

uNe uuuGr~I oNrVN W SSu tuWHs taNiHk
taxable valas Of es.soo, That the mum
her 10 large 10 easily explained from thu
fact that tho asscssoss Of the town hal
each ai6esant idea Of the meaning Of ths
word abandoned. This 10 clearly showr
from the explanatory notes" puelished il
connection with the tabular reports, many
Of the assessors sayiug that the farms q
reported are not abandoned" In the true
sense. These notes or statements from
town oflscsrs form one Of the moot interest
ing portions Of the report, a. they relate d
the real conditions Of these farm,
and offer some suggestions for thcil
improvement. Refefiag readers TO the
full report--which ~ill he ready for aistri
button In few dsys-for particulars. ",
must content ourselves In presenting thi'
abstract, with . single extract upon each o.
the above named headings. Upon the iirs
the Assessofs OF an Oxford county town say
.'of the eight farms which we have reported
~ abandoned, some are used - pastures
and some kept for hay. while others have
been divided and are owned by more thar
one psrson aad become par, Of their hams
f,lrms. The land is good and there are
reasonably good roads 10 oil Of them, and
all are within . radius of about two miles
There is plenty Of wood and timber and ,hi,
would be q good chance for . smAll colony
TO locate. The land 10 In good eoaditien te
commence farming as once, taxes reasona'
bile, good school and church quite near
question: town officer In Hancock eouaty
writes II thlnk II these abandoned farms
could be settled by Ssedes II would be 4
good thing for the State. Six or seven Of
them have taken farms in Holden, adj oin.
ing Us. and are doing well. have visited
every town in eastern Maine once or twice
each year during the past seven years. and
what | have seen of New Sweden and vi.
cinity. AM of the opinion that the effort
made to settle that town with S~edes was
one OF the very best things ever done for
this State"
ssrtLss-Their Cause and Rssuls..
Division Third 10 devoted to an examina-
ton of the cases OF strikes occurring among
workmen. aud their results. These were
more general among granite workers. quar-.
rymen and paving cutters than among any
other classes of operatives. the causes lead
ing to them being brought about by n gen.
ersl movement among the members OF the
Granite Cutters National Union TO establish
nine hours for full days work for tive
days In the week. and eight hours IN Satnr-
days. BY vote OF the Union taken in
Novembc-. 1889. il was decided that on and
after Msy lst. 1890, nine hours should con
stiiute full days work. for the first five
days of the week, aud eight hours
on Saturdays. Contractors were notified
of this action of the Union. and y mass
convention Of New England granite con
tractors was held at Boston. Feb. l, 1890.
which resulted in the adoption Of two votes,
viz. First, That all pay for work after
May Ist, shall Ne by the hour or piece
second, THAT no increase OF price 10 ius,i'
fed in the present state Of the business. -
The result was that quarrymep, granite
cutters and paving cutters at the several
Maine quarries. members OF the Union,
"struck" on April /, lson. Particulars re-
eardng each of the disturbances are given
with considerable minutenes. II il true
the strike Was temporary, bat Its ehects
were iujurious. The uncertainty OF the re-
suit or the agitation, without doubt, kept
many Of the contractors from taking work
In the spring that might otherwise have
been secured. Not more than half the
number Of granite cutters have been EN-
pioyed thst were in 1889 but this 10 not holly
attributable to the labor disputes. The
granite business. like many others. has its
busy seasons and Its dull ones. The year
1889 was very busy one in all branches
OF the business, and almost every qustry
in the State was in operation. Many Of
the contracts ths, were being done then
have been completed. and the business
thus lessened for the time. To the al
vance in freights, caused by the demand
for vessels to carry ice through the spring
and summer OF 1890, may. ina great
measure. be attributed the falling of In
the production OF paving. The advance
asked for by the paving cutters where il
was asked, did not exceed on an average,
81 90 per thousand blocks, while the 81
vance in ffeisb-s was from 81 90 TO IS 0o per
thousand, so that TO the advance In freight
more than to the advance asked for by the
men, should be charged the decrease in the
paving business during the past year. The
result Of this agitation among the granite
workers IL apparently TO their advantage
All Of the cutters and paving makers and
many Of the qusrrymen are established OF
the nine hour day, with eight hours on Sat
urdays. their demands, so far as they
applied 10 the hours, being generally
acceded to.
Strikes occurred during the year In the
shoe factories at Springvsle aud Freeport, the
latter being Of the larger proportions. Thi'
strike took place In the factory Of A. W.
Shaw, g. Co.. Dec. II. 1889, and resulted
in the closing Of the came, as the proposi-
tons for settlement made by the operatis es
were declined by the managers Of the fact
oYy. Number of employees previous n
strike, males, 1i3; females, 81. Numbe,
engaged in strike. males, SO; females, 20
The managers claim that "thls is one oi
the few expensive and Costly strikes where
all parties are satisfied with tht
result" They esiimst the total loss result,
ing TO the employer and the employed, a.
from go 000 to s2t 900. and say that Il
took from the town and ii. citizens dorinl
the year, about 1000 or $50 900. whicl
would have been earned by the citizens hat
the strike not occurred This went TO Mas
achuset,s and Ner Hampshire. A s,rik'
was ordered 10 the Portland factory o.
Shsv, Cooling e Co, in support Of tn,
strike at Freeport. but all returned to work
withou; making demands, the day after.
A few strikes, mostly Of short duration
and without special sigDifeanse, are re
ported.
The report Of Deputy Commissioner. l..
X. Campbell occupies Division -Four. /
is devoted TO the ten-bour law; precsution
against accidents in mills; fire escapes
child labor and factory inspection
Suggestions for some changes ia on
present laws upon these heads are given
enforcing Recommendation in prsEiou'
reports. A paper on the Restriction OF th'
Hours Of Labor in Factories snd Work
shops" read by Mr.. Campbell before sh'
Convention Of Factory inspectors at Ney
YORK, in August last, il published in full.
An appendix embraces the labor laws o
Maine Of present in force. with The fui
tsxt Of the Mssssohusetss Law establi,hip.
the Australian ballot system. snd an ar
relative TO the printing and distributing oi
ballots at the public expense. Some table
Of statistics relating 10 cotton, silk sBJ
woolsn mills, and shipping, are nsxt slven
Total number Of cotton spindles In Maine
in 1890, s5fi $50; increase since 1880, 2l9.
324; number Of silk spindies, Is 900; nun
bsr Of sets Of woolen cords. 317; tonnage
Of shipping owned in Maine in 1890, s03.
SG3, These statistics close this interesting
aed yalusbl. State document.
Newton 70 be Tried fog Vloisti0,