Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-01-03
LABOR BUREAU.
Fourth Annual Report Of Com.
missioner nittheIs.
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3HU Et6uAvS W aSAHS~asaAs
IN Aline.
Valuable Iasosmaxiou nsGesdinG
otrtksA Their Causes and RssuitA
The Fourth Annual Report ef Hon. S.w.
Matthews, State Commissioner Of Labor and
Industrial Statistics vas given to the public
today. nis . volume Of sss pAges. the
contents Of which are systematically
arranged and the report 10 one of the beat
made up and neates, printed documents ever
| published in the State. The matter il
arranged in i've pArs |, Agriculture; III,
Abandoned Farms; Ill, Strikes--tneir
causes and resultsi ", Repor, Of the Dep
uty Commissioner; V. Appendix.
Si1iy-seven pages are devoted to table,
and deductions thetefrom. pertaining to the
condition OF farmers aud farming through
cut the State. Considering the fact thst
farmers like other business men are some
what avene to making public their anairs.
and ,hA, there 10 no requirement compelling
them to make returns, the showing 10 very
creditable; and the interesting facts obtain
ed from the returns show how important
and valuable such woaid become could
they have been larger in volume, and en-
hrAced wider area of the territory OF the
State The points covered in the blanks
Of inquiry sent out were many and per.
tanned to the whole rural economy of the
State. They were bssed upon the census
blanks and upon blanks sen: out by Mass.
achusetts and other states where similar in.
euiries have been undertaken by state
authority. These points embraced the
number and value Of the stock of the farms.
farm equipment, amount OF receipts from all
sources, value Of implements made yearly.
cost of maintaining family, capital invested
and other matters. Three hundred and
seventy -four reports were received. the
number from the different counties being ~
follows; Androscogsin. 2; Aroostook, %
Franklin. 10; Hancock, IL; Kennebee. 4;
Lincoln, rs; Oxford. 20; Penobseot, Gs
Piscstsqais, ! SagAdahoc Sonerset35
Waldo, ~; Washington, II. The general
results obtained may be shown
briefly by the summary given here
with Number of farms returned, $40; to-
tai value Of farm. including buildings. 81,
03s .425. 90; average value Of farms. in
cluding buildings, 81, SOC SO +; average acres
in each farm, 1874; average value per acre.
including farm buildings, Si5.25; total
number of cows kept. sG5; average mum
Der of cows on each farm, 3 average re
ceipts per COW. $50 &C; number of fsrme
making profits, IS, number Of farms show
ing loss. $40; number of farms showing
neither gain nor Ioss. 2; average profit of
fsrms showing gains, S233 30; average loss
Of farms showing loss. $40 5s; number Of
farms growing more productive, 2s0 num-
Der Of farms growing less productive. Al
number of farms holding their own, 40;
average weekly wages paid permanent help,
~ IS; average weekly wages paid tran
sient help, SO 81; number Of farms mort
gagged. Ga total value of farms mortgsged,
S2O5, 80; total amount OF mortgages. So,
900; average rate of interest on mortgages,
OG72; number Of mortgsged farms Weld
ing profits, Al; number Of mortRaged farms
showing losses, II. Not including cost Of
living rs expense, the number of farms
showing gain, 2Sl; number Of farms show
ing loss, So; number Of farms showinq
neither gain nor loss. L. average profit Of
farms showing gain, 1921 Ga; average less
Of farms showing loss, sl4l,Gl.
The general remarks of farmers which
follow these tables, in . dozen pages or 90,
are of very great interest and significance
as showing the real cot di,ion Of agriculture
throughout the State. They are all good
reading and We regret not to be able to
T. g.c. Al aha,.
the actual state of affairs from the farmers
point OF view, and have local color to them
which gives them value. In General they
are encouraging and satisfactory. Ofcourse
a favorable or unfavorable season has much
to DO with the profits of the farm. But far
mers pay their bills, educate their children
live well and IL they attend to busine.s are
sure to be independent. This means = good
deal A summsry of these entire re-
turns is well illustrated by the statement
offs farmer In Waldo county who says:
''My farm paid very we'll last year; the
apple crop was good and prices were good.
potatoes and beans paid we'll. butter and
hay low, and stock was down. On the
whole, by keeping ont Of debt and attend
ing to business and looking out for every
thing. farming pays on some places here,
employed in something else but there is no
occupation in which q person can stay 90
long and lounge around and do nothing and
seem to live and keep mp appearances as
staying on a farm
Following this portion Of the report
comes very readable and valuable article
on the Agriculture of Aroostook County
from the pen of Hon. Edward Wiggin,
descriptive and statistical, which abounds
in good writing and shows the present agri-
cultural status of this iine section Of Maine.
Portions Of the address Of Hon. Vim.
Freeman read at the session of the
National Farmers Congress a. Council
Bluffs. Iowa, is mex. given. This has
already appeared in full ia our columns
Abandoned Farms.
Instructions and blanks for the purpose
of obtaining the number aud value OF the
so ermed abandoned farms" Of the State
are sent TO the assessors Of the 100 cities.
town. and plantations in the State. from
whom 491 returns, more or less complete
we're rsceived-thus leaving but six towns
and sir plantations unreported. II is true
/ tha, from many towns very incomplete
answers were received, but the results are
given in full tabular form. and they are
accompanied by several pages Of expIana-
tory notes and observa,ions. The number
/ Of sbandoned farms reported aggregate
1918, or an average Of abou. six and two
thirds per town. There are 3i3 returns
which report one or more abandoned farms
while i84 report none.
The average number Of abandoned farms
per town varies materially 10 the different
counties. In round numbers ii sbo-s up
a. follows: Apdroscoggin, 8 AYoostook.
2; Cumberland 8; FrarkIin, "A Hancock,
2; Kennsbec, s.; Knox. 4; Lincoln, : !;
Oxford. u; Penobscos. 4 +; Piscs'squis. II /;
| sasajahoc, IL; Somerset, &. Wsido. u;
Washington. 6; ard York, u. Based On
the number Of farms in each county -
reported by the census Of iss1, the per
ceutsse Of abandoned farms 70 the whole
number uouid be By counties ss follows !:
| Audroseogxip. .034: Aroostook, O2G; Cum-
berland. .el3; Frsnxiin, .I34 Hancock,
| .0Is Kennsbec, 029 Knox, .022: Lincoln.
| .D46; Oxford, 1922; Penobscot. .0S7; Pis-
cstsquis. I'LL; Ssgsdahoc. .o10; Somerset.
| 0G2; wsl3o, 0i4; Washington, 05G aad