The Portland daily press., 1894-03-16

which was formerly done by the best
classes of our young men and women!"
We present this morning Ill another
part of the paper some interesting statis-
tics on the subject of cotton mills They
do not come from disciple of the pro-
tective policy. They do not come from
a man who may be suspected of having
prepared them for the purpose
of confounding Democrats, for
his sympathies have of late been
with the Democratic party. They come
from man who has made the gathering
of statistics and the deduction OF indus
trial laws from them his life work.
Mr.. Edward Atkinson is above suspicion
of juggling with figures for any purpose.
Now see how his figures sus-
tain the Argus in it's last in
situation that the advance in cotton
manufacturing in Maine since 1860 has
been small, as compared with what it
was before that period. In 1860, says Mr..
Atkinson, there were in Maine 2S1, 056
cotton spindles; in 1890 there were $685.
1872. This is an increase of over 215 per
cent-really trifing affair. hardly
worth talking about in the opinion of
the Argus. During the same
time the increase in New Eng
land has been from 1855, 1862 to 10, 1885,
155, SO that Names increase has been
somewhat above the average increase in
the rest of New England. Now let US
see about the hands employed
and the wages paid. The Argus says
practically that our good young men
and women who used before 1860 to work
in the cotton mills have all been thrown
out by the reduction of wages. Foreign
labor was brought in and drove home
labor out because it could not compete
at the reduced wages. Mr.. Atkinson
shows that in 1860 81. 40S hands were en-
ployea in New England cotton mills; in
1890 there were 14s, 71s engaged in the same
occupation. The total wages paid in 1860
was $16, 720, 920, while in 1890 they were
$40, sos, 591-that is to say the average
earnings of an operative in 1860 was S2O5.
while in 1890 it was $335-an increase OF
over 63 per cent. How does this cores
pOuG W lbA tuO VI bAO I'll gus
that our native young men and women
were driven out of the cotton mills by
reduction of wages? 1t shows clearly
that that claim won't hold water;
that it isn't in accord with the facts
and is not true. The Argus insinuated
reduction of wages the cotton mills had
been enabled to make more money, that
is to say that the money alleged to have
been taken away from the operatives
went into the pockets of the owners
and thus inordinately swelled their
profits. In the first place Mr.. Atkinson
shows conclusively that there has been
no such withdrawal from the operatives,
that on the contrary more money has
been paid them. In the second, in his
letter of March IA he asserts that in
every industry he has investi gated the
rule has been @higher wages. diminish
ing margin of profits, shorter hours and
better conditions of life to the great mass
of the people who do the actual manual
or mechanical work of the country"
And he adds, "the cotton industry is
good example, because the data are so
absolute" The margins of profits are
diminished and the arate of wages" in
creased-that is to say, every day since
1860 the margin of profits has been di-
minishing and the rate of wages in
creasing. This is precisely the opposite
of the insinuaGion of the Argus.
Every allegation, direct or in
direct, made by Mr.. Moulton or the Ar
gus in regard to the cotton indus
try in Maine since 1860 is overthrown by
Mr.. Atkins sons statistics. Half dozen
new companies not in existence in 1860
are operating now; there are almost
four times as many spindles in the State
today as in 1850; wages of the operatives
are more than 60 per cent. higher; and
the margin of profits to the manufactur-
er is smaller.
Would Mr.. Moulton or the Argus like
more information on the subject of
cotton mills?