The Portland daily press., 1896-02-27


Matthews.
Augusta, February 26.-Labor Commits
sioner Samuel W. Mathews submitted
is annual report to the executive depart
ulent today.
The Investigations made by the bureau
Curing the past year have been largely
ERECTED to asoertaining the earnings
and Expenses savings, ETC., of many
las5es of working men. These investi-
,.ations have been made through compe-
.ent agents and are therefore more full
and accurate than if carried on through
:ue medium of the mails.
The relations between employers and
empIoyed during the year have generally
been amicable and satisfactory, but few
strikes OF other ''Iabor troubles hav-
ing occurred. Labor of all kinds has had
employment at fair waves and q marked
Improvement in many lines of business
is noticeable.
The number of manufacturing estab-
lishments erected during the year has
been largely increased over that of the
previous year, the amount of capital in
vested being more than doubled.
Other features of the report are the re
turns from butter, cheese and condensed
milk factories, and descriptive articles
On the lime and state Industries, the
clue berry, sardine, and oil-cloth indus
.ries, and an extended article entitled
Maine Industrial Progress and the
outlook for the Future
The report also contains list of new
factories erected, enlarged and completed
during the year, together with some facts
with regard to employees on railroads in
the state, compiled from returns made
to the board of railroad commissioners.
On tine industrial progress Of the state,
the commissioner says:
This Is the age of progress. On every
hand are to be seen evidences of extra
ordinary changes. No longer do we fol-
low those business lines originated by
the fathers, but Ii genuine revolution
has taken place, great transformation
have been wrought in every avenue of in
dustry.
There have been times when the pro-
gress was less marked than others, peri
DDS when the march of advancement was
seemingly checked, and perhaps intervals,
even when the hands of the dial may
have been in degree turned back; and
yet the general tendency through all the
wears that are gone has been onward
while during recent years the progress
has been materially accelerated.
Maine, true to the proud motto on the
stats's escutcheon, is expected to taks
the lead in the march of advancement.
Her citizens should see to it that 40
backward steps are taken. but rather
that the State OF Maine be ct all times
beet in the vanguard of the army of pro-
gross 1t behooVes her loyal sons and
tan hers to be tireless and unceasing in
Their efforts to uplift the standard OF the
Dlrigo common wealth, to the end that
her banner may be at all times proudly
waving among those of the foremost SEC
lions Of the land.
Maine occupies q unique position il
the sisterhCo0 OF states aud being inst
10 the galaxy uron which the morning
sua sAln0s, snB is not inappropriately
iTed Uie Sunrise State. With an area
about equal N the rest OF New England,
se9.rated from TIC Dominion of Canada
"a Il DO ln&ery longer than that between
any otneP state IN the Union and a for
eign land, Posse sing an extent of 3CGC
miles Of .ea coast, With lakes and rivers
inuumeIable, furnishing water power
sufficient to move all the spindles i'll tht
world, with magnificent stretches Of
forests aggregating in volume seven
times greater than the famous Black
Forest in Europe during its largest eX
panse in modern times, and with resour
cos innumerable of earth, water and air
the state of which the pine tlee has long
been the emblem, is the peer OF any ter
ritory of like extent the world over.
In agriculture the commissioner note:
marAed progress.
On the subject Of shipbuilding the com
missioner saysi
Maine's shipbuilding has had very
interesting history, but the palmy days
of the past are gone, probably never tC
be duplicated again SO far as the build
ing of wooden ships is concerned In 1880,
there were launched from the Mains
shipyards 50 vessels with tonnage O.
ii, 3o6 tons, and in 1890, the new tonnage
aggregated 1875 vessels IF "a, 467 tons
The latter record is an unusually large
one for recent years, the industry in 1S9
having declined to Is, 692. "a tons, the ton
mage for the present year being still less
The era of clipper ships has gone ant
no ship has left the stocks in the Main
shipyards this year. Schooners are nov
in asoendency, the great majority of tn
new vessels being of that rig. 1t is nov
nearly a score of years since brig hal
been built in Maine and bprks are onl.
occasionally launched, although ha1 ken
tines are of quite frequent construction.
VI la5e years the building OF steamer
large and small, has kept busy many o
our snipcarpenters. That Maine cal
build all kinds of steel CARTS as we'll a
ships of wood, has been demonstrated
conolusively at the Bath Iron Works
Names pioneer steel shipbuiding plant
Not only have been turned out from
there steel cruisers and an Ammen ram
with other government vessels unde
contract. but merchant steel steamship
such as the City of Lowell, the gray
hound of Long Island Sound. There ha
also been built at Bath by A. SewaIl
Co., a steel sailing vessel, the Dirigo
1856 tons. Maine can lead as a bUi1de
of steel as we'll as wooden vessels. Ship
building is realm in which Maine ha
no formidable competitor and it will al
ways be an important industry in thi
region. Continual inroads are beinI
made into the fleets, and those that g
must sooner or later be replaced. Com
MERGE upon the highway of the seas, witt
more favorable legislation, will thrlv
again, and when that time comes th
shipbuilder will be in his element one
more. Steel shipbuilding is destined {
have future and Maine shipbuilder
should be alert to their opportunities i
this. as well as in wooden shipbuilding