Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-02-27

numerous Others have been enlarged
In addition to the wooden mills, Their,
are iloufishing plush and worsted mills al
Sanford, while a worsted mill has been
erected at Fairfield The present year.
Names only silk mill, the one at West
brook, continues to flourish Maine has
all the elements for success in the manu-.
facture of textile fabrics and the number
of these establishments in our midst will
increase rather than grow less as the years
roll by.
The pulp and paper, lumber and wood
working, quarries, ice, boots and shoes.
canning, mineral springs, summer resorts,
fish and game, railroad developments,
and various other industries and lines Of
business are treated upon by the report,
showing a generally good condition.
| The oilcloth slate and sardine in
dustries, and not excepting that of the
blueberries, are also included
Inspector Chalk's Report.
The following extracts are taken from
the report of Inspector r. F. Chalk.
The State of Maine, with more than
800 cities, towns and plantations within
her borders, in nearly every one of which
man ufacturing OF some kind is carried on
| to greater or less extent, aggregatinp
over 5000 establishments, giving employ
ment to more than $4,000 workmen and
paying out nearly SCI. 900, 900 in wages,
using over S51. goo, 900 worth of raw ma
terial and producing over s95, 600, 900 in
manufactured products annually is field
so vast and varied as to require the con-
slant attention Of the inspector to answer
al! the calls and attend to all the COM
plants which are constantly reaching him
from among this vast army of toiling
men and women. The times have been
hard, some are out of remunerative en-
ployment, while wages in many cases are
less than they were few years ago.
During the year go factories and
workshops have been visited. The total
number of children under IL years of age
found employed was 100. Of which 6i3
were over Is, and 547 under Is years old
by far the larger part, go were at work
in the cotton mills while 1874 were in the
wooden mills. and 43 in the shoe sbops.
leaving but 90 In all other cmployments. "
Regarding the child labor question, the
report says:
The laws should be so amended a. to
compel the larger cities, at least, to pro.
vide sufficient number Of truant officers
to ensure the attendance at school of all
children under Ia years of age
There is at present woful lack in
this respect in some of the larger manu-
featuring cities of the State. A walk
through the streets OF almost any of our
large manufacturing towns will discover
little children wandering around the
streets during school hours, apparently
without any one to shield them from the
many dangers that threaten them.
Many complaints OF the violation of
the child labor laws have been received
and investigations made. During the
year. 90 children, illegally employed, have
been ordered ont of the mills, 81 being
from cotton mills "a from wooden mills |
and two from shoe shops.
"This is difficult matter to deal with, |
as many questionable devices are resorted |
to by parents in order to deceive the over. |
seers and thus smuggle their children into |
the mills without having received the |
number of weeks of schooling required by
law
The question of dangerous machinery
is discussed at length. Mr.. Chalk would |
call the attention Of the Legislature to
this subject, there being some very dan
gerous cases Of exposure.