Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-02-19

se,"erat!9Ii u weaK. sickly and discour-
improve themselves. He said that he no.
tiecd very, large delegation of mill
agents and their attorneys present to OPP
mittee TO tnke the, nfkHffieiits thtS might
present with q gfaln oil salt, as they were
personally interested parties. He said
deford for employing children under age.
1 and thought that the factory Inspector,
| Mr. Chalk, who Just went out. was en-
occupied. '' -
| The next speaker was W. N. Woodruff
Of Lewiston. who advocated along the
| lines argued by Mr.. Field He felt that
their own comfort and recreation and
| to recuperate from. the hurd, work they
have to perform: The Operatives are not
AfaefGrers. but are glad to see them sue
coed. Experience has taught that the Ia
boring classes can perform as much or
Is II nns hSuf the ney
ness. as l can personally testify Labor
ing men are so exhausted after 10 hours
work that they are inclined to look for
drink. ! believe there is more drunken
ness caused by poverty than poverty by
NEXT M aaed He o %as ha S0r prspaed w q
speak on the matter. as he did not know
until Wednesday th9t he Was to appeal.
| lie Sdlu lnaI ne nOtlcSu the same De0DIe
and their paid attorneys were present
/ opposing this nine-houf movement, as
were here 10 wears ago Working against
the 1o;hohf law. which all agreed had
from Il decision of the supreme court of
Massachusetts to the effect that such "a
movement as a 10-hour or a nine-hour
uring industries of Great Britain are now
on a nine-hour basis, and have improved
as the hours of labor have been reduced.
terlai have both increased since the hours
| of labor have been less. The additional
hour given the operatives allows them an
opportunity to improve themselves. NOR
| Statistics show that the wages of the
wage earners are increased and the divi-
dends are not affected, as the hours oi
labor are, reduced. He would be satisfied
| with a 5S-hour law. He closed by read u :
a statement from the late James G..
Blaine favOrihg short hours OF labor.
| scented by Wallace H. ANhite of Lewiston.
John A. Morrill, of Auburn A. l.. Lon-
| bard of HOultOn. J. Manchester Haynes
and l.. c. Cornish or Augusta. Among
| the prominent manufacturers present
| were Ara Cushman and Henry NJ. Pack
| ard of Auburn, Frank Gutmafin. James
a. Walsh. William d. Pennell. Geo. ".
| Bean, II. l.. Pratt and H.. b., Estes Of
Lewiston, W. II. Miles of Lisbon. W. II
X Abbott of Watervile. r. w. Beatie of
| Old Town. MIX Davis and Lemuei Lane
1
| deford. Gordon Dobson of Pittsfield. Al
len Garner of Kczar Falls and Capt n.
w. Cole Of Augusta.
| l.. c. Cornish of Augusta. opened for
| the remonstrants. He denied that any
| report favorable to a 5I-hour law hal
been reported to the Massachusetts Leg
| islature and introduced a telegram fron,
| the secretary of state of MaSsachusetts
| to that effect. He also denied that IL
| other states had laws similar In effect.
and asserted that but one state in the
/ srxs~ a.,
| law of less hours than Maine. If YOU
pass this law for women and children. Il
means 81 hours for everybody. If YOU re-
duce the hours of labor. you will reduce
| the production and also the wages of tho
laborer. After the l0-hour law had been
enacted the manufacturers adjusted
| themselves MS hest they could They put
| in improved maciunerv and sneeded IL
up and in that way made M. the produc-
| ton, But now the limit has been reached
| n is jmnossihfe to sneed the machinery
any more, or to make ii up. in any other
| way. and If this law is passed the nro-
duction will certainly be reduced one
wages will be reduced. 1t will cause n
! severe loss to the manufacturing inter-
| ests of the state, for we already have a
| hard time to get along for, n will Mace
| us ut n disadvantape in competition with
| the manufactories of other states.
| Mr. Cornish called j. Manchester
| Haynes of Augusta. who argued against
| the biiI. He Said there was not in the
city of Augusta or among the operatives
| of the Edwards Manufacturing Co, any
| desire for a change in the existing labor
| law | was not opposed to the iO-hour
| law and was glad to see il enacted. Let
| us enforce the law we have before enact
ing any other The question is WHEEL her
| under existing circumstances and trade
| is it advisable to change the law We
| have been trying for years to make man.
| ufacturng a success in Maine and we
| are trying to continue to build it up. We
are farther away from the markets of
| the world and our freight charges are
| greater both ways than for the manu-
| facturers of Massachusetts and New
York. The State of Maine cannot afford
| to lead this movement. for if we do our
manufactures will suffer. Our opera
| tives are healthy, are well fed. are we'll
| Their condition will further improve as
| civilization advances.
| Robert Macarthur of Biddeford. was
| next called. He denied that there We're
| any evasions of the law relating to en-
ployinS children under II years of age
and he said that the corporations did not
desire to employ such children and would
| not do so knowingly. He denied that any
! one would be discharged from his factory
| for advocating a "a hour law If this
| law is passed it will injure the manufac-
/ turing interests of Maine.
Hon. w. ID. Pennell of Lewiston, was
| next called and said he was decidedly OPP
| posed to the proposed law. for he knew
| that we were handicapped enough al
| ready. He was in favor of IL national law
| restricting the hours of labor but was