The Portland daily press., 1898-02-22
MAINE LABOR.
Manufacturing Industries as Reported by
Commissioner Matthews.
Ito be continued

Labor Commissioner Matthews has
just completed his eleventh annual re-
port. The main features of the work are
the compilation Of statistics relating to
the cotton, the wooden and the boot and
shoe industries and facts and statistics of
the summer tourist business of the State.
The latter investigation, while necessari-
~ incomplete, taken in connection with
that made in 1893, under resolve of the
legislature. shows volume Of business
coming to Maine through her summer re-
sorts, Of great and growing extent and
Importance.
Through the kindness of the State
Board of Assessors lists of the cotton and
wooden mills of Maine. as they existed in
1896. are presented. The 16 cotton mills
contain 1863. 437 spindles, and AZ wooden
mills contain 347 sets of cards. The mill
at Gardiner, another at East Madison and
two in Sanford are not included, as their
values are obtained in different way
than by sets, a part of which at least do
weaving only.
The returns of the business of the cot
bOu HILLS ttaDuldlcNl. COFSr buUSUdU-
TALLY One-half of the business in the
State, and the aggregate is sufficiently
large to be fairly representative, in all it's
proportions, of the whole.
A full list of the factories, mills and
shops built during the year are presented.
Fifteen of these buildings in Cumberland
County have either been built or en-
larged, at a total cost of 1853, 500. The
grain elevator in Portland alone foots up
5000, 600.
Considerable space is given in the re-
port to the manufacture of spools which
consumes an immense quantity of white
birch. Over 200 cords are required an
nually all cut in Maine forests.
Then follows few pages on the wood
novelty manufacturers. The value of
the product of all the wood novelty plants
is more than 5000 Over 1,5G0 people
are employed in this industry.
During the year 1885 Maine exported
about SO, COO, 600 bricks, and used about
AZ, 900, 0O0 total of SO, 600, 900. Tho aver
age net price was about S.. so per l 200.
The strike of the building trades unions
of Boston the year before had a depres-
sing effect upon the market. which was
felt until 1856
Speaking of the railroads, there are
over 2, 545 employees on the Maine Cen
trial, andthe wages paid in 1897 amounted
to 81 1867, 432.25.
The number of employees Excluding
general officers) employed upon the steam
railroads in Maine, for year ending June
80, 1897, was 5,S42 men, against 5,742 in
1896, gain of 100 employees. The amount
paid for wages in 1897 was SASH 287. AZ
against 50, 763, 353 90 in 1896, gain in
wages of SAT, 933. 54.
The street railways in Maine employ @
little more than $50 men, and, as near as
can be be ascertained, pay out more than
$500, 600 in conducting their business.
1t will be seen by the foregoing exhibit
that nealry $4,000 persons in the state are
now receiving their support by the opera
lions of the railroads in Maine, receiving
therefore very nearly s.. 100000. There
was in operation on November 30, 1877, ISL
miles of street railways. and their earn
ings for the year ending June 80, 1897,
amounted to S770, 6i4.19.@
Speaking of the summer resort business
Mr.. Matthews says over l, 316 guides are
employed. and that 200. 000 visitors drop
annually little bundle of $4,000 900.
There is complete list of all the hotels,
and geographical description of ali
the game districts.
In the report of Inspector Atwood in
the latter part of the volume he says,
while there can be no doubt that in most
Inns of industry in the state q much bet
ter condition exists than for several years
DttSU. anu al bOlllO 4iliOS uiiC lii1 pGOftIlGQU
has been very marked, yet it is to be re-
eretted that the cotton industry is still in
a very. unsatisfactory condition, and the
outlook, to say the least, not promising
for the immediate future. Two promi-
nent causes may be assigned or the de-
pressed condition of this leading industry
Of our State q depression which seems
to affect all New England as well. The
tendency of the cotton producing States
in the South has been of late to produce
crops of cotton far in excess of the needs
of the mills of the country after satisfy
ing the demand for export, and this sur
plus, in the hands of producers who are
not able to hold it, has been thrown upon
the market and sold for what it would
bring, and thus the price of raw cotton
has been forced down to point where it
is hardly profitable to produce it.
One gratifying fact noted by the inspeo-
tor is the tendency of the managers of our
cotton mills to employ less of child labor
than in former years. According to the
report of this department for the year
1895. there were then employed 9O6 chill
dren under is years old, 497 of whom were
under IS. The present year but SCI chill.
dren under 16 years have been SO en-
ployed, 29O of whom were under Is years
of age.
Il Ell