Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-11-20
STATE: HOUSE.
Statistics of Names So Pulp and
Paper Mills.
Summary Of the Special Article for Commits.
sioner Matthews Report.

That article on the pulp and paper in
dustry Of the State Of Maine is complete, Il
ana is ready for the printer to be placed
by them in the forthcoming report of the
commissioner of Industrial and labor sta
tistcs which will be out sometime the
middle of December. The article in cues.
ton is one that has been much discussed
and everyone understands the importance
ana interest it is to be to the public at
| large. 1t will give thorough ana *
| haustive trca tment Of the pulp ana paper.
industry Of Maine which means 50 much
to the State. The section of the article
that the Journal is enabled to give. to.
day which is a summary of the whole
giving the immense figures, will show the
reader the value to Maine of this great
industry.
| The article has been compiled in n thor
ough, conservative and conscientious
manner, every detail being exhaustivey
! gone into III the work Of compiling ii,
Francis Wigsin of Bangor acting as
Commissioner Matthews special agent,
has visited personally all the IS different
! mills in the State in addition to having
! had interviews with the leading mani
| iacturers and land owners in Maine. Com
| missioner Matthews at the same time
has not been idle in this department. for
| he has been using the United States
! mails FOR inquiries Of the commissioners
| OF other states on the spruce question
| and interviewing leading authorities
| DESCRIPTIONS of all the pulp mills in the
State are given and an especially com
! pete one is also given Of the new ard
| immense ore now being erected at Mil
! ID Ike
/ I...t L,turc Teen learned.
! In the summary Is given the following
which will b. found ntereAting To every
\ reader.
! Counting ground wood pulp mills, sui
phite mills and paper mills separately,
We find that there are IS pulp and paper
! mills in the state, there being 80 pulp
mills ana ~ paper mills. These are com
! prised in 81 different plants. We find the
| total number Of operatives IN these mills
| to be SOP at present. When the plants
now building and being enlarged are
completed, the operatives viii number
over 1000 We find the average daily
wages paid the operatives to be $152. This
does not include the salaries paid the Of
| ticials. The whole sum paid in wages in
the pulp and paper mills amounts yearly
to over $5.OU0.oo0 and the cost of the wood
| used amounts to $3.50 .00J We find that
| there are produced daily in the State 500
tons Of paper Of all kinds. 135 tons OF
ground wood pulp, $50 tons u sulph.te
| pulp Ito tons Of soda pulp, ana 50 tons Of
leather board. making a production Of
1888 tons Of pulp ana paper daily ana a
| total of 550, 500 tons yearly.
besides the operatives in the mills.
there are thousands of men employed in
; cutting the wood in the forests and in
driving and conveying it to the mills.
The above figures will be largely in
| creased when the Great Northern Paper
cos Giants AT Millnocket ana Madison
are completed ana when the Continental
Paper Bag CO.'S plant at Rumford FAILS
| is ready for business.
"Including these last named plants W.
find the total amount of capital invested
in the pulp and paper industries in Maine
will exceed $30.0oo0O0. The total value of
the various kinds Of pulp ana paper pro
duced in the State annually amounts at
present IL about $l7.glGNO. This amount;
Will ~ very largely increased when the
plants now building are completed ana
i'll operation. IT would probably be con
servative estimate if the total value Of
the production should then be placed a.
S2oOo00po annually"
Following this is given the estimate Of
the present area Of spruce lands in Maine
The growth Of spruce ana the approximate
estimate If the amount Of available
spruce in the woods. today, tog thcr with
an estimate uf u" amount of spruce used.
Suggestions are given as to whether the
demands exceed the annual growth Of
spruce.
In compiling these suggestions neither
side Of the question has been taken, but
the views of all are taken that it may be
fairly and successfully treated Not only
the views Of the lumbermen, the mil
owners, the land owners are given, but
the scientific part has a,sp been consid
cred.
'Onc very strong point that is made"
suggested. Commissioner Matthews, rs
that there has been an agreement be
tween the great syndcates Of pulp man
ufacturcrs upon the manner in which
they will cut the spruce. They have
agreed upon the size and the manner 50
! that they are placing every safeguard
around the supply. 1t stands 70 reason
that these great syndicates with 50 great
a capital invested will not want the sup
ply to be exhausted, but will carefully
guard it to the best of their ability. 1t IS
much better for the supply that the large
concerns have control of the mills and tho
woodlands than as though they were IN
the hands of individual owners as the
interest Of the large bodies are consul +
cred greater than by individuals.
Mr. Matthews is receiving letters from
all over the State, ana from far outside.
asking for copies of his report which VIII
be an unusually valuable one on account
+; of the variety and the interest of the sub
. iects to be treated.
e Another electric railroad company mas
petitioned for permission to construct
tracks in York county or in what should
Droperlv be called the electric rallroai
county Of the State, according TO great
number asking for permission to be con
structed there. This latest one Is the
York County Central Electric Railroad.
1t proposes TO construct a line of road
from WATERFORD to Limerick.
I librarian Carver is getting IN Sooi