The Republican journal., 1901-01-24
Maine Industries Booming.

The annual report of Hon. Samuel
W. Matthews, commissioner of indus
trial and labor statistics, says that the
Investigations of the bureau during the
past year have been directed largely to
the ship building, canning and wood
working industries. These investiga-
lions have been thorough and eXhaus-
tive and the results have been interest
ing and gratifying. In the shipbuilding
industry more vessels and tonnage
have been built and launched than for
many years and the prospect of contin-
ued improvement is very encouraging.
The reports of officers of towns and
cities as regards factories, mills and
shops built or in process of erection
during the present year, give a larger
number of towns, more buildings and a
larger number of hands employed than
in any year during the last decade. A
larger amount of money has been in
vested than in any year in the same
period with the exception of 1891 and
1899, when many costly pulp mills were
erected.
THE COTTON INDUSTRY.
In the cotton industry of the State
there is invested capital of 1857, 10
The cost OF material used in the past
year was S6,397, $50; total wages paid to
operatives was 81, 142, 500: value of pro-
ducts, 81, S54, 655; total number of hands
employed 1862, of which 1858 We're
! men, 1891 women, and 7OS children I'M
der is years of age. The averages in
weekly wages of cotton mill operatives
were: men, 1913; women, $5.47 and
children S3.04
In the wooden industry the capital in
vested in % plants is S4,111,OSO. The
cost of material used during the year
was 81, 010, 344 and S1,569, 534 were paid
in wages to 3,772 employees.
OF the canning industry the report
says: "The canning or packing of corn,
sardines, CLAIMS and blueberries COM
prises the great bulk of the business in
this State and has attained such pro-
portions that Maine has become one of
the leading States in the union in the
packing industry, standing third on the
list OF canning sweet corn and first in
the canning of sardines The canning
industry of Maine has become more
valuable than the slate, granite and ice
entire output being about $4,000, 600 an
nually."
INCREASE IN SHIP BUILDING.
Although the figures given in that
portion of the report which relates to
shipbuilding cover only II months of
the year-from Jan. 1 to Dec. land
the Investigations made only in the
customs districts of Bath, Waldoboro,
Belfast, Machias and Castine, the total
tonnage launched for the II months in
the five districts named, foots up 5s,O67
tons against 47,Oss tons for the -
months ending Dec. 81, 1899, in the
same districts The report adds, that
the result of careful inquiry indicates
that during the month of December
vessels whose aggregate tonnage is over
1000 tons, were launched, bringing the
total for the year fully to 10000 TONS"
An interesting feature of the report
IS cable showing the earnings, cost of
living, wages, etc, of working men in
the State. The table shows that the
highest average annual income is en-
Joyed by granite workers without fam
llies," $673.25 closely followed by ''car-
riage makers with families" $66O.15.
The lowest average annual income is
that of bleachery employees, $3s6.56,
and "machinists with families stand
second from the bottom of the list with
$39354