The Portland daily press., 1901-01-14
MAINE INDUSTRIES.
Annual Report ofLabor Com missfoa
Matthews.

Augusta, January ~ The annual re-
port OF HON. Samuel W. Matthews, COM
mlssioner-of industrial and labor statis-
tics, was issued today. Commissions
Matthews says that the Investigations Of
the bureau during this past year have
been directed largely to the shipbuiiding.
canning and wood working industries.
These Investigations have been thorough
and exhaustive and the results have been
interesting and gratifying. In the ship
building industry, more vessels and tom
mage have been built and launched than
for many years and the prospect Of con-
tinued improvement is very encouraging.
The reports OF officers OF towns and
cities, of factnrieJ, mills ana shops built
or In progress OF erection during the
present year, give q larger number OF
towns, more buildings and larger num-
Der of hands employed than In any year
during the last decade. A larger amount
of money has been invested than In any
year in the same period with the excep-
ton OF 1891 and 1899, when many costly
pulp mills were erected.
In the cotton Industry Of the state
there is invested capital OF Si5. 6s7. no.
The cost OF material used In the past
year was 1887, $50 total wages paid to
operatives was "a, l4s, s96; value OF prod
uot, s1l, s54, 655; total number OF hands
employed, 1882, of which 5,Se3 were
meH Z. 81 women. and 70s children IN
der 10 years OF age. The average weekly
wages of cotton mill operatives was;
Men, 81 90; women, s547, and children,
$500.
In the wooden industry ths capital IN
vestsd in 2s plants Is 81, Ill,OsO. The cost
of material used curing the year wss
s., Ol0. 344, and 81. 569,53i was paid in
wages to 3772 employees.
or the canning Industry the report says:
1.-THE canning or packing of corn, sar-
dimes clans and blueberries comprise
the great bulk OF the business in this
state, and has attained such proportions
that Maine has become one Of the leading
States in the Union In the packing in
Gustry, standing third on the list of can
ming sweet corn and first In the canning
OF sardlnes.
1.-THE canning industry OF Maine has
become more valuable than the slate,
granite and ica industries combined, the
value OF the entire output bsing about
$780, 900 annually"
Although the figures given in that
portion sf the report which relates to
ihipbulcing coysr only eleven months of
the year, from January l to Deem Der /,
and the Investigations made only in the
customs districts OF Bath, Waldoboro,
Beiast, Castlne and Machias, the total
tonnage launched for the eleven months
in the i've districts named, foots up 3D.
067 tons against Al, 0sS tons for the twelve
months ending Deem Der 81, 1879, In the
same districts. The report adds, that
the result OF careful inquiry indicate
that during the month of December,
vessels whose aggregate tonnage is over
1C0O tons, were launched, bringing the to-
tai for the year fully to 60,O00 tons.
An interesting feature Of the report Is
a table showing the earnings. cost OF Nv
ing, wages. ETC., of working men In the
State. THIS table shows that the highest
average annual income 10 enjoyed by
granite workers without families"
673. 20, closely followed by carriage max
ers with families" $3.50. 10. The lowest
average annual income is that OF bleach
cry employees, 1886 81, and "maohinists
with families stand second from the bot
tom of the list with 1898 o..