Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-01-14
MAINE LABOR.
The Condition Of Our Indus
tries and Workingmen.
Labor Commissioner S. w. Matthews
Make His Annual Report.
Ship5ni'ding Canning. Woodworking. Cotton
and Woolen Industries.

The Gnnual report of Commissioner
:. W. Matthews Of the bureau of Ia Dor
statistics, WIS made public. Saturday
| Il deals eXhaustively with Names diff
, ferent Industries and shows the i'm
mense amount Of work mn into The in
Nestigatlohs by The bureau. The State
! Industries as a whole are in a very sat
! isfactory condition. TIE introduction
begins:
The Investigations of the bureau dur
ing the past year have been largely
directed to the shipbuiIdinc. canning
and Woodworking industries. These in
VcstiGation3 have been thorough and
| y laUstiV and the results are intere It
ing and gratifying. In the shipbui,ding
industry. more vessels and tonnage
have been built and launched than for
many years and the prospect Of con
tnued Improvement is very cncour-
aging. The investigation Of the canning
industries las been confined to the bus
iress OF 1899, as the data for the pres
ent year could not be obtained in time
for the report OF 1900. The information
* interesting and valuable showing
The industry III all its branches, to be
an extensive and Very important one.
The returns from manufacturers Of
wool and cotton herein tabulated. while
Incomplete. show a marked improve
ment in those important industries
The returns of officers Of towns and
cities, Of factories mills. and shops
butt. enlarged or in process OF cree
Z; i, : he
larger number of hands employed than
in any year during the last decade:
while larger amount of money has
been invested than in any year IN the
same period except in 1891 and 1899,
when many costly pulp mills We're
erected.
An interesting feature of the work of
the year is the investigation. through
blanks distributed to working men, of
earnings, cost Of living, wages. savings
and general conditions in various lines
of employment.
\ valuable complication of facts and
figures relating to the steam and cleo
tric railway systems of the State is
included in this report.
In compliance with the requirements
Of an act Of the Legislature. the in
spe, tor Of factories. workshops. mines
and quarries has made his annual re-
port to the commissioner of industrial
and labor statistics, which is herein
published.
The commissioner OF industrial and
labor statistics in his capacity OF sec
rotary Of the old Home Week Associa-
ton. has prepared a history and des-
l..
it IS considered advisable to publish
and incorporate in the report in the
form of an appendix.
In tho prosecution Of the work of the
past year. the commissioner desires to
express his acknowledgements of the
faithful and valuable services of his
able clerk Major c. j. House, and
sTccial agents Francis Wiggin and
Louis J. Brann.
Complete tables Of the working men $
returns are in the report and much
valuable information is contained
therein. They show that the carriage
makers with families average weekly
wages of $l2.95: average annual earn
ingS $3.50. H. Shoe makers with fam
lies. average weekly wages $1l.05: av-
crage annual earnings. 1851 %. Machin-
.sts with families. weekly wages, $12.z3;
annual earnings. $393.54. Blacksmiths
with families weekly wages, $ll.0S; an
nual earnings. $547.3S. Bleachery en-
pIoyeS with families, weekly wages.
$7.62: annual earnings. $SS6.56. Labor
ers with families. weekly wages, 1852;
annual earnings, $f23.75. Granite work
ers with families. $l4.G5; annual earn
ings. $619.17. Carriage makers without
families. weekly wages. 5000; annual
earnings, $492.33. Shoe makers without
families. weekly wages, $10.1S: annual
earnings, Si15.0S. MachinistS without
families. $10.S6: annual earnings, $5fS.
Granite workers without families.
weekly wages. $1G.2S; annual earnings.
s67325
response to the following inquiries:
How many and what kind of factor
ries. mills or shops for manufacturing
purposes. have been enlarged, COM
pleted. or are in process of erection
during 1902" Estimated cost of
same" Probable number of hands
they will employ" answers have been
returned by the officers of nearly every
city and town. The returns show 4
most gratifying increase in building OPP
erations. Following is a table by coun-
i ties: