The Somerset reporter., 1901-01-17
Report of Maine Industries for
the Past Year.

sioner D. W. Matthews is made public
and shows Names diversified industries
in fiourishing condition, nearly all Of
which show a gain over the preceding
year. A greater effort was made for
investigation and the report goes more
into detail.
The building operations for 1900 show
most gratifying increase, both ID num-
Der of buildings, cost and number yof
hands employed The total number of
buildings erected in 1900 was 167, which
is more than for any year in the past
decade The total cost of the buildings
erected in 1900 was 81, ,174,825, which is
more than for any other year in that
period, barring 1899, when the total was
81, 800. 700, and 1891, when the total was
s3,023 $50. But the number of hands
employed is larger than it ever was. the
total being 5539 Somerset county
on new buildings of $219 900 which fur.
nlshed employment for 483 men.
Reports from ten cotton mills give the
following showing: Capital invested,
Sl5 ,697, ITO; cost of material used, So
397 $50; total wages paid 81 l42, ,896;
value of product, S11, ,854, ,655. The av-
erage weekly wages of men were 81 SO,
with the average of 51s weeks run for
the year. There was an increase from
1880 to 1890 in the average annual earn
ings per employe of S62.77; from 1890
to 1898 a decrease of S4l.59, and during
the past two years an increase of $48 II,
net increase since 1880 of 500 SO
Twenty woolen mills sent in complete
returns for 1900. The total capital in
vested is given as SAIL ,0S0; cost of
material, S4,010,345; value of product,
7,167, 715; help employed, 3,772, divided
into 1858 men, 117s women, 41 children
under 10 years; total wages paid, ST.
569,534
AS compared with 1899, the percen.
tage of raw material entering into the
total product of 1900 has decreased 8 6
per cent, while wages have increased 2
OF one per cont.
In the ship building industry more
vessels and tonnage have been built and
launched than for many years. The
launchfngs for the eleven months end
ing Nov. 30th from the Bath Iron
Works consist of two tug boats, two
torpedo boats and one monitor, aggre-
eating 4,206 tons displacement; from all
other yards, thirty one schooners, name
ly: two six.masters, six five masters,
fourteen four masters, and nine three
masters, aggregating $3.50 80 tons net;
twelve coal barges, aggregating 10, 743 38
net; thirty six small schooners and
sloops, aggregating 1923 tons net; and
three small steamers aggregating 104
tons net. The thirty one schooners
launched range from 143 tons for the
w. Perkins to 1902 for the Eleanor
A. Percy, and average l ,215 S3 tons net,
The timber entering into the frames
of the larger scnooners is generally of
white oak below the water line and
hackmatack above. The oak is largely
cut in Maryland and Virginia, though
some is yet cut in Maine 1t was noted
that the oak frame for one of the large
vessels built at Bath the present year
was cut almost wholly in the town of
Woolwich. The hackmatack at the
present time comes largely from Canada,
though a portion is still obtained in
Maine. 1t is estimated that of the hack
matack knees used in shipbuilding in
the State of Maine at the present time,
about one third is secured in Maine,
while the other two thirds comes from
Canada
The new year will open with more
shipyards busy in the State of Maine,
and more men employed, than any other
year for several decades past. Vessels
aggregating over 10000 tons will then
be on the stocks in various stages OF
construction. Other contracts closed OF
now pending will if all are consumma-
ted, carry the prospective tonnage up tc
200. What the year may bring forth
in the matter of new contracts is oil
course uncertain, but at the present
writing the outlook for the coming year
seems to indicate prosperous season
in this old time Maine industry.
The canning industry of the State has
come readily to the front and surpasses
that of granite, slate and ice combined
the output being five million dollars
annually. Maine ranks first in canning
of sardines, and third among the States
of the Union in the canning of sweet
corn. There are about 175 factories in
the State, the product being sweet corn
sardines, CLAIMS, blueberries, beans
squash, pumpkins, apples and tomatoes
The number of operatives actually EN-
ployed is 1901, and probably as many
more employed in supplying the fac
tories. There was paid in wages in
1899, 81, 400, 900, and to farmers for corn,
1881 900, over II, 600 acres being planted
to supply the factories. In all kinds OF
canning the wages are not large, but
employment is furnished men, womer
and children who have no other oppor
tunity for earning money
The Wood, Novelty and Spool indus
tries of the State gives employment tC
1900 skilled hands. The canning bust
ness of the State requires nearly two
and one half millions of wooden boxes
annually, and box shocks require as
many more, the product all coming
from the Maine forest. The amount
paid in wages is nearly million and is
distributed over the whole State, not
! concentrated like some other industries