Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-12-31
CAPITAL CHAT.
Eight-Hour Law for Work on
Government Contracts.
The Cost for the Transportation Of
Mails in Maine.
Chief Justice Fuller Entitled to Re.
tire at Full Pay. "

iaD.-An S-hour labor bill, which
passed the House at the last session
of Congress and which will be favor
ably reported to the Senate soon after
the session is resumed, is attracting
wide attention among business men on
the country. engaged in government
contracts. 1t forbids the employment
OF laborers or mechanics on any kind
than eight hours a day and would APP
ply to numerous projects in Maine and
along the Maine coast. The Bath Iron
Works. where government ships are
almost constantly building, would be
affected by the measure should it be-
come law and be compelled to adapt
its work to those conditions. Then
the large amount of river and harbor
improvement, such as has been going
on in the harbors and in the rivers of
Maine for the last decade would come
under similar restrictions. not to mem
ton a great many other undertakings.
There is a great diversity of opinion
about the wisdom of the meaure and
for that reason it cannot become law
this session by the act of the Senate.
The labor leaders are generally urging
the passage of the bill and the large
employers of labor. where government
contracts are filed, are opposing it.
The merits and dement's of such legis-
lation have been threshed out extern
siveiy before the Senate committee on
education and labor. of which one Of
the Democratic members is Senator
Gibson Of Montana, an oxford county,
Me-. native. The bill, which would
make some very sweeping changes,
if it should become law, changes the
wisdom of which different men do not
agree about, will be reported out of
committee by very narrow majority
but the labor leaders regard this as a
triumph for them. as heretofore the
consideration of the bill has always
stopped when it reached the Senate
end of the Capitol.
In statement about the money paid
out during the last twelve months in
Maine for the transportation of United
States mail. the second assistant post
master general has some figures for
Maine. The Kennebec Central Rail-
road Company for carrying mails daily
between Togus and Gardiner $50
miles, was paid $259.29, making an av-
erage of three trips daily for every
day Of the week. The Somerset Rail-
way, which is ALP miles long. running
from Oakland to Bingham and owned
in large part in Waterville and Au-
gusta, was paid $3.103.55 for making on
an average 1851 trips of mail per
week. That represented a payment of
S14.39 a mile annually. The Monsoon
Railroad Company carries mail an av- |
erage OF Is trips week, or nine round |
trips. for distance of 6.26 miles be- |
tween Monson Junction and Monson. |
for which the governments annual |
is s26761. Between |
Hartland and Pittsfield it is S.49 miles, I
and over that route the Sebasticook |
and Moosehead Railroad receives |
$391.9S for an average of 6 trips per |
week on a route III miles long be-
tween Mainstream and Hartland.
The longest mail route of any char
acter in Maine. whether ii be by rail-
road, steamboat, or stage coach is that |
between Portland and Bangor over the |
Maine Central, running through Au-
gusta. That route is 1851 miles long
and the government pays the Maine
Central for carrying the mail between |
those two points on an average Of
'5.23 trips a week the sum Of $S1, 399. O8
ind SIC, $685. more for the use Of postal
sars. That seems at first blush like a
pretty large sum for such work but In
'eality is nothing more than a fair
price. as adjudged by the Department
officials for the volume Of mail carried
N that route, touching several Of the
arge cities of the state is very great.
Tor carrying mail from Cumberland
to Skowhe gan the Maine Gem
raj receives $14,344.43, the route being
lis miles.
All the railroad routes in Maine. OF
which there are forty-four. are 1920 n
niles long and the stockholders in
hose roads receive total compen-
alton from the government annually
4 $3.50. s9i.H plus s22. 1881 25 for the use
Z postal cars on three routes The
tar route service in Maine cost last
ear s132. S09.61. the routes being in the
egregate 3,546.A miles long. There
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