Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-02-03

temple Race, bOSUOn, Mass.
In answer to the fourteenth question,
Are your employees union or nom
union," nearly all responded, ''Both,"
explaining that the granite cutters,
blacksmiths quarrymen, etc, are gen.
orally union, While other Iaborers are
not
In response to the fifteenth question,
What effect on the amount of pro
duction does the reduction in the num-
Der of working hours have?" the ans
wers were various. In many cases the
answer was, "Afdecrease in the amount
of production" although some ans
wered, Increased cost of production"
while one or two answered, IAN in
crease in the number of employees"
One answer was, Good men can do as
much in nine hours as in ten hours"
The general trend of the answers to the
answers to the above question was that
the amount of production was de-
creased in proportion to the reduction
in the number of working hours.
In a great majority of cases the ans
wers to the sixteenth question, rs the
granite industry, a far as your plant
is concerned, in as prosperous a condi-
ton now as in former years" We're
Yes" From these answers and from
the facts given in the next paragraph
we are justified in coming to the con-
clusion that the granite industry in the
State of Maine is on a substantial and
satisfactory basis.
The value Of granite produced in
Maine in 1897 was $1,115,327; in 1898.
$1,032,621: in 1899, $1,321 OS2; in 1900,
$1,56S,57 and in 1901, $2,6S9, 300.
There was an increase in the amount
of production from $1,56S,573 in 1900 to
S2,6S9, 500 in 1901, thus raising Maine
from the second place in the rank of
granite producing states in 1900 to
first place in 1901. 1t is the
first time that the granite produc-
ton of Maine has exceeded that of
massachusetts,. The greatest increase
was in the value of dressed building
stone, which increased from $SS7,7S6
in 1900 to $1,501 1877 in 1901. The value
of crushed stone increased from $5O12
in 1900 to $50, 400 in 1901. Paving block
value increased from $145,966 in 1900
to $401,189 in 1901, thus proving that
the paving block industry has not yet
passed away. The increase in the
value of rough stock was from $2S6,7S1
in 1900 to $459.340 in 1901. There was
slight decrease in the value of gran
lite reported as dressed for monument
tai work in 1901 as compared with 1900,
but the prospects are that there Will be
an increase in 1902.
The four states producing the most
granite in 1901, in the order of the
amount produced, are as follows
Maine, $2,6S9, 300; Massachusetts, ST.
216,25S; Vermont, $1,245,S2S; Califor-
MIA, $1,134,675. The two states APP
preaching the above in the amount of
granite production are South Carolina,
S996,0S4, and New Hampshire, $935.494.
The greater portion of our granite
ouarries are located so near tidewater
that the product can be easily trans
ported in vessels to all the large cities
along the Atlantic coast. Notwith-
standing this fact, it is also true that
the large interior cities, like Chicago.
Milwaukee, st. Louis, Cincinnati, Pitts
burg, Buffalo. Albany and many others,
have drawn largely on Maine for the
granite which has entered into the con-
struction of their more costly and
beautiful public buildings and fine
business blocks. The omnibus bill
passed last winter by Congress- author
izing the erection of a hundred or more
government buildings in cities of a
certain size throughout the country.
will have beneficial effect on the
granite business generally, for a por-
ton of these buildings will be of gram
lite, and the contracts for part of the
material will presumably come to
Maine.
The most important and best writ
ten articles in the report are those re-
lating to brick making by machinery
and the Maine lime industry. In re-
gard to brick making by machinery the
report says:
Ever since the more pretentious
homes of the early settlers were made
complete with brick chimneys. Maine
has made brick. In many parts of the
State there are located brickyards of
varying sizes. which are doing a con-
sentative and a profitable business.
Nearly all these yards are worked only
through the summer months and in a
majority of them the work is done
wholly by hand. For the most part.
these yards supply somewhat local
demand, but little brick being shipped
from the State, except in the extreme
southwestern portion, where improved
machinery is used and some of the
output goes to the Boston market. The
larger of these yards turn out from
10000 to 10000 brick per working day