Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-02-20

| aShdtiol HOW gong on all over the
country in this child labor movement.
And it is not by the labor unions Who'll
ly either In many or most cases they
have been given a back seat in order
that the churches and o.iler social or
ganiZatioHS might the better do their
work
| some ctateS are considering 40
| hour week, some an S-nour day ans!
even III Georgia they nave passed Il
| law prohibiting the employment OF
| children under II years of age. or wo!n-
en- and minors in the night time.
If you have an idea that the textile
workers of Maine do no, know what
! they are asking for. l would like TO
nave YOU visit them. II in their intel
ligence, Tor they are intelligent. they
| think such legislation would benefit
| their employers, they would be pcti-
| tioning for longer hours.
The argument that the manufac-
turers are compelled to meet unfair
| competition from the South, is no
longer an argument. The manufac-
| turers are beginning to recognize it.
The gentleman asked Brother Golden
why they didn't have more mills in
Maine. Now | don't know but | do
| know that you have some of The most
successful mills in the country. One has
paid over 1860 per cent. since 1860.
AS to the limit of speed, we don't
know about that. If we had been ask
| ed that % years ago. we would have
thought it had been reached then. but
the sped has ben greatly increased
since then. / don't think there is q
| manufacture here who would want to
say that the limit had been reached.
| IF you retain this 60-hOur week you
cannot keep your help. The help arr
going into some other state. What has
caused this scarcity in help? The help
could not live on the wages in Fail
River and 50 they left. not on strike al
together. but because they could get
more elsewhere.
Il ask you to report unanimously
| ought 10 pass
The case for the rcmonstrants was
presented by Judge Il. +. CleaVes of
| Biddeford He introduced Elmer f.
Paige of York. who blamed the freight
been built in Maine. saying that on
| 81 000.GH0 worth Of clo'h they have to
pay 100000 extra freieh..
| Massachusetts cotton mills was not
selling ut par. with the exception of one
case. In his opinion the Maine manu-
features are entitled to the handicap
of two hours per week.
Louis T.. Goodall Of Sanford paid nj
tention to the freight rates also. He
spoke from the standpoint of the wool
en manufacturer explaining that the
I Il y ~ ant. n r..
that business as it does into the cotton
mill. and the matter of temperature was
not 50 vitality important.
The fact was that under the
proposed law the production would
be cut down, but the expenses
would not be reduced. The
witness said that his help did not want
the IS hours, but it developed through
questions by Mr. Gleason of the COM
lnittee that there was none OF them
present to protest against its enact
ment into law.
disnute arose between Mr.. Goodall
and Mr.. HILBERT as to the alleged for
nation or attempt at a formation OF
union at Sanford. Mr.. HILBERT and
Mr.. Gootlall both became little eX-
Goodall continued:
When these professional labor aSlta-
tors. (call them paid hirelinss yelled
a voice among the Manufacturers
come into q peaceful town and try to
stir up the employees, they only make
trouble and l want to say further
What are you?" Strapped Mr.. Hib-
bert toward the manufacturers.
Senator Aver of Kennebec, chairman
of the committee rose at this point and
ordered both men to stop. The hear
ing then quoted down and assumed
its normal aspect.
The next speaker was Woodbury. X.
Dana Of WeStbrook, who has 6uilt up
the Dana Warp Mills. He thought
that the mills really needed the handi-
cap in order to compete.
Charles l.. CuShman of Auburn, a
shoe manufacturer, said that the con-
| ditions in his industry was such that
he could discharge all the women and
hire men. but he hardly thought that
the women favored such q move. 1t
would be imperative that some such
thing be done, if the women are to
work two hours less Der week than the
men.
Mr.. Cushman then went on to give
| a very intereSting history Of the shoe
| industry in the State and pointed out
the strong competition which is spring.
ing up in the South and West.
w. ID. Pennell of Lewiston said that
he didn't think the proposed law was
right, nor fair. He produced figures
of the North and South showing the
increase in the competition i'm the lat
| ter district. The witness said that he
would be glad when the South brought
up their standards to par with those
IN Maine. and looked for it to come
| in time. but until it did come, he
| thought that it was not wise. to pass
| any further legislation.
Judg" C!caves closed the case Of the
remonstrants very briefly
| Mr.. Golden in rebuttal for the pro-
p"ncntS read number of Fail River
mills. working under the IS hours law
| that are paying large regular ana ex-
| ira dividends.