Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-01-09

| ization' take quite a wide range, but
| a majority Of them assert that higher
wages and shorter hours have been
gained. \ study of these replies shows
| corclusively that well organized trades
| have received much more in the way of
! benefits than those poorly organized.
! The prosperous times and consequent
increased demand for labor in recent
years has no doubt had a tendency to
an increase in wages and other corr
cessions to labor, yet through labor
organizations much more has been ac-
complished in this direction than would
have been voluntarily offered.
After a thorough and comprehensive
study of the difficulties between en-
ployers and employees that have arisen
in Maine during the last year, and a
comparison cf the same with the
troubles of the past in this State, and
of the present year in other states. it
is a cause for considerable gratifca ton
to be enabled to state that the number
and magnitude of strikes are growing
less in Maine each year and that this
state has a very clean record when
compared with ether states of equal
manufacturing Importance.
An ANALYSIS of the returns received
az our office, covering the volume of
the pulp and PAPER industry in Maine
for the year 1906, shows very large
increase over that of 1904. the year
covered by the United States census
taken in 1905.
The amount of spruce wood entering
into the manufacture of pulp in the
mills of our state in 1906 was 33i, 527.-
800 board feet against PSI ,061 800 feet
in 1884 and 142.91S,5oO feet in 1899. the
year covered by the United States
census taken in 1900.
The amount OF poplar used in 1906
was 14.3G0.000 feet, against o5,2SS.000 feet
in 1904, and 24?2S.o0O feet in 1899
The amount of ether woods used in
1906 was II, $4,000 feet. against $4,000
feet in 1904, and 2.272. 900 feet in 1899.
The total amount of all kinds of
GODS used iii 1905 was 421 .217 800 feet,
against 1856 as 500 feet in 1904, and 110,-
113, 800 feet in 1899.
AS indicated above the amount of
spruce made into pulp in Maine during
the year 1906 was, iii round number.
1874, 600 900 feet. Our returns show that
&c, eco, coo feet of this was Canadian
spruce which, being deducted, leaves
3i4 900, 600 feet OF Maine spruce. Our
returns also show that, of tho Maine
spruce used. 81. 000. 000 feet were edgings
and other saWmili waste which. being
deducted, shows that 2S2000,000 feet
represent the amount of spruce cut
from the timber lands of our State, to
go direct to the pulp mills.
The report Of the inspector of fac
tories, workshops, mines and Quarries,
which follows the report of Labor Sta
| tistics. is devoted entirely to the con-
ditions surrounding child labor in the
state The introduction is followed by
| q COPY of the statutes on the subject
am, some of the experiences of the in
| speCtor in making his rounds. a para
| graph telling of one of these goes far to
| explain why Gov. Cobb found it advis-
! able to mention Maine conditions in his
! inaugural. The incident;
"On one of my visits to mill I
| found large number of small children
at work, and from their certificates I
| sci, ctcd sixteen. Accompanied by an
| interpreter we visited the homes of
| these sixteen children whose certiii-
Gates showed that they were all over
! fifteen years Of age. and that they were
flied out by their parents. Not one of
| these WAS fifteen years old. and seven
OF the number were under fourteen
years of age. AS the law requires that
certificates shall be filled out by par
| cnts, we found that. out of the lot, only
| one pa, ent could read or write"
| Children of school age are employed
! in the factories of the State to the
| number of 996. OF which SS7 are work
| ing under a certificate from !: parent
| or guardian and 119 are working with
| permission of the school-board of the
| town or city in which they reside. 104
are employed by the Edwards Manu-
| featuring Co. of Augusta, 1874 by the
| Lockwood Co. Of Watervillc.