Daily Kennebec journal., 1908-12-09
Annual Report Filed With
Governor and Council.
Conditions Of Women and Chill.
dren in Maine Mills.
Investigation Conducted by Miss
Eva Shorey, for Bureau.

Council The opening chapter of the re-
port is on the subject of industrial con-
ditions surrounding women and children
in the textile industry and is the result
of an investigation conducted by the de-
partn1ent in compliance with an order
from Congress on account of statements
and charges made by marry distinguished
members regarding the illegal employ
ment and inhuman treatment of children
in different states of the Union. The
work Of investigation was conducted by
Miss Eva l.. Shorey of Bridgton special
agent for the bureau, four cities being
covered, and her report is of much value
ard fun of interest.
| In it's opening chapters the report takes
up the cs2tton and woolea mills of Lewis
ton and Auburn, giving a detailed des-
| criptior Of the work of the different de-
partments, of the wages paid and of the
conditions by which the employees are
| surrounded. Concerning the range of,
| wages of the women and children, also
the general average per week in the diff
| ferent DEPARTMENTS of the cotton mills
| since the 10 per cent ut.down, March
80. 1908, the report gives the following
| list:
| SlubbinS machine tenders, from $3.50 t.
1924, a general average of $3.50
Intermediate tenders, from $50 to IS %
| averaging SITS
Fly frame tenders. from s6oS to 1856 av.
| eragng $7.24. J,
Ring spinners, from $3.50 to s7o2, aver
aging $50.
| Ring spinning doffcrs, boys and girls
from $3.45 to s5O4, averaging $3.50; mule
| 4. md hoo oil &c DC
rowing boys. s4 u; oilers. cleaners and
sweepers, from $40 to $780, band boys
A72
s56S.
Wrappers. from $3.50 to ss.52, AYERS gins
s79S
| inspectors of yarn. average. S636, reel
ers. from $3.50 to $3.50, averaging s7.3S;
winders. from SS14 to $9.17, averaging
| sS.tl: quillers, average, $6 75 long chain
| quilers, from $S37 to $!0.25, averaging
s945
| Beamers from $7.SI to s11 10. av@rag-
ing $1,000
Web-drawers, from A.44 to sos, averag-
| ing $6S2.
| Weavers, plain from s5.47 to sll.4,. av-
eraging $3.50; looms, from $S.S2 to so,
averaging $50; 6 looms. from $9.i2 to
1920, averaging s11.20; broad looms. quilts
| crochets, from s7.63 to s9.4S, averaging
81 40; marcelle, from 1915 to sl2.34. averag-
ing $10.11; satins, from s941 to $500. av-
eraging s1OOs; damasks. from ss..1 to
s1o.45,. averaging $S.35.
Room girls, from SSS2 to Sa.13; irtcr-
prefers, average. $3.50; clerks, from $500
| to s9.42.
Cloth inspectors. from s5.4C to s693;
trimmers. from 1892 to S5.04; quilt Dur
| ers, average $3.50; banders. si.61; quilt
stitchers, $3.50; fringers, sS5S; folders,
s7.56: burdlers. $6.96.
| Scrub women, from $50 to $500, aver
| aging 10 cents per hour.
| The wooden mills CT Lewiston are not
as large as those manufacturing cotton
| goods, ard consequently do not employ
| as many women There is very little
| work which children can do. though a
| eew boys. evidently of legal age, are seen
| in the different mills.
| The principal wooden mills. with num-
ber employed, are as follows: The Cowan
| mill employs 115 hands, CT whom 81 are
| women; the Columbia employs 1O4 hands,
] If whom 80 are women; the Cum berland
md Lincoln mills, owned by the LibDey
and Dingley Co, not being in operation
in June, 1908.
| Women are seen at work spooli3g. web
drawing, weaving. and as inspectors in
| the cloth hall. The average wages per
lay are, spoolins, $1.30: web-drav' 'ng,
| n75; weaving. S175; inspectors 50 cents
Wooden dress goods and suitings, blan-
! kets. etc. are manufactured. t
Not a small amount Of space in the re-
port is devoted to the subject of child
labor, and other subjects considered are
those of labor urions, general conditions
egarding the rooms in which the women
and children work. the home life Of the
different nationalities, and the localities
| in which the mill operatives live. The
school systems are also taken up, and
the various charitable institutions.
Concerning the factories of Biddeford
| and Saco the report says
The second twin cities Of Maine. where
| the manufacture of cotton goods is the
| principal industry. to be visited by the
| special agent, We're Biddeford and Saco
| n Biddeford there is a large machine
l shop. giving work to men. but the textile
| factories are the only places in either
| ,ty where women and children are nu-
nerousfy employed
The two cities are situated similarly to
l Lewiston and Auburn, with the Saco NV
ar as a dividing line. Saco corresponds
to Auburn. in that it is more of a resi-
| 1ential city. while Lewiston and Bi1de-
| ford have a larger population OF those
employed in the mills.
The factories of the two places present
a marked contrast in their exterior. to
those of the Spindle City" There are
hree large mills, two in Biddeford. built
side by side and one III Saco. situated on
Factory island in the Saco river. They
do not have the symmetrical form of
construction of those in Lewiston. but
are a number of large three, tour and
five story brick buildings, connected by
ridges and covered corridors. They also
appear to be guarding against intrusion
Or attack, as they have high fences pro-
sected in some places by bsrbed wire. A
Watchman is stationed at each locked
gate Whenever a dray or team, brings
supplies, the gates are opened long
enough for it to pass and quickly locked
,pain At the noon hour crowds of small