Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-04-04
STATE HOUSE.
Annual Report Of the In
spector Of Factories.
Receipts and Expenditures Of
Insurance Dept. for Quarter.
Changes in Articles Of War will
Interest the Guard.
STATE HOUSE CALENDAR.
Next Meeting of Governor and Council
Friday, April 20, at 10 A. M.

The total number of children working
under a certificate in Maine during
the past year was 1885. of which num-
her $50 were males and 636 were fe-
males. according to the annual report
spector of factories, workshops, mines
and qnarries. which was filed with the
Governor and Council Saturday. Dur
ing the past year 1881 certificates were
cancelled, of which 1858 were males and
673 females.
Inspector Morrison speaks as fol-
lows in his report:
Some few complaints OF violation
OF the section requiring the fortnight
~ payment of wages were filed with
the department during the past year.
All were at once settled satisfactorily
to the interested parties. as in all the
cases the trouble came from small
companies which employed very few
hards so agreements were reached
without prosecution.
Not complaint reached the de-
par,ment during the year under the
mead of sanitary conditions Of fac
tories. The inspector has at ali times
when making visits followed this ques-
ton very closely and it is only fair to
say that the conditions were never
better than at the present time
In the last report it was stated that
the question of swinging doors and fire
escapes had been taken up With the
chiefs Of fire departments or boards of
engineers in every manufacturing city
or town in the state and the same can
be said of this year, as we have kept
at work on this with the very best re-
suits. 1t has not only bctterel the
conditions in our factories ami work.
stops, but the work has been extended
to public buildings, school houses and
large tenement houses. For within
the last year not Il manufacturing
town in the State but that has made
some improvements in the work
In several of our larger cities the
improvement has been more marked
as many old fire escapes have been re-
moved for new and modern n.i"s, and
many new ones added where formerly
ih"r" wcr" none. Churches. nails and
schools have come in for their share
OF the chiefs attention. In other cities
where small manufacturing establish
fnents have been using the second and
third floors they now have ample fire
escapes. and we find that this work
has taken lots of time. but the result s.
have been very pleasing.
During III" year but one tomulaint
was filed with the department for run
ming over time. but on investigation
we We're convinced that there had
been no violation of the law
with the many changes made in
our laws at the last session of the
Legislature regulating the employment
of women and children. one of the
most important of these was the act
changing the hours from 6d' to IS
hours week.
1T has been for a few wears the Gus
tom Of our large corporations 70 give
the help 4 half holiday on Saturday
in the morning and running the re-
quired time to make 60 hours II week
by Saturday noon. Under the new law,
MANY. if not all, of our manufacturing
commerce work OF $50 o'clock the first
five days of the week, and Saturday
run until noon making the required So
hours. Many. if not ALL of our manu-
running time all the year and all will
have the half holiday Saturday which
means a great deal to our large num-
Der of mill operatives.
THE law regulating the employment
of children comes in for it's share of