In Maine under the ten-hour law we work our sixty hours per week, starting in the morning at six o'clock and working until six at night. We start at six and stop at eleven o'clock on Saturday, which we find equivalent to a stop for cleaning; as the weavers are ready to stay in until noontime to do their cleaning; so they are all ready to start up Monday morning with the looms in good shape, and our help prefer this method. We thought they would soon get tired of starting at six o'clock in the morning; but they like it, and we have continued on that schedule, ever since. We are using the electric light, so the cost of lighting need not be considered. We would not go back to the old system. We are without doubt getting a larger product on account of the Saturday afternoon holiday than we should get if we ran Saturday afternoon. Our work is such that some of our weavers make over ninety-eight per cent. of theoretical product on the looms of finished goods; which I think is about as high as it is possible to go. Our average product for a whole six months for all looms, without allowing for any stoppages whatever, is eighty-five per cent. The principal benefit we have is in the health of the operatives. During this last winter it has been very sickly in our city, but our mill operatives have undoubtedly been in better health than the same number of people outside in the other parts of the city. We have had no sickness to speak of, and have run steadily right through the winter. We find also an increase in the steadiness of the work. Day after day the help are constant. If you look over the pay rolls you will find full time for the majority of the help. Especially is this the case with the weavers; which requires, of course, fewer spare weavers and fewer spare hands in the other parts of the mill. We have never compared the winter schedule with the summer, as we have run the same schedule right through the year, and you may say our figures are of no value; but we feel, in comparison with other mills in other places where they do not have a half-holiday Saturday, that it is an advantage both to the help and to the corporation.

Mr. MESSENGER. I would like to inquire at what speed you run your rollers.

Mr. HASKELL. One hundred and forty-three, colored work; six-box looms.

A MEMBER. Did I understand the gentleman correctly that he got ninety-eight per cent. product from the looms?

Mr. HASKELL. Yes, sir. We had two weavers for two weeks in succession who got a little better than ninety-eight per cent.

The PRESIDENT. If there is nothing more to be said on this subject, we will proceed to the next topic, "What is the best policy to pursue in manufacturing concerns having large quantities of similar machinery; whether to have one overseer over a large amount of work, or to distribute it among two or three overseers." The subject will be opened by Mr. CHARLES D. MCDUFFIE of Manchester, N. H.

Mr. CHARLES D. MCDUFFIE. Mr. President and gentlemen, the question that you have before you to-day for consideration is one where there is a chance for an honest difference of opinion. One may believe in No. 32 wire, and another one may believe in a finer wire, so there is a chance for an honest difference of opinion. But this question under consideration, as you have given it to me, runs something like this. (The speaker then read the topic.)

Gentlemen, we are all doing that thing. That question is settled. I do not think there is any chance for a difference of opinion among us. I have but very little to say about it, and I think there is not much of an opportunity to antagonize the question; because the party who antagonizes it will antagonize himself most decidedly.

One man who has the executive ability and adaptation can handle help and machinery with better success, in the same yard, than when divided among two or three men. It may be answered that it would be better to employ three; as, the chances are that the larger the number, the more likely the employer to secure elements not to be found in one man; and said elements might assist in setting the pace for product,

quality and discipline. To this I would reply, that we are supposing that the best one of all would be placed in charge, and the responsibility has a tendency to develop the man to meet the requirements of his employers; one system holding in all the details of management of help, also in the care and repair of machinery.

Thirty years ago it was a rare occurrence to find a man in charge of more than one floor of a mill; when mills were not so large as have since been built, it was not uncommon to find two men in charge on one floor. I remember one of the first mills I worked in, there were seven hundred looms on print cloths, two men in charge, each trying to produce more yards per week than the other, with the result that the quality and the discipline were seriously affected.

These and other causes have changed the methods of management toward larger responsibilities for men in charge of departments; and I think with better results. I do not think that the change has come from the money saved in employing a less number of men; but from better results, as shown by a better management. Nor would I call your attention to the fact that where you can use one man in place of two you save a small amount of expense; for the best system is of greater importance (toward earning a dividend by making better goods at less expense) in the management of a large number of machines by one man, than by using three for the same purpose.

The PRESIDENT. We would like to hear any gentleman who feels disposed to say a word on this subject.

If there is nothing to be said, we will pass to the fourth topic, "What has been the result of experience in bringing the power from engines or water-wheels into the mill, at the end or in the centre, in mills of not less than 350 feet in length?" The discussion is to be opened by Mr. JOHN KILBURN of Lowell, Mass.

Mr. KILBURN's paper is as follows:

QUESTION. "What has been the result of experience in bringing the power from engines or water-wheels into the mill,

at the end or centre, in mills of not less than three hundred and fifty feet in length?"

1. Cotton manufacturing began in this country by utilizing its water powers, and at these beginnings water-wheels were limited in power; and for this, and also for financial reasons, short mills, say 100 to 150 feet in length, were built, and the power applied at one end.

2. When larger mills were wanted, they were frequently built across the valley of a stream, and two wheels were placed in the centre; to utilize the full power of the stream without digging canals or turning a corner with the power, and for the further reason that the art of making shafting was in its infancy, and 100 to 150 feet was as long as a line would work well; and for these reasons power was applied at the centre.

3. The application of power at the centre of mills, with numerous cumbersome belt boxes, took much valuable room and virtually divided each floor of the mill into two rooms.

4. When steam power began to be used to drive cotton mills in this country, the limitations of shafting led to the application of power at the centre of mills, for a material term of years; and this method necessitated the building of an L, or a separate building in the rear of the centre of a mill; either of which shut off much light; and, in many cases, one tower with stair-case was deemed sufficient for mills not over 350 feet long, and this tower was usually placed at the centre and on the front side of the mill; so that the tower and rear building, together with the belt boxes, shut off all valuable light from the centre of the mill, and in effect divided each floor into two rooms.

5. The introduction of turbine wheels concentrated water power; and this advantage, together with the fact that several of them could be coupled together, so that a very large amount of power could be concentrated, enabled mill builders to change the arrangement of mills to be operated by water power, so that they could be built of any length.

6. The wonderful improvement in steam engines has also concentrated vast amounts of steam power, and made it specially applicable to long mills.

7. Long mills permit the placing of towers not opposite each other; and hence they do not shut out much light.

8. The wonderful improvements in the art of making shafting and belting have also made the operation of long mills practicable.

9. I can best convey an idea of the improvements in shafting by calling your attention to the construction of the Amory Mill at Manchester, N. H., and the application of shafting to one of its rooms. This is a ring spinning room, containing 31,216 frame spindles, 1,500 spooler spindles, 20 warpers and 2 slashers. This room has but one line of shafting to drive the entire load. The power comes up on to the head end, which is 53 inch diameter, with 4 inch bearings. The line runs the entire length of the mill, running at a speed of 455 revolutions per minute, with sizes and lengths of shafting as follows, viz.: 105 feet of 2g inch diameter cold rolled shafting; 231 feet of 23 inch diameter cold rolled shafting; 167 feet of 118 inch diameter cold rolled shafting.

10. Competition has led manufacturers up to the necessity of building mills so large, that as much machinery can be placed on one floor as one overseer and one second hand can take care of.

11. In conclusion, I feel that I am justified in saying that the improvements in motors, shafting and belting, aided by experience and competition, lead me to conclude that all mills, whether 100 or 600 feet long, should have the power applied at one end.

Mr. MESSENGER. I did not learn why Mr. Kilburn favored applying the power at one end. Perhaps he gave it, but I did not catch all he said about it.

Mr. KILBURN. Simply, the concentrated power keeps your wheels all in one spot; and avoids the darkening of your mills by either towers, or auxiliary buildings, located in the centre for water-wheels or steam engines.

Mr. GARSED. Mr. President, we built a mill in 1853, 500 feet long and 66 feet wide, with the engine in the middle. From that time to the present I think two shafts have probably