100 Years Ago: 1925

Representative Holmes of Lewiston wants the textile industry of Maine investigated. He introduced an order to that effect on Tuesday afternoon. With the order, which requires endorsement of the Senate before it can become operative, was a statement of facts which was in reality a startling charge against the textile industry and mil conditions in the city of Lewiston. The statement of facts charges that:

Instead of dividing war and after war profits, as regular dividends, the textile companies of Maine made them stock dividends; that this made a great increase of capitalization, necessitating greatly increased earnings by the plants that dividends might be declared.

That this was required without increasing the number of laborers. That this forced an increase of from 33 1/3 to 100 per cent in the amount of work required in a cotton mill, with a reduction of 10 per cent in wages, together with reduction in earning capacity which amounts to 10 per cent more.

That woman weavers have been required to run from 38 to 40 looms, where they were operating 16 to 17.

That women workers have complained to the public health officers that if they take one minute for a drink of water it costs them the loss of an hour’s wages to catch up with their work.

That to run 40 looms means they must walk back and forth 150 feet all day.

That many of those women are mothers or prospective mothers.

That the death rate among infants under one year of age is greater in Lewiston in 1924 than any other city in the United States.

That the rate in other cotton centers of Maine is significant.

That textile workers are sinking into a state of sullen despair.

That there are rumors of a general strike breaking out at any time and that such an event would have serious results in any cotton mill town.

The Statement of fact further sets forth that the Legislature is the only body which can give relief from these conditions.

50 Years Ago: 1975

Public opinion in Auburn seems to be better than two to one AGAINST the building of a new police station for that city at this time.

That’s the result of an unscientific telephone survey conducted by The Journal this morning,  involving 25 Auburn residents whose telephone numbers were picked at random. Of those contacted, 28 percent, said they were either opposed to the whole idea of a new police headquarters, or indicated the city should wait a couple of years, at least.

In favor of the estimated $600,000 construction project were 12 per cent of the people polled.

It wasn’t enthusiastic support, the proponent often exhibiting a defeatist attitude.

One said Auburn city officials would wind up doing “exactly as they please, no matter what the people may think!”

Most of the Auburn residents contacted today, 36 percent of them, hadn’t even heard of the city’s plans to build a new police station. There were a few who had “heard something about it” but didn’t know where it was to be located, or how much it’s going to cost.

One of those who said he’s opposed to the project is Edwin W. Adams of 65 Summit St., who said the old police headquarters at Auburn City Building is “outmoded” but the price tag on the proposed new station is unreasonable.

25 Years Ago: 2000

There was a day when Leavitt Area High School Principal Nelson Beaudoin thought he’d never be noticed. Now in his fourth year as principal at the Turner school, Beaudoin has been named Maine’s Principal of the Year.

The award is part of the MetLife/National Association of Secondary School Principals’ recognition program.

According to MetLife/NASSP: “Beaudoin received the award based on his willingness to take risks to improve student learning, his ability to anticipate and solve problems, his success in engaging the community with students and teachers, and his leadership in creating a caring, collaborative and safe learning environment.”

The material used in Looking Back is produced exactly as it originally appeared although misspellings and errors may be corrected.