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 HelloReturn to index of stories... |
Hello. I'm Allison McNair. Welcome to NH Outlook. |
| Preshow #1 Return to index of stories... |
In this edition, The fight is over. An agreement has been reached on the state budget. We'll have details. |
| Preshow #2 Return to index of stories... |
And we'll sit down with the author of the Belles of New England: a story about the mill workers and the people who profited from their labor. |
| Toss Richard Return to index of stories... |
It took about 11 minutes, but when it was over, both sides had finally agreed on the details of the new State budget. Richard Ager was there and joins us with details. |
| Budget Meeting Return to index of stories... |
It was the conclusion of a long hot summer of wrangling - It began when the governor vetoed the budget passed by the House and Senate in late June. At the time he demanded reductions of about $100 million in cuts. The total agreed upon today - depending on how you add it - is about half that - much of it through enhanced revenues. Let's listen to the governor's take on the end result. |
| Benson Budget Return to index of stories... |
Benson - HOW WOULD YOU SUM UP WHAT'S BEEN ACCOMPLISHED? HERE WE ARE, IT'S THE MIDDLE OF AUGUST, LONG PAST THE ORIGINAL DEADLINES. We got a $50 million reduction in the budget, 42.5 without the liquor store enhancement. That means next time we go into the budget cycle, we'll be $42.5 million less than we are right now on the previous budget that we're working off of. Which means the basis for building next time will be $42 million less, which means by definition that that budget will be at least $42 million less from the budget that would have gone through the process - so it's really $84 million in savings over both bienniums, which adds up to a significant windfall for the taxpayers in the state. |
| Q & A Return to index of stories... |
Reporter: SO, HOW WOULD YOU SUM UP WHAT'S BEEN ACCOMPLISHED. Richard - HERE WE ARE, IT'S THE MIDDLE OF AUGUST, LONG AFTER THE ORIGINAL DEADLINES. WE'VE GOT A $50 MILLION REDUCTION IN THE BUDGET. $42.5 WITHOUT THE LIQUOR STORE REVENUE ENHANCEMENT. THAT'LL MEAN THAT NEXT TIME WE GO INTO THE BUDGET CYCLE, WE'LL BE $42.5 MILLION LESS THAN WE ARE RIGHT NOW FROM THE PREVIOUS BUDGET THAT WE'RE WORKING OFF OF, WHICH MEANS THAT THE BASIS FOR BUILDING NEXT TIME WILL BE $42 MILLION LESS, WHICH MEANS THAT THAT BUDGET, BY DEFINITION, WILL BE AT LEAST $42 MILLION LESS FROM THE BUDGET THAT WOULD HAVE NORMALLY GONE THROUGH THE PROCESS HAD THIS NOT. SO IT'S REALLY $84 MILLION WORTH OF SAVINGS OVER BOTH BIENNIUMS, WHICH ADDS UP TO A SIGNIFICANT WINDFALL FOR THE TAXPAYERS IN THE STATE. Allison: WELL, RICHARD, THERE IS SUPPOSED TO BE, WHAT, $50 MILLION FOR THE RAINY DAY FUND OR WE'RE GOING TO GET THAT? WHERE IS THAT GOING TO BE COMING FROM? Richard: WELL, THAT'S THE IDEA. THERE'S SEVERAL DIFFERENT COMPONENTS TO THIS THAT MADE UP THE DEAL. FIRST THERE'S AN ACCESS PROGRAM THAT'S GOING TO GIVE LOW INCOME PEOPLE BETTER ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE AND ALSO ENCOURAGE THEM NOT TO RELY ON EMERGENCY ROOM CARE AND THAT IS EXPECTED TO SAVE ROUGHLY ABOUT $13 MILLION. THERE'S A PREFERRED DRUG LIST, WHICH IS A WAY FOR THE STATE TO PROVIDE FOR SAVINGS FOR ITS MEDICAID PATIENTS THROUGH BULK PURCHASES OF PHARMACEUTICALS. THAT'S SUPPOSED TO SAVE ABOUT $15 MILLION. THESE ARE OVER THE BIENNIUM. THERE'S ALSO GOING TO BE TIGHTER MEANS TESTING FOR ADMISSION TO PUBLICLY FUNDED NURSING HOMES, WHICH IS EXPECTED TO SAVE ROUGHLY ABOUT $5 MILLION. Allison: SO DOES THAT MEAN PEOPLE THAT WOULD HAVE GOTTEN INTO A NURSING HOME WILL NOT? Richard: WELL, CLEARLY WITH THE MEANS TESTING, THEY'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING FURTHER BACK INTO THE FINANCIAL HISTORY AND IT'S GOING TO BE MORE STRINGENT, SO OBVIOUSLY TO SAVE THE MONEY, IT MEANS THEY CAN'T SPEND THAT MONEY TAKING CARE OF PEOPLE. THERE'S ALSO GOING TO BE SOME LOWER PROVIDER PAYMENTS. Allison: NOW, PROVIDER PAYMENTS HAS BEEN AN ISSUE THROUGHOUT THE BUDGET DISCUSSION. DOES THAT ACTUALLY MEAN, THEN, THE MEDICAID PROVIDERS WILL BE GETTING LESS MONEY? Richard: WHAT THEY'RE RELYING ON HERE IS SOME OF THE ADVANCES IN MEDICINE OVER THE YEARS. THE GOVERNOR LIKES TO USE A COUPLE OF EXAMPLES, LIKE KNEE SURGERY, WHERE TECHNIQUES HAVE ACTUALLY IMPROVED THE RESULTS AND LOWERED THE COSTS, SO WHAT THEY'D LIKE TO DO IS RENEGOTIATE SOME OF THE RATES FOR THOSE PROCEDURES THAT ACTUALLY COST LESS AND THE STATE ITSELF SHOULD BE PAYING LESS FOR THEM, THEREFORE. AND THEY EXPECT TO SAVE ABOUT $2 MILLION FOR THAT. THERE'S GOING TO BE A CONTINUATION ALSO OF THE HIRING FREEZE IN STATE EMPLOYEES. Allison: NOW, WE'VE HEARD A LOT ABOUT HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES. WHERE DO THINGS STAND WITH THAT DEPARTMENT? Richard: RIGHT. THE GOVERNOR HAD ORIGINALLY WANTED TO CUT ROUGHLY ABOUT 80 POSITIONS. THE LEGISLATURE ADDED SOME BACK. THERE'S NOW ABOUT 57 VACANT POSITIONS THAT WILL REMAIN OPEN AND CAN BE FILLED. ALSO THE NINE POSITIONS OF SAFETY, THEY EXPECT TO SAVE ABOUT $3 MILLION WITH THAT. THERE'S ALSO SOME DEDICATED AND SPECIAL FUNDS. THEY'RE GOING TO BE SAVING SOME MONEY BY CHARGING ADMINISTRATION COSTS TO THOSE. THE STATE HAS ABOUT 200 FUNDS THAT IT ADMINISTERS. THERE'S A HIGHWAY FUND. THERE'S EVEN REALLY OBSCURE ONES, LIKE A WILDFLOWER FUND. SO A LOT OF THOSE FUNDS HADN'T BEEN PAYING THEIR OWN ADMINISTRATION COSTS AND THEY ARE RESTRICTED FUNDS, SO THEY'RE GOING TO CHARGE THOSE AND THAT'LL SAVE MONEY OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND. THAT'S ABOUT $2 MILLION A YEAR. THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES, THE COMMISSIONER THERE SAYS THEY HOPE TO REPLACE ABOUT $5 MILLION OF THE GENERAL FUND MONEY THAT THEY SPEND NOW WITH FEDERAL FUNDS, SO THAT WOULD SAVE THAT. AND FINALLY, THERE'S A NEW LIQUOR STORE THAT THEY PLAN TO BUILD IN NASHUA AND THEY HOPE THAT THAT WILL INCREASE REVENUES BY ABOUT $7.5 MILLION. Allison: NOW, YOU WERE TELLING ME, THEY ANTICIPATE HAVING IT DONE IN 60 DAYS. IS THAT RIGHT? Richard: THAT WAS THE ORIGINAL. .EARLY OPTIMISM BECAUSE THERE HAD BEEN SOME WORK DONE ON THE SITE, BUT THE EXPECTATION IS IT SHOULD BE OPEN BY CHRISTMAS, IN TIME FOR THAT BUSY SEASON. Allison: WHAT DID LEGISLATORS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THE AGREEMENT THAT THEY CAME TO TODAY? Richard: WELL, THERE WAS PRETTY NEAR UNANIMITY ON APPROVING IT. SENATOR LOU D'ALLESANDRO, WHO SERVES ON THE FINANCE COMMITTEE, HE WAS ALSO ON THIS SUMMER'S BUDGET ADVISORY COMMITTEE WAS PRETTY TYPICAL. LET'S LISTEN TO WHAT HE HAD TO SAY. |
| Intro Lou Return to index of stories... |
Sen. Lou D'Allesandro - who served on the finance committee and this summer's budget advisory group was pretty typical in his comments. Let's listen to what he had to say. |
| D'allesandro Budget Return to index of stories... |
D'Allesandro - IS THIS BOTH SIDES DECLARING VICTORY AND GOING HOME? I think that's a good way to sum it up. The budget as passed is the budget that is going through - now hopefully, we can put that through in the immediate session of the legislature that is going to be coming up. But no cuts were made and that's my concern. We put together a budget that was a good quality budget that produced a surplus and addressed certain needs. Those needs are still being addressed as this budget has not changed. What's happened as a result of these negotiations are a series of steps that hopefully will create surplus. That's fine with me but we aren't cutting anything that is answering demonstrated needs and that was fundamental in this process. YOu don't cut - you move forward. |
| Thanks, Richard Return to index of stories... |
Allison: IS THIS BOTH SIDES DECLARING VICTORY AND GOING HOME? Richard: I THINK THAT'S A GOOD WAY TO SUM IT UP. THE BUDGET AS PASSED IS THE BUDGET THAT IS GOING TO GO THROUGH. NOW HOPEFULLY, WE CAN PUT THAT THROUGH IN THIS IMMEDIATE SESSION OF THE LEGISLATURE THAT IS GOING TO BE COMING UP, BUT NO CUTS WERE MADE AND THAT'S MY CONCERN. WE PUT TOGETHER A BUDGET THAT WAS A GOOD QUALITY BUDGET THAT PRODUCED A SURPLUS AND WE ADDRESSED CERTAIN NEEDS. THOSE NEEDS ARE STILL BEING ADDRESSED, BECAUSE THIS BUDGET HAS NOT CHANGED. WHAT'S HAPPENED AS A RESULT OF THESE NEGOTIATIONS ARE A SERIES OF STEPS THAT HOPEFULLY WILL CREATE SURPLUS. WELL, THAT'S FINE WITH ME BUT WE AREN'T CUTTING ANYTHING THAT IS ANSWERING DEMONSTRATED NEEDS AND THAT WAS FUNDAMENTAL IN THIS PROCESS. YOU DON'T CUT, YOU MOVE FORWARD. Allison: SO, RICHARD, IT'S NOT A DONE DEAL YET, IS IT? Richard: NOT QUITE. BOTH CHAMBERS OF THE HOUSE AND SENATE HAVE TO RATIFY THIS BY A TWO-THIRDS AGREEMENT, I MIGHT ADD, SO SPEAKER CHANDLER HAS ANNOUNCED THAT THEY'RE PLANNING A VOTE FOR SEPTEMBER 4. SO AT THAT POINT, WE'LL SEE. Allison: RICHARD AGER, THANKS SO MUCH FOR JOINING US. |
| Intro Belles of NE Return to index of stories... |
Next, imagine being a news writer, editor, and producer for 25 years and working with people like Walter Cronkite and Charles Kurault. You'd have to be one of the best in the business. Earlier this week, we caught up with William Moran, who worked at CBS with Cronkite and Kurault. Since retiring, he's taken his research and writing skills and applied them to telling the story of the textile mills and the people whose lives revolved around the industry. His book is called the Belles of New England. Recently Moran spoke before a group at Southern New Hampshire Univerity. We had a chance to sit down ith him afterwards to find out more about it. |
| Belles of NE Return to index of stories... |
WELL, I GREW UP IN NEW ENGLAND, AND I'VE SEEN EMPTY MILL BUILDINGS ALL THROUGH MAIN AND MASSACHUSETTS ALL MY LIFE. AND WHEN I RETIRED, I USED TO PASS LAWRENCE, MASSACHUSETTS ON THE INTERSTATE AND SEE THAT VAST PANORAMA OF EMPTY BUILDINGS, MOSTLY EMPTY, AND I STARTED WONDERING WHAT HAPPENED TO THIS GREAT BIG INDUSTRY, WHAT HAPPENED TO THOSE PEOPLE IN THOSE BUILDINGS? SO I STARTED RESEARCHING AND THE MORE I RESEARCHED, THE MORE INTERESTED I GOT IN THE SUBJECT AND THE MORE I REALIZED HOW MANY DIFFERENT FACETS THERE WERE TO THIS STORY, THE STORY OF THE FIRST WORKERS, THE STORY OF HOW NEW ENGLAND'S ETHNIC VARIETY CAME TO BE, WITH THE IMMIGRATION OF FRENCH CANADIANS, IRISH, EUROPEANS AND THE SOCIETY WE HAVE IN NEW ENGLAND TODAY, CREATED IN LARGE PART BY THE TEXTILE MILLS. Allison: WHEN YOU SAY THE FIRST WORKERS, WHO WERE THE FIRST WOMEN IN THE MILLS? THEY WERE THE. THE YOUNG WOMEN FROM LITTLE FARM TOWNS ALL THROUGH. MOSTLY NORTHERN NEW ENGLAND WHO WERE RECRUITED BY THE FIRST MILL OWNERS TO COME TO THIS BIG NEW CITY-- WALTHAM BEING THE FIRST, IN WALTHAM, MASSACHUSETTS, AND LOWELL, LAWRENCE, MANCHESTER-- COME TO THIS BIG CITY AND FIND NEW OPPORTUNITIES. "WE'LL PAY YOU CASH TO WORK IN OUR MILLS. YOU DON'T NEED A GREAT DEAL OF SKILLS. WE NEED TO TEND THE MACHINES, AND WE'LL TAKE CARE OF YOU. WE'LL PUT YOU IN BOARDING HOUSES. WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE EXPOSED TO CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS, AND WE'LL PAY FOR IT ALL." Allison: WERE A LOT OF THE FIRST WORKERS JUST TRYING TO GET AWAY FROM THE LIFE THEY WERE LIVING? OH, YEAH, THEY SAW NEWSPAPER ADVERTISEMENTS PLACED BY THE MILL SAYING, "WANTED YOUNG WOMEN TO WORK IN LAWRENCE OR LOWELL OR MANCHESTER. THREE DOLLARS A WEEK AND ROOM AND BOARD." THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT THEY COULD ONLY DREAM OF. AT HOME THEY WORKED VERY, VERY HARD ALL DAY, SUNRISE TO SUNSET. HARD WORK WAS NOT A NOVELTY TO THEM. BUT THEY NEVER SAW CASH. THEIR FATHERS DIDN'T PAY THEM. THEY JUST EXPECTED THEM TO WORK. THEY WORE HAND-ME-DOWN CLOTHES. THEY WERE VERY TALENTED. THEY KNEW HOW TO DO EVERYTHING. YOU HAD TO MAKE BUTTER, HOW TO MAKE CANDLES, HOW TO MAKE CURTAINS. THEY KNEW ALL THIS STUFF AND THEY WERE VERY HARDWORKING INDIVIDUALS. BUT THEY WANTED PERSONAL INDEPENDENCE AND FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE. AND THE MILLS OFFERED BOTH OF THOSE OPPORTUNITIES AT THE SAME TIME. SO THEY. WITH THE CONSENT OF THEIR PARENTS, THEY GOT ON THESE OLD HORSE-DRAWN CARRIAGES ALL ALONE; LEAVING HOME FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THEIR LIVES, AND SET OUT FOR THESE MILL CITIES. Allison: A TYPICAL DAY FOR A MILL WORKER, FOR A WOMAN WOULD BE GETTING UP AT WHAT TIME. GETTING UP AT PROBABLY 4:00 A.M. GOING DIRECTLY TO THE MILL. AND IF SHE'S NOT ON TIME, THE GATES CLOSE AND SHE DOESN'T GET IN, SHE DOESN'T GET PAID. WORKING TWO OR THREE HOURS WITHOUT BREAKFAST. FINALLY, IT'S BREAKFAST TIME. HALF-HOUR FOR BREAKFAST. THAT MEANS RUNNING BACK THROUGH ALL THAT. THE LONG HALLWAYS OF THAT MILL, AND RACING TO HER BOARDING HOUSE, HAVING BREAKFAST FOR A FEW MINUTES AND RACING BACK TO THE MILLS TO BE ON TIME, BEFORE THOSE GATES CLOSE. SAME THING AT DINNER TIME. 45 MINUTES, THAT INCLUDES WALKING TO AND FROM THE BOARDING HOUSE, BARELY ENOUGH TIME TO DIGEST THEIR FOOD. THE DOCTORS WHO WERE TAKING CARE OF SOME OF THESE WOMEN SAID, YOU KNOW, THEIR DIGESTIVE SYSTEM IS GOING TO BE RUINED BECAUSE OF THE FRANTIC PACE OF THE MILLS. AND WORK TILL THE SUN SET. WORK SUNRISE TO SUNSET BASICALLY. THE SUNLIGHT PROVIDING MOST OF THE LIGHT IN THE FACTORY BUILDINGS. AND, OF COURSE, AS LONG AS THAT SUN WAS SHINING, THEY WERE GOING TO WORK. AND SIX DAYS A WEEK, 12 TO 14 HOURS A DAY. SUNDAYS OFF, BUT CHURCH ATTENDANCE MANDATORY. WHICH IN MOST CASES WAS ALL RIGHT WITH THEM. THEY WERE CHURCHGOING YOUNG WOMEN. BUT VERY LITTLE FREE TIME EXCEPT FOR CULTURAL EXPERIENCES IN THE EVENINGS. Allison: WHAT ABOUT THE DANGER TO WORKING IN MILLS? TERRIBLE HEALTH CONDITIONS. COTTON DUST IN THE EARLY FACTORIES SWIRLED AROUND IN THE AIR ALL DAY LONG. AT LEAST WOMEN INHALED THAT AIR, SO THEY. THEY DIED THEIR. MANY OF THEM AT A YOUNG AGE OF BROWN LUNG. THE FIRST CASES OF BROWN LUNG DISEASE IN THE UNITED STATES. THE MACHINERY WAS VERY DANGEROUS. THEY OFTEN LOST FINGERS, HANDS, ARMS IN THE MACHINERY. SOME OF THEM WERE SCALPED. THEIR HAIR HANGING DOWN TOO FAR, GOT CAUGHT UP IN THE MACHINERY. THEY WERE SCALPED RIGHT THERE ON THE FLOOR. AND A FEW OF THEM, OF COURSE, WERE KILLED. SO IT WAS A DANGEROUS PLACE TO WORK. Allison: YOU SPEAK ABOUT WOMEN AS FAR AS BEING THE PIONEERS OF EQUAL PAY AND RIGHTS IN THE WORKPLACE. CAN YOU. EXPAND ON THAT A LITTLE BIT. WELL, IT WAS VERY COURAGEOUS FOR THIS REASON. WHEN THEY STARTED DOING THIS. THIS IS THE 1830s. THEY HAD NO POLITICAL POWER WHATSOEVER. WE KNOW THEY COULDN'T VOTE. BUT THEY ALSO COULDN'T DO MANY OTHER THINGS. THEY COULD. TO SPEAK IN PUBLIC. A WOMAN SPEAKING IN PUBLIC WAS JUST UNHEARD OF. SO THEY HAD MANY DISADVANTAGES. TODAY, WE THINK NOTHING OF A WOMAN PROTESTING IN PUBLIC, NO MATTER HOW JUST A CAUSE. BUT IN THOSE DAYS, IT TOOK REAL COURAGE TO STAND IN A STREET AND SAY I'M NOT GOING TO GO TO WORK IN THIS BUILDING BECAUSE I'M NOT BEING TREATED FAIRLY. SO IT WAS MORE THAN SIMPLY BEING THE FIRST LABOR AGITATORS. THEY WERE AMONG THE FIRST WOMEN IN THIS COUNTRY WHO SAID, "WE COUNT IN THIS SOCIETY. AND WE ARE GOING TO BE LISTENED TO." SO THEY'RE REALLY ADMIRABLE PIONEERS IN THE LABOR MOVEMENT AND IN THE WOMEN'S MOVEMENT. Allison: DO YOU THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE FORGET THAT OR DON'T KNOW IT? DON'T KNOW. DON'T KNOW. WE ALWAYS HEAR, YOU KNOW, THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE RIGHT TO VOTE. BUT THEY COULDN'T GO TO MEDICAL SCHOOL. THEY COULDN'T GO TO LAW SCHOOL. THEY COULDN'T OWN A CORPORATION. I MEAN, THEY WERE TRULY, TRULY SECOND-CLASS CITIZENS. NOT MUCH BETTER OFF REALLY THAN THE SLAVES IN THE SOUTH. Allison: CAN YOU JUST SPEAK TO THE DIFFERENT WAVES OF IMMIGRANTS THAT CAME TO THE MILLS IN NEW ENGLAND AND HOW. WITH THE EVOLUTION OF IT, I GUESS, OF DIFFERENT GROUPS. WELL, THE SO-CALLED YANKEE WOMEN TIRED OF THE LONG HOURS AND SO FORTH. AND SOME OF THEM ACTUALLY SAVED UP ENOUGH MONEY TO GO TO COLLEGE OR GET MARRIED. SOME MOVED WEST WITH MANY, MANY OTHER NEW ENGLANDERS. SO THEY WERE REPLACED FIRST BY IRISH IMMIGRANTS WHO ESCAPED IRELAND AFTER THE POTATO FAMINE IN THE 1840s. AND THEY WENT INTO THE MILLS WITH THE ABILITY TO SPEAK ENGLISH. SO THEY REALIZED RATHER QUICKLY THAT THERE WERE ALTERNATIVES IN LIFE TO MILL WORK. AND SO THEY BECAME PUBLIC WORKS EMPLOYEES, POLICEMEN, FIREMEN, PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS. SO THEY DIDN'T STAY VERY LONG. THIS IS A STEPPING STONE FOR THE IRISH IMMIGRANTS. BUT THEY WERE QUICKLY REPLACED BY THE HUGE NUMBER OF FRENCH CANADIANS WHO LEFT QUEBEC, CROSSED THE BORDER, BECAME FRANCO-AMERICANS AND GOT JOBS IN THE MILLS AND STAYED IN THE MILLS FOR. FOR MANY, MANY YEARS. Allison: WHY WAS THERE THE EXODUS OUT OF QUEBEC? THE PEOPLE THERE WERE RULED BY ENGLISH-SPEAKING AUTHORITIES WHO TREATED THEM AS SECOND-CLASS CITIZENS. THEIR FARMLAND WAS OVERWORKED, YIELDING A VERY THIN HARVEST. MANY OF THEM WERE IN DEBT. AND AS THEIR RELATIVES MOVED TO NEW ENGLAND, THEY WOULD WRITE BACK HOME AND SAY, "I'M IN LAWRENCE, I'M IN MANCHESTER, I'M IN PROVIDENCE, WHEREVER. IT'S A PRETTY GOOD DEAL. WHY DON'T YOU COME DOWN?" IN THE LATE 19th CENTURY, THEY WERE JOINED BY EUROPEAN IMMIGRANTS FROM JUST ABOUT EVERYWHERE. ITALIANS, POLES, RUSSIANS, LITHUANIANS, LATVIANS. IT WAS JUST AN INCREDIBLE SIGHT. THE STREETS OF NEW ENGLAND MUST HAVE BEEN. WITH ALL THE ETHNIC FOODS, AND ALL THEIR RELIGIOUS TRADITIONS. IT WAS JUST UNBELIEVABLE IN OLD YANKEE NEW ENGLAND. BUT THEY ALL WANTED WORK. WENT INTO THE MILLS, AND JUST CREATED A WONDERFULLY INTERESTING SOCIETY, I THINK, IN THE SIX STATE REGION. Allison: WHEN DID CHILDREN START WORKING IN THE MILLS? THEY ALWAYS DID RIGHT FROM THE START. NOT THAT THE MILL OWNERS APPROVED OF THAT, BUT. THEY TOLERATED IT. THEY WERE NOT INTERESTED IN RECRUITING CHILD LABOR, BUT EVENTUALLY. VARIOUS FAMILY CIRCUMSTANCES DICTATED THE MOTHER HAD TO BRING THE CHILD IN AND TAKE CARE OF IT. AND THEY DID VERY, VERY LIGHT TASKS. AND THEY HAD LONG REST PERIODS AND SO FORTH. THE CHILD LABOR SCANDALS IN THE MILLS AND ELSEWHERE IN AMERICAN INDUSTRY OCCURRED WITH THE GREAT WAVES OF IMMIGRATION. MANY OF THESE IMMIGRANTS WENT INTO THE MILLS AND NEEDED EVERY PENNY THEY COULD SQUEEZE A PAY CHECK. SO THE FATHER WORKED, THE MOTHER WORKED, AND THE CHILDREN WORKED WHEN THEY WERE. THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO BE 14 YEARS OF AGE. BUT MANY OF THE PARENTS LIED ABOUT THEIR AGE AND BROUGHT THEM IN WHEN THEY WERE TEN, 11, 12-YEARS-OLD. AND THESE CHILDREN AT THIS POINT, NOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE LATE 19th CENTURY, WERE EXPECTED TO PERFORM HARD LABOR, AND THEY DID. AND LONG HOURS, NO SCHOOL ATTENDANCE, AND IT WAS TRULY, TRULY A SCANDAL. Allison: CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE CONNECTION PEOPLE EVENTUALLY MADE BETWEEN THE MILLS IN NEW ENGLAND AND SUPPORTING SLAVERY IN A SENSE? WELL, THE CONNECTION IS MONEY. THE COTTON MILLS OF NEW ENGLAND DEPENDED FOR DECADES ON SLAVE LABOR. AND THE ABOLITIONIST MOVEMENT, WHICH WAS SO VIGOROUS IN NEW ENGLAND, CONFLICTED WITH THE MILL OWNERS. THESE PEOPLE ALL WERE IN THE SAME SOCIETY IN BOSTON. THE ABOLITIONISTS WOULD SEE THESE MILL OWNERS AT SOCIAL GATHERINGS AND SO FORTH. BUT WROTE IN THEIR NEWSPAPERS HOW EVIL SLAVERY WAS AND MEANT IT, MEANT EVERY WORD THEY WROTE. BUT THE. THE. THE QUESTION WAS NOT REALLY SETTLED FOR DECADES UNTIL THE CIVIL WAR. THE MILL OWNERS OF NEW ENGLAND WANTED SLAVERY TO BE PERPETUATED IN THE SOUTHERN STATES WHERE IT EXISTED. Allison: BECAUSE? BECAUSE THAT WAS THEIR SOURCE OF LABOR. AND THEY DIDN'T MIND IF SLAVERY WAS BANNED IN WESTERN STATES, THE. THE NEW STATES JOINED THE UNION. THAT WAS FINE. BUT THEY WANTED SLAVERY TO REMAIN IN THE SOUTH WHERE THE COTTON WAS. SO FOR PURELY SELFISH REASONS, THEY WERE READY TO DISMISS INDEPENDENCE FOR MILLIONS OF SLAVES WHO WERE PICKING THE COTTON WHICH SUPPLIED THEIR MILLS. IT WAS NOT A GOOD TIME IN HUMAN RIGHTS HISTORY. THE FIRST BIG MILL WAS 1814. THE HEYDAY WAS THE 1820s THROUGH. RIGHT UP TO THE CIVIL WAR PROBABLY. THE INVENTION OF THE STEAM ENGINE IS WHAT CHANGED THINGS. NEW ENGLAND WAS DEPENDENT ON WATER POWER. THAT'S WHY THEY LOCATED ALL THIS ALONG THE GREAT RIVERS IN NEW ENGLAND. ONCE THE STEAM ENGINE CAME ALONG IN THE MID-19th CENTURY, SOUTHERN CAPITALISTS COULD BUILD FACTORIES, TEXTILE FACTORIES, AND WERE NOT DEPENDENT ON WATER POWER, WHICH THEY DIDN'T HAVE IN THE FIRST PLACE. SO THAT STARTED THE GRADUAL MIGRATION OF TEXTILE MILLS TO THE SOUTH. AND THAT CONTINUED AS WE KNOW RIGHT UP TO THE 1950s AND 1960s. ONE OF THE DRAMATIC STORIES WAS WHAT HAPPENED TO NASHUA. NASHUA. THE NASHUA MANUFACTURING COMPANY. WAS. WAS TAKEN OVER BY OUT OF STATE INTERESTS, WHO TOOK HOLD OF THE PROPERTY FOR. MORE FOR TAX PURPOSES THAN ANYTHING. IT WAS A VERY COMPLEX TIME OF TAX RELIEF. IF YOU HAD A FAILING BUSINESS AND ALL THIS SORT OF THING. AND THEY HAD NO INTEREST IN MANUFACTURING FABRICS, WHICH IS AFTER ALL WHAT A TEXTILE MILLS SUPPOSED TO BE DOING. AND FOR THEIR OWN FINANCIAL GAIN, THEY CLOSED THE PLACE DOWN OVERNIGHT. I MEAN, ONE DAY THESE PEOPLE WENT TO WORK, AND THE NEXT DAY THERE WAS NOTHING THERE TO WORK AT. IT WAS A SHOCKING TREATMENT OF NOT ONLY THE INDIVIDUAL WORKERS, BUT A WHOLE COMMUNITY THAT DEPENDED ON THAT TEXTILE MILL FOR ITS SURVIVAL. AND NASHUA AS WE KNOW IT, HAS RECOVERED FROM THAT. BUT IT WAS JUST TERRIBLE TREATMENT OF. AND CONTEMPT, I THINK, OF A WHOLE COMMUNITY. - |
| Intro Lighting Up Return to index of stories... |
A New Hampshire woman was also intrigued by the life and experiences of the mill workers there. She discovered a moment in history that dramatically changed the industry. Chip Neal reports on her documentary, "The Lighting Up". |
| The Lighting Up Return to index of stories... |
"MANAGEMENT WOULD OFTEN TRY TO DIMINISH THE IMPACT OF THE LONG HOURS UNDER ARTIFICIAL LIGHT. BY SPONSORING FESTIVE "LIGHTING UP" BALLS IN SEPTEMBER WHEN THE OIL LAMPS WERE LIT TO EXTEND THE HOURS OF WORK. THE WORKERS DESPISED THE LIGHTING UP AND THE LONG HOURS OF WORK UNDER ARTIFICIAL LIGHT. WHILE THE OWNERS SIMPLY VIEWED IT AS A NECESSITY TO KEEP PRODUCTION AND PROFITS UP." Reporter: IT TOOK BRENDA WHITMORE THREE YEARS AND THE HELP OF MANY FRIENDS AND VOLUNTEERS TO MAKE THIS DOCUMENTARY. IT WAS ABOUT THE COURAGEOUS WOMEN WHO WORKED HERE AT THE DOVER TEXTILE MILLS BACK IN 1828. BECAUSE IT WAS THESE WOMEN WHO STAGED THE VERY FIRST, EVER, IN THE COUNTRY, ALL WOMEN'S STRIKE. I WOULD LIKE YOU TO TRY TO IMAGINE IF YOU COULD WHAT IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN LIKE TO WORK BACK IN THESE MILLS IN 1828. WHERE MACHINERY WOULD HAVE LINED THE WALLS ON BOTH SIDES, WHERE PEOPLE WOULD HAVE BEEN CRAMMED IN TOGETHER. MAYBE 80 TO 100 IN THIS SPACE. WHERE THE AIR WOULD HAVE BEEN FILLED WITH LINT AND PARTICLES OF DUST AND LINEN. AND WHERE IT WOULD IT HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY HUMID, AND WHERE THE NOISE WOULD HAVE BEEN DEAFENING SO YOU COULDN'T HAVE HEARD WHAT YOUR NEIGHBOR WAS SAYING TO YOU IF YOU WANTED TO. AND THE POUNDINGS IN THE FLOORS AND THE VIBRATION WOULD COME UP THROUGH YOUR BODIES FOR 14 TO 16 HOURS PER DAY. AND WHAT IT MUST HAVE BEEN LIKE TO WORK IN THAT ENVIRONMENT DAY AFTER DAY AFTER DAY. IT'S CLEAR THAT MANY OF THE WOMEN HAD HEALTH CONDITIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THESE CONDITIONS IN THE MILLS. AND THAT FOR MANY OF THEM THEIR WORKING CAREERS WERE SHORTENED AS A RESULT. ACCIDENTS IN THE MILLS, OFTEN UNREPORTED, MAIMED AND KILLED WORKERS. DANGEROUS CONDITIONS ADDED TO THE LIST OF GRIEVANCES THAT FUELED PROTESTS AND MOTIVATED THE WORKERS INTO COMBINATIONS OR UNIONS; CHALLENGING THE MILL OWNERS TO IMPROVE CONDITIONS AND SAFETY WITHIN THE FACTORIES. THEY STRUCK IN 1828 BECAUSE THE MANAGEMENT OF THE DOVER MILLS CHANGED FROM LOCALLY CONTROLLED TO BOSTON CONTROL. AND WHEN THE BOSTON MANAGEMENT CAME IN THEY STARTED TO ENFORCE THE RULES WITH FERVOR. IF YOU WERE LATE YOU LOST A QUARTER OF A DAY'S PAY FOR JUST BEING TEN MINUTES LATE AFTER THE BELL. ;;;;JILL, YOU AND ME WOULD HAVE OUR ASSES FIRED FOR TALKING!!! YOU COULDN'T TALK TO YOUR COWORKERS WHILE YOU WERE AT WORK IN THE MILL. AND THEY OFTEN TIME HAD A GREAT DEAL OF TIME BETWEEN THEIR ACTIVITIES. THEY COULDN'T READ ANY MATERIAL IN THE MILL. THEY COULDN'T ORGANIZE IN ANY WAY. THEIR WHOLE LIVES BECAME SEVERELY REGULATED AND CONTROLLED BY THE BOSTON ASSOCIATES. AND THEN WITH THE REDUCTION IN THEIR PAY, THAT WAS THE STRAW THAT BROKE THE CAMEL'S BACK. AND THEN AT THE SAME TIME THE MEN'S WAGES WERE NOT REDUCED. SO, THEY FELT THAT THERE WERE SOME CLEAR INEQUITIES. WHEN THE BELLS RANG THEY HAD SO MANY MINUTES TO GET TO THE GATES. WHEN THE BELLS WERE DONE RINGING, THE GATES WOULD CLOSE. AND IF YOU MISSED THE LAST GATE-- THIS WAS AFTER THE NEW OWNERSHIP BY THE BOSTON ASSOCIATES CAME ON BOARD-- THE GATES WOULD CLOSE. IN ORDER TO GET IN, YOU WOULD BE DOCKED A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF YOUR WAGES TO ENTER INTO THE FACTORY TO RESUME YOUR POSITION IN THE MILLS. SO THE CLOCKS AND THE BELLS REGULATED EVERY WORKER'S LIFE EVERY DAY WHILE THEY WERE ENGAGED IN THE ACTIVITY IN THE MILL. IT'S CALCULATED THAT ANYWHERE BETWEEN 400 AND 600 WOMEN ACTUALLY ORGANIZED, AND AT THE SIGNAL ALL LEFT THE MILL SIMULTANEOUSLY. THEY HAD BANNERS THAT WERE MADE. THEY HAD SECURED GUNPOWDER. AND THEY HAD SECURED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS. AND THEY PARADED DOWN THE STREET. THEY LIT OFF THE GUNPOWDER. THEY PLAYED THEIR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS. THESE WERE ALL TECHNIQUES THAT MEN HAD USED TO GAIN ATTENTION DURING PUBLIC DISPLAYS OF PUBLIC DISAPPROVAL WITH MANAGEMENT. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME WOMEN HAD EVER ENGAGED IN A PUBLIC ACTIVITY WHERE THEY HAD USED THESE KINDS OF TECHNIQUES. AND, OF COURSE, THEY WERE NOT WELL-RECEIVED BY ANY OF THE MANUFACTURERS OR THE PRESS, WHICH WAS CONTROLLED BY THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT WERE CONTROLLING THE MILLS. "THE GIRLS ON LEAVING THE FACTORY YARD FORMED A PROCESSION OF NEARLY HALF A MILE IN LENGTH, AND MARCHED THROUGH THE TOWN WITH MARTIAL MUSIC, ACCOMPANIED WITH THE ROAR OF ARTILLERY. THE WHOLE PRESENTED ONE OF THE MOST DISGUSTING SCENES EVER WITNESSED. DECEMBER 30, 1828." AS FAR AS IMMEDIATE RELIEF TO THE WORKERS, THAT WAS PROBABLY NOT WHAT WAS REALIZED. WHAT WAS REALIZED WAS THAT THEY WERE MAKING THE FIRST STEPS IN SIGNIFICANT LONG TERM CHANGES THAT WOULD OCCUR THROUGHOUT THE 1830s, THE '40s, THE '50s AND THE '60s. IN TERMS OF WHAT HAPPENED TO THE WOMEN, CLEARLY THE WOMEN THAT WERE THE LEADERS OF THESE STRIKING AND THE ORGANIZATIONAL PROTESTS, THEY WERE BLACKLISTED. AND THE BLACKLIST WAS ONE OF THE MOST FEARED INSTRUMENTS THAT MANAGEMENT HAD, BECAUSE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN. ESPECIALLY IN THE BOARDING HOUSE SYSTEM, IS THAT IF YOU WERE LABELED AS A BLACKLIST AND PUT ON THAT LIST, YOU WERE NO LONGER ABLE TO OBTAIN OR ACQUIRE WORK WITHIN ANY OF THE MILL STRUCTURES THROUGHOUT THE REGION. SO THE BLACKLIST BECAME A FOCAL POINT FOR CONTINUED ORGANIZATION AND PROTEST INTO THE 1840s, THE 1850s, IN WHICH LEGISLATION WOULD BE ENACTED SPECIFICALLY TO ADDRESS THE LONG HOURS OF LABOR, THE UNSAFE AND UNHEALTHY WORKING CONDITIONS, AND THAT BLACKLIST THAT MANAGEMENT USED TO CONTROL WORKERS. "THE ROAD TO IMPROVEMENT AND RESPECT WOULD BE LONG AND HARD. BUT THE LIGHT OF SUBTLE REVOLUTION HAD BEEN SET IN MOTION, AND THERE WOULD BE NO TURNING BACK. THE LIGHTING UP HAD BEGUN." |
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On the next New Hampshire Outlook - Journalists from around the state will join us to discuss the week's top stories, including the state budget and New Hampshire's new Episcopal Bishop. |
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Tonight on New Hampshire Outlook. Journalists from around the state will join us to discuss the week's top stories, including the state budget and New Hampshire's new Episcopal Bishop. Join us tonight at 10:00. |
| key: State Politics / Government Return to index of stories... |
NEW HAMPSHIRE OUTLOOK Air Date/Time: 8/7/03 22:00 HOST: Allison McNair Length: 6:00 minutes In this edition of New Hampshire Outlook, NHPTV's nightly news magazine, the fight is over. An agreement has been reached on the state budget. We'll have details. And we'll sit down with the author of the Belles of New England: a story about the mill workers and the people who profited from their labor. It took about 11 minutes, but when it was over, both sides had finally agreed on the details of the new State budget. Richard Ager was there and joins us with details. PRODUCER/REPORTER: Richard Ager NAME OF PARTICIPANTS: Craig Benson\NH Governor, Sen. Lou D'Allesandro\D - District 20 |
| key: History Return to index of stories... |
NEW HAMPSHIRE OUTLOOK Air Date/Time: 8/7/03 22:00 HOST: Allison McNair Length: 14:00 minutes In this edition of New Hampshire Outlook, NHPTV's nightly news magazine, the fight is over. An agreement has been reached on the state budget. We'll have details. And we'll sit down with the author of the Belles of New England: a story about the mill workers and the people who profited from their labor. Earlier this week, we caught up with William Moran, who worked at CBS with Cronkite and Kurault. Since retiring, he's taken his research and writing skills and applied them to telling the story of the textile mills and the people whose lives revolved around the industry. His book is called the Belles of New England. Recently Moran spoke before a group at Southern New Hampshire Univerity. We had a chance to sit down ith him afterwards to find out more about it. PRODUCER/REPORTER: Allison McNair NAME OF PARTICIPANTS: William Moran\Author, "The Belles of New England" |
| key: Women Return to index of stories... |
NEW HAMPSHIRE OUTLOOK Air Date/Time: 8/7/03 22:00 HOST: Allison McNair Length: 14:00 minutes In this edition of New Hampshire Outlook, NHPTV's nightly news magazine, the fight is over. An agreement has been reached on the state budget. We'll have details. And we'll sit down with the author of the Belles of New England: a story about the mill workers and the people who profited from their labor. Earlier this week, we caught up with William Moran, who worked at CBS with Cronkite and Kurault. Since retiring, he's taken his research and writing skills and applied them to telling the story of the textile mills and the people whose lives revolved around the industry. His book is called the Belles of New England. Recently Moran spoke before a group at Southern New Hampshire Univerity. We had a chance to sit down ith him afterwards to find out more about it. PRODUCER/REPORTER: Allison McNair NAME OF PARTICIPANTS: William Moran\Author, "The Belles of New England" |
| key: Youth Return to index of stories... |
NEW HAMPSHIRE OUTLOOK Air Date/Time: 8/7/03 22:00 HOST: Allison McNair Length: 14:00 minutes In this edition of New Hampshire Outlook, NHPTV's nightly news magazine, the fight is over. An agreement has been reached on the state budget. We'll have details. And we'll sit down with the author of the Belles of New England: a story about the mill workers and the people who profited from their labor. Earlier this week, we caught up with William Moran, who worked at CBS with Cronkite and Kurault. Since retiring, he's taken his research and writing skills and applied them to telling the story of the textile mills and the people whose lives revolved around the industry. His book is called the Belles of New England. Recently Moran spoke before a group at Southern New Hampshire Univerity. We had a chance to sit down ith him afterwards to find out more about it. PRODUCER/REPORTER: Allison McNair NAME OF PARTICIPANTS: William Moran\Author, "The Belles of New England" |
| key: Minorities / Civil Rights Return to index of stories... |
NEW HAMPSHIRE OUTLOOK Air Date/Time: 8/7/03 22:00 HOST: Allison McNair Length: 14:00 minutes In this edition of New Hampshire Outlook, NHPTV's nightly news magazine, the fight is over. An agreement has been reached on the state budget. We'll have details. And we'll sit down with the author of the Belles of New England: a story about the mill workers and the people who profited from their labor. Earlier this week, we caught up with William Moran, who worked at CBS with Cronkite and Kurault. Since retiring, he's taken his research and writing skills and applied them to telling the story of the textile mills and the people whose lives revolved around the industry. His book is called the Belles of New England. Recently Moran spoke before a group at Southern New Hampshire Univerity. We had a chance to sit down ith him afterwards to find out more about it. PRODUCER/REPORTER: Allison McNair NAME OF PARTICIPANTS: William Moran\Author, "The Belles of New England" |
| key: Immigration / Refugees Return to index of stories... |
NEW HAMPSHIRE OUTLOOK Air Date/Time: 8/7/03 22:00 HOST: Allison McNair Length: 14:00 minutes In this edition of New Hampshire Outlook, NHPTV's nightly news magazine, the fight is over. An agreement has been reached on the state budget. We'll have details. And we'll sit down with the author of the Belles of New England: a story about the mill workers and the people who profited from their labor. Earlier this week, we caught up with William Moran, who worked at CBS with Cronkite and Kurault. Since retiring, he's taken his research and writing skills and applied them to telling the story of the textile mills and the people whose lives revolved around the industry. His book is called the Belles of New England. Recently Moran spoke before a group at Southern New Hampshire Univerity. We had a chance to sit down ith him afterwards to find out more about it. PRODUCER/REPORTER: Allison McNair NAME OF PARTICIPANTS: William Moran\Author, "The Belles of New England" |
| key: Women Return to index of stories... |
NEW HAMPSHIRE OUTLOOK Air Date/Time: 8/7/03 22:00 HOST: Allison McNair Length: 6:00 minutes In this edition of New Hampshire Outlook, NHPTV's nightly news magazine, the fight is over. An agreement has been reached on the state budget. We'll have details. And we'll sit down with the author of the Belles of New England: a story about the mill workers and the people who profited from their labor. A New Hampshire woman was also intrigued by the life and experiences of the mill workers there. She discovered a moment in history that dramatically changed the industry. Chip Neal reports on her documentary, "The Lighting Up". PRODUCER/REPORTER: Chip Neal NAME OF PARTICIPANTS: Brenda Whitmore\Documentary Creator |
| key: History Return to index of stories... |
NEW HAMPSHIRE OUTLOOK Air Date/Time: 8/7/03 22:00 HOST: Allison McNair Length: 6:00 minutes In this edition of New Hampshire Outlook, NHPTV's nightly news magazine, the fight is over. An agreement has been reached on the state budget. We'll have details. And we'll sit down with the author of the Belles of New England: a story about the mill workers and the people who profited from their labor. A New Hampshire woman was also intrigued by the life and experiences of the mill workers there. She discovered a moment in history that dramatically changed the industry. Chip Neal reports on her documentary, "The Lighting Up". PRODUCER/REPORTER: Chip Neal NAME OF PARTICIPANTS: Brenda Whitmore\Documentary Creator |
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Tonight on New Hampshire Outlook. . Tonight at 10pm on New Hampshire Public Television. |