The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1876-02-23

eleven slabs, making foot In thickness,
came in at the same rate of duty as block
which was foot in diameter. Under
the law of 1864, the eleven slabs paid du-
ty of one dollar per cubic foot, while un-
der the law of 1870, one dollar and twenty
five cents both without computing the
al oalorem duty. Under Mr.. Morrison's
proposed bill these same eleven slabs would
pay duty of only one dollar and ten cents
per cubic foot and 10 dd galorem duty
being at lees rate than the blocks paid
under the law of 1864, or any kind of mar
ble whether in blocks or slabs, under the
law of 1870.
From cursory understanding of the
subject, we take 1t that it does not make
very much difference what the tariff is on
statuary, brocadilla, Sienna, and verdan-
tiaue marble in blocks We may be all
wrong in lhis-if so, some of our marble
men can correct us. But from our general
understanding of the subject, very little OF
this class of marble is produced without
the United States, and, therefore, cannot,
and does not, come into competition with
American marble
What we know as "Italian marble" in
blocks ia included in the second class and,
| for the reasons elsewhere stated, is even
now suppl .ning our Vermont marble. 1t,
owing to the low price Of labor, can be
produced and delivered in New York for a
much less price than our Vermont marble
can be delivered at the quarries. Yet this
| bill proposes to reduce the duty some four
hundred per cent.
The main interest of Vermont, however,
is centered in the proposed reduction OF
duty on marble slabs-a reduction IRON
some flfty-fivc cents to ten cents pei
square foot more radical reduction, We
venture to say, than was ever proposed
at on. jump" on any one article of mer
Chandsc.
1t is not those whom we popularity cal
" marble men who are alone interested II
this matter. Their business, to be sure, il
suffering under the general depression
their sales are light and profits are small
compared with the past, and the passage o
this bill might be the finishing blow. Blu
when they suffer, the people of Vernon
suffer with them. Every dollar paid b,
them in the development of marble quar-
ries and for the manufacture of marble, ]
so much added to the wealth of Vermont
Every dollars worth of marble they sell
every dollar of profit they receive, ever
dollar Of wages they pay out is 81 mucl
added TO the veal h of the state, is s.
much added to the general business pros
perity. The protection is not to Their
alone, it is to the state-and the state vii
suffer from the reduction far more thai
they will.
And why will the state be the creates
sufferer? Simply because, as yet, "mal
"bc men in the aggregate have not, as
generally believed, made money out of tn
business. Up to the present time, ther
has not been as much derived from th
marble quarries of Vermont as has been il
vested in their Development Every do
lar, as we have said, paid out in the dc
velopement Of these quarries has added s
much to the permanent wealth OF Vel
mont. In addition to this, vast sums c
money have been expended for the dt
velopment of quarries which have prove
of no value to the owners, but which ha
given an impetus to business in the con
muniiy. Vast regions covered by these il
, exhaustible marble beds are yet usdeve
, oped, and awaiting development, which tn
passage of this bill would prevent. If th
law remains as it is, these quarries will,
time, be developed and whether the pro
pectors make or lose money, large perm;
nent wealth will be added to Vermont.
The passage of this bill will prevent sue
development, because labor is worth opl
eight or twenty cents day in Italy
), marble can be cut and polished and place
on ship board, at these rates, at a yer
=, small sum and can, for the most part, |
transported to this country freight FREE
because it will be, and is, in demand sin
ply for ballast. At New York or Boston
it can be entered and come into compe,
i ton with our Vermont marble by payin
= about the same sum for duty that our We
e mont manufacturers are compelled to pa
l. for freight alone. Perhaps some of Il
J. advocates of low tariffs can inform us no
l. many quarries would be developed in We
T, mont under this state of facts how lor
u it would be before the score OF marb
d mills in this county would cease workir
d and the over one thousand men now Ell
o ployed in the production of some thr
e million square feet Of two inch marb
l. annually, would be thrown out of er
II ployment and become town charges ?
Y
!. | Do1t<;oo1 Nntoc