The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1890-09-25
NUMBER 36.

other streams warrant the building of
large mills on their banks. There is,
however, no stream like the Merrimac in
New Hampshire, with its source among
the lakes Of the White Mountains, used
as reservoirs, whose flow can be regu-
lated, and the utilization of which has
built up the cities of Concord, Manches-
ter, Lawrence and Lowell. The power
required for driving machinery is not as
dependent upon water as formerly, and
it Is probable that had the improvements
Uf the Merrimac been delayed few years
the enormous sums of money expended
in building reservoirs, dams, ,sluice-ways,
would never have been used for that puT-
pose.
The Improvement of the steam boiler
and engine has so economical the use of
fuel that the large manufacturer does
not, now, seek water-power alone; aeon
venient location as regards transporta-
ton and nearness to market, and TO the
raw material used, and coal consumed, is
of the first Importance, Practical manu-
facturers are abundantly able to take
care of themselves, and to judge of their
own requirements, and those worth hav
ing ask for but few favors.
The Commissioner does not believe in
subsidizing manufacturers in order to
secure their location among us. Extra
ordinary circumstances may warrant
such course, but observation, in ono
prominent instance at least, shows that
nine-tenths of the manufacturers requiT-
ing local aid to secure their presence,
prove disastrous failure. A self-reli-
ant, practical, business man, who has
gained his knowledge by experience, and
whose common sense and business hab-
its keep him from reaching out beyond
his ability to control, is independent of
aid, asks no favors, and is always sue
cess, and no employee loses money by
him. The community in which such an
one locates, secures good citizen who
helps to build up the town and the State
While this is correct as a general state
ment, and it does not seem to the Com
missioner that legislation, or this Bu-
reau, can in any large measure increase
the number of manufacturers in this
State, as the laws of trade are not to be
controlled, yet well-guarded legislative
encouragement, and town action in max
| ing known facilities for special manufac-
turing industries, and the giving of what
ever aid may be required to secure proper
sites therefor, would greatly assist in
causing practical manufacturers, with
ample backing of capital, to locate with
in our borders.
Most, if not all, of our manufacturing
centers have been built up by natives OF
the State, who have commenced at the foot
of the ladder. The employee of yester-
day is frequently the employer of to-day.
This is illustrated by the marble, gran
ite and slate industries; the scale manu-
facturers of st. Johnsbury and Rutland
at Brattleboro; the mills of Windsor,
Bellows Falls and Winooski; the manu-
fracture of knit goods in Bennington;
Ialso the saw mills and various manufac-
tories of wooden ware, and small indus
tries scattered over our State. Almost
every hamlet is enlivened by busy ma
lchinery. The small industries located
on streams among the hills, in the aggre
gate, amount to large sum; they neeC
but little power, and do not depend up
on large outlays. As cheap as coal is, il
is too dear to furnish power where they
are located. They should be encouraged
as far as possible, and the COMMISSIONS
strongly urges the re-enactment of the
law, repealed few years ago, eXempting
new outlays from taxation for five years
The little matter of few dollars tax OIL
a small enterprise would frequently MAKE
the difference between improving wate
power or leaving the stream to an unim
peded flow. To illustrate: A man own
or lives near small stream, large enough
to furnish power at little expense, fo
turning lathe, chair factory, or other lik,
industry. He has but small capital les
than he absolutely needs for the purpose
Before he can get ready to turn ou
work and receive returns, the lister ha!
entered his improvements on the granC
list, and the few dollars to satisfy til,
consequent tax cripples his business, anC
certainly deters others from engaging il
like pursuits. To be sure the law nov
allows towns to exempt property from
taxation in certain cases. but it is wei
known that towns are frequently blinC
to their own interests, or petty jealousie'
and neighborhood quarrels prevent ac
ton, and pride causes many a man t
ask no favors, preferring rather not t,
make the improvements desired. Tit
results from establishing manufac
turing industries reach beyond
town lines, and the State, 81
far as practicable, should, b!
general laws, encourage their establish
ment. 1t is not probable that exemption
from taxation will greatly influence thos
able to establish large and profitable
manufactures, but in so far as such {
law would affect them, it would certainl,
: be in the right direction. From his Owl
observation as a manufacturer, the Com
missioner feels sure that the repeal o
the law referred to was mistake, and
to a certain extent, retarded the growtl
of our manufacturing interests. Th
fact cannot be too strongly urged tina
A. II TO- 10 uVs
of great benefit to the State, and the tai
remitted in encouraging them would b.
returned many times by increased re
ceipts from taxation on Industries so fos
tered, after the expiration of the limi
mentioned.
Statistics show that there is a gradua
and healthful increase of manufacturing
in Vermont. Already the aggregate valu,
of production reaches S37 900, 900 annual
ly, employing 10000 operatives, who ar
paid over S6,500,0O0, Capital investe'
amounts to more than S30,000,000, an,
1.-THE number of establishments exceed
1850. The raw material used is estimat
ed at S21 100000 In classifying the sta
tistics, it is shown that the value of tn
output of marble and slate is nearl.
SO, ,60O, 600, and of granite over 81 900, 900
| NnllO lllc CtilSNlo VI loCb pAstNNu bhN RAo
ducts of these industries at less thai
81, 10000 TheDproduct of knit good
was valued at 1896, 900 and now reaches
nearly or quite S2,0O0,000. An equa
ratio of increase is noticeable in othe
manufactures.
The question of freight is an import
ant factor in the establishment of any in
dustrial enterprise. The manufacture o
many heavy articles of low value must b.
located on tide water, or where competi
ton for freight makes low rates. Prob
ably railroad companies are no more o
less grasping than other companies whel
opportunity offers. The fact, however
that railroads are favored 10y specia
State laws, granting them valuable fran
chises, would seem to be n reason VIII.
they should consider the interests of TIL
people doing business on their lines. Tn
Commissioner is not prepared to say tina
they do not take this into consideration
and it is self-evident that but few manu-
factures could thrive remote from rail
road facilities. 1t is, however, unfortu
nate for the manufacturer to be so locat
ed as to be subject to rates in excess o
those charged competitors in other sec
tions. To illustrate: The freight rat
for textile fabrics from Bennington b
State Line, 1id Bennington & Rutlan'
railway, seven miles, are seven cents. pc