St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1908-08-12
Granite Cutters Best Friend.


viewing the Barre granite manufacturers
and prepared for the CALIFORNIAN the
following illuminating article on the
tariff:
Barre granite manufacturers are
greatly interested in the tariff planks of
the two parties.
Barre is the greatest producer of mon
umental granite in the world. Upon
granite there is a tariff This tariff,
while it protects quarry owner and
granite manufacturer, the great protec-
ton falls upon the workingman,-he
whose labor is an essential to the bust
ness.
Twenty years ago Barre was little
village with no manufacturing industries
of Importance Granite was uncovered.
Her own people had confidence in the
product of her hills. They invested
their money. They interested outside
capital. Barre grew and yearly she adds
to her growth and prosperity.
The tariff has had its influence on the
prosperity of Barre. 1t has protected
the man who with mallet and chise
makes beautiful the rough and jagged
stone. Under this republican tariff-the
skilled granite worker has seen his
wages grow until today his minimum
wage for eight hours labor is $500,
while the maximum climbs to $40.
Scotland is Americas greatest foreign
rival in granite manufacture Labor in
Scotland is so per cent. lower than in
this country. There the daily wage of
nine hours is $3.50 to $175. We're
granite from Scotland or any other
foreign country admitted to this country
free of duty it would place the labor of
Scotland and the labor of America on
the same basis, and its effect would be
to reduce wages in this country to the
level of wages abroad.
To illustrate: A monument can be
produced in Aberdeen, Scotland, say
25 per cent. lower than it is possible to
purchase similar grade in this country.
If there were no duty to pay then Scot
land would certainly be given the prefer
ence, in making the purchase, but before
delivery is made in this country duty
of so per cent. per cubic foot is neces-
sary. This duty, added to the cost of
purchase, makes the American price
lower than the gross cost OF the foreign
article, and the result is protection to
the American manufacturer and the
American laborer.
In Barre there are both republican and
democratic granite manufacturers, but
the latter are few in number and on the
tariff, as applied to granite, they are
protectiorists of high degree
To ascertain the true position of the
granite manufacturers on the tariff ques-
ton, several of them were interviewed
and what they had to say is given here:
Hugh J. NJ. Jones, vice-president Of the
Jones Brothers company, believes in a
protective tariff. but is of the opinion
that the present duty of fifty per cent
per cubic foot on manufactured granite
could be reduced without removing the
protection now given He said:
The present duty of so per cent is
practically prohbitive duty on compe-
tltion and about the only Scotch granite
that comes to this country is sold at a
much higher rate than our American
granite. We would not like to see the
duty much less than 80 per cent and we
think that that would protect American
granite. as the only granite that is now
imported is red granite and it is bought
in this country simply as a matter OF
choice.
might state further that the rough
stock in Scotland is worth nearly twice
as much as the rough stock in Barre,
which of course, adds greatly to the cost
of it. If the rough stock was the same
| price in Scotland as it is here the present
duty OF so per cent would be all right. +"
Alexander Gordon of the firm of Mari
& Gordon said: IF there is to be any
change in the tariff let's raise the duty
rather than lower it,
William Alexander, claim agent for
Boutwell,, Milne & Varnum, quarry
owners, said: I'm the tariff on foreign
granite lies the protection to the wages
of American granite workers. This
protection is necessary to the success OF
the business in this country, both to the
employer and the employee. We are
pretty we'll off as we are and it's a good
plan to leave we'll enough alone"
William Barclay of Barclay Brothers
gave striking illustration of what can
be and is done to some extent. even
under our present tariff system. He said:
Granite quarried in Labrador and
shipped to Aberdeen, Scotland, where it
is finished, is delivered at San Francisco,
the duty paid, at less cost to the pur-
chaser than our own manufactured
granite can be delivered, free of duty, at
the same port. To reduce the duty
would have tendency to let in even
more of the foreign article, and the more
breign granite that reaches this country
the more is the American granite
worker affected"
John Robins of Robins Brothers.
Mayor of Barre, said: 1--WE are salts
fed with the present schedule. The pro
lection given us by the tariff has resulted
inmaking the industry what tits today.