The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-12-11
PUBLIC HAS CONCERN
in OUR LABOR WAR
It's Views Presented TO Supplement the
Statements Made by Both of the
Directly Interested
Parties,

0lAcSAty AAeVASoNcu
Parties.
Editor Rarre Daily Times: The Gran
ite Manufacturers association and the
Granite Cutters association have used
your paper TO present their position in
their present troubles The public ask
your courtesy in Offering the following.
We are facing to-day the most critical
condition In the business situation Of
Washington county. which we have ever
had to contend with, Barre City and
Barre Town being the center Of troubfe
and holding key to the situation We
do not propose to discuss the questions
leading up to the present trouble be-
tween the Granite Cutters association
and the Barre Manufacturer associar
tion, but ask each association reader to
place himself in the position Of the mem
bers Of the other association, and after
having refreshed his mind as 10 the
actual circumstances OF the Waterbury,
Mortified and Barre troubles in the past
few weeks, decide in his own mind il
the conrae which has been taken by
either association was honorable, OF was
according to agreements between the two
associations.
Washington county has shown a larger
increase In population and in wealth than
any county Ia Vermont during the past
fifteen years. This Is entirely due to
the granite industry, which had its start
in Barre and which ~ being kept up
and increased BY the industry Of the
granite workers. as we'll az by the gran
ite manufacturers Some Of TIM granite
workers Of to-day viii be granite manu-
facturers Of the future and it is prob
ably safe statement that al least three
fourths OF the manufacturers of to-day
were among the workers 81 the past.
There can be no great success In any
business without salaried and day labor,
and to make large and successful bust
ness, and keep i increasing. every man
mnst give his best effort 10 the same
end. or IN other words. all work together
and live up to the intent and wording
Of association agreements. rather than
to seek an excuse 10 break same at
the instieation OF some over xealons or
ararieved associate
There is stlll another side 70 this ques.
tion, which has been but seldom men-
toned and never given consideration
That "a, the interests or the pubic. who
are not directly interested financially or
as workers In the granite industry, but
are dependent on the success or the
manufacturer IN obtaining fair profit
for his labor and investment and on the
worker receiving adequate recompenne
for his labor This side includes the
farmer and his family, the merchant ard
his family, his clerks and IN many eases,
the clerks families. the tenement owner
and the city employe. Also many wild.
ows and orphans, who Obtain a scanty
living BY taking a few boarders and
roomers.
Barre's mercantile bnEness and its
granite industry il III large measure
receiving its financial support BY leans
from the &,anks, whose largest depositors
on interest accounts are the granite
workers of the city ard town 81 Barre
Waien theae sources of ready money bv
tine stopping of deposits are removed. II
brings a financial strain Oh Tire public,
which It is nearly impossible TO over
come. especially when this condition
comes without n DAYS warning.
The farmer purchases his feed and
supplies The merchant contracts for
the goods which are reeded by his clls-
toners The lahoTing man, the boarding
house keepers and the entire public pnr.
chase their winter supplies many pay
ing a portion of the purchase price and
expecting to take care Of the balance
from their earnings The present condi
4sea.,. .-.~f,n .
our citizens TO meet their agreements,
thus ceating q hardship and expense.
which r. an absolute loss and can never !
be recovered
In Barre City, alone. there are two
thousand thrown ont Of employment. I
and six hundred are probably out 81 em-
ployment on the quarrfes. This n1nises
botai loss of approximately M 900 FOR I
each working day The manufacturers
state that many Of them are short Of |
work and can save money by closing
their plants The wurkmen say that /
they are drawing lockout pay Of $l.25l
per day, and that they can i've. But
how about the Jumpers and the quarry.
maaf, who are thrown out OF employ. |
me41t, and the public. who are dependent I
on the prosperity Of the granite indus
trvY And what effect viii such con
dition as now exists have on the pros
perity Of opr CITY county and state? /
WTll present conditions tend 70 make
orders more plentiful IN the future, or
will ii be used among those who are
exploiting other GRANTEES as strong
argument against specifying Barre gran
iteg
II Barre's reputation as the leader IN /
the granite monumental business was
BIZ its being recognized a.
having conservative business and labor
living up to their agree
meHts and never allowing unbusiness-
like propositions to be passed By their
respective associations, it would be an
which would be worth
millions Of dollars to Barre in the next
few years.
A Citizen
Barre, VT, Dec. Q, 1900,