The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1910-10-21
SENATOR PAGES SPEECH
Gave 35 Minute Address Before Joint
Assembly

Following Senator 4. =. rage IS re-
election at Montpelier Wednesday he
was escorted to the chair today in
Joint assembly by a delegation of
five. headed by state Senator Pike of
Iamoille county. and addressed the
assembly in q 35-minute speech in
which he discussed national and state
issues. lie was loudly applquded as
he took the chair and was given hear
~ applause when he paid a tribute
10 Vermont and upon the conclusion
Of his remarks He expressed him
self as stoutly opposed to the ratif-
cation of the proposed income tax
amendment to the constitution of the
United States This question will
come before the legislature probably
at an early date as the subject is now
under consideration by the commit
tees on federal relations which gave
public hearing this evening on the
question.
Unon the death of Senator Redfeld
Proctor his son, Fletcher D. Proctor
then governor. appointed John w
Steward Of Middlebury to fill the va
cancy until the meeting Of the legis-
lature in 1908 when Mr. Page was
elected 10 FL the unevpired term Of
Senator Proctor The election of Mr.
Page this week is his first for a full
term Mr.. Page spoke in part as fol-
lows:
First and most important was my
action on the Payne tariff bill. II Is
probably true. as charged that this
bill was formulated largely upon the
principle that the delegation from
each state would do its best to pro
tect the products of that state With
the single exception of the blind SEN
ator from Oklahoma, Senator Gore,
who declared again and again, that
he would not vote for a protective
tariff upon anything believe it is
true that my brother senators fought
squarely, outspokenly and vigorously,
democrats and republicans alike, for
what directly affected and protected
the important interests of their re-
spective states. The democratic SEN
ators from Louisiana, Nc Emery and
Foster both unhesitatingly asserted
that II protection on sugar, rice and
lumber was withdrawn, the wheels Of
prosperity in Louisiana would stand
still. Even Senator Tillman labored
loud and long to secure a protective
tariff on that infant industry OF South
= Carolina-tea.
Our own farming interests required
Z substantially the same protection as
= the interests of the many other agri-
> cultural states, and therefore no es-
=, pecial effort on the part Of the Yer.
!, mont delegation was necessary to
u protect the Vermont farmer.
y A differc"t condition, however, OBJ
: tanned wiz reference to our second
=, most important industry, our 1uarries
" The Payne bill. as il came to the Sen
~ ate from The House. practically cut
in two ~ protection on marble ant
granite The large importers OF Ital
. ian marble brought to bear their hes
, efforts to have the doors Of this coun
try opened to the products Of cheal
Italian labor and the Vermont produc
er of marble was confronted with on,
Of two alternatives: he must eithe
abandon no inconsiderable portion o
his business or reduce the price o
his labor 10 more nearly meet tn
nrlce OF labor in Ita'v The cost O
- TRANSFORMATION from the ouarries q
Carrara. IN Italy TO New York is bu
2 mere trihe more than II is fron
the nUarries at Proctor 10 that city
while the cost to Savannah. New o.
leans. Los Angeles. san Francisc
and Seattle is probably less fror
Italv than from Vermont. Unon as
pertaining the fact that the Payne hi
had attacked so vigorously our graz
tie Industry. Senator Dillingham; an
myself nromntlv communicated wit
the Rarre Hardwick and Woodbur
granite products and found that
their oninions such a reduction woul
be ruinous 10 the granite business
this country. We Immediately too
un this matter with the finance con
mittee Of the Senate and finally su
ceeded in securing n modification
the Pavne or House hill which IL
tho duty with a reduction Of 16 .
ner cent or one-sivth. instead Of on
hale as II originally provided
To show how imnortant TO Vernon
was this result. II is only necessal
to state the position which Vernon
occunies with reference to these Nv
great industries. We produce mo
than 30 per cent more marble than q
[ the other states Of the Union comhi
ed and whereas IN 1905 we rank,
third in the list Of granlte-nroducil
states. in 1906 we rose 10 the secor
place. In 1907 to the first place. NJ
In 1909 we took from Pennsylvan
~, the proud rank which she had alwa
4 before maintained Of standing first
the sisterhood Of states. IN the tot
value OF the products Of the auarrle
The superiority Of the granite NJ
marble Of Vermont has come 10
so well understood that there Is 20,
reason for believing that IN the ne
10 years We shall widen the gan I
tween Vermont and her competito
until, IN the race for leadership. y
shall distance all the states OF n
Union In the output OF our auarries
The present trend Of public sen
ment seems TO demand that the NO
revision Of the tariff he made q,
schedule at time. md that n
based upon so-called scientific I'm
IN which the measure Of protection
the products Of American industrl
shall be the difference between 4