The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1913-08-14
THE GRANITE INDUSTRY IN THE
THIRD DISTRICT.
portland Evening Expressly

portland Evening Expressly
Dry reports of Congressional action
sometimes uncover facts of startling
human interest to groups of people For
instance. the Washington report of yes
terday dealing with the long drawn out
contest over the enactment of a tariff
law, notes that the only vote to which
the Senate came on the day in question
was on an amendment offered by Sena-
tor Gallinger Of New Hampshire to in
crease the proposed duties on granite and
other monumental and building stone.
The Democratic tariff makers have
cut this duty one-half on polished stone,
while on the rough stone the Democrats
proposed duty of only three cents per
cubic foot Senator Gallinger's amend
ment did not ask for the retention of the
present duty because probably he realiz-
ed that such amendment would be i'm
practicable, but he asked only that the
duties be reduced 20 per cent, and that
amendment was lost by strict party
vote except that one western senator,
elected as Republican, joined the Demo-
Gratis in support of lower duties.
In the State of Maine in 1909, accord
ing to the last official census, the value
]
! There was paid to the wage earners,
which under census classification does
not include salaried officers of corpora
tons. superintendent, managers, clerks,
or any other salaried employees, 81, 49,
/ 1856, a sum almost equal to the value of
the product itself. The latest available
statistics, those given in the report of
the labor commissioner of Maine for
1902, show that the rate of wages at
that time among the workers in the
granite industry, was as follows: Gran
tie cutters 50 so to 500; quarrymen,
ST. rs to 50; blacksmiths, So 80; common
/ iaborers, ST. so to S1.75; other laborers
I ST. rs to 81. so; paving cutters generally
make from s.. 25 to 81. so per day.
/ The ability to pay these wages arises
from the fact that the Government had
placed discriminating duties upon the
product brought to these shores from
other lands where men work for very
much less money than they could receive
at this same occupation here. The first
and inevitable result of the cut in the
tariff duties on granite must be reduc
ton for the man who works for daily
pay, if the industries are to proceed at
all.
Now the practical application of these
facts comes home with especial force to
the voters in the Third Maine District
who are to choose member of Congress
on the 9Th day of next September.
industry directly or only indirectly profit
by it because of the sums of money
which are paid to the laborers, and are
used for the support of their families, in
many parts of the Third District the
question of wages of the granite cutters
is vital one Hallowell's greatest
source of revenue is the granite quarries
there. The same is true of Frank fort.
Important quarries are being operated
at Addison, Red Beach. Bluehill, North
Sullivan, Swanvlle, South Brooksville,
Mt. Desert. Machias, Stonington, Jones'
boro, Dedham, Deer Isle, Eden, Penob-
scot, Cooper, Meddybemps and Jones'
port. All the voters of these towns
prosper as the granite industry prospers
and they will suffer as the granite indus
try suffers DR.. Gallinger and Senator
Dillingham; Of Vermont, both of whom
tried hard to have the reduction less
fatal, come from granite producing
States and know the Importance to the
people as whole that the industry be
not crippled by this cut in the tariff
rates.
John A. Peters of Ellsworth and Will
liam R. Pattangall of Waterville are
running for Congress with this tariff
bill as an issue. If Mr.. Peters were
member of Congress now, he would vote
to retain the tariff on granite, or if that
were possible, to keep the tariff rates as
near the present rate as possible. And,
If he is elected to Congress he can be de-
pended upon to do all that one man can
do to rehabilitate the granite industry
after it is affected by the Democratic
policy.
If Mr.. Pattangall had been member
of Congress now, he would have voted
against any amendment calculated to
help the granite industry, and if he
should be elected to Congress, he can be
depended upon to vote for retaining in
the law the Democrat policy.
II Mr. Peters is elected to Congress on
September 9Th, the country will know
that the Third Maine District protests
against the tariff revision and the Grip
ping OF the great granite industry; if
Mr.. Pattangall is elected to Congress,
the country will know that the Third
Maine District has declared itself to be
IN favor of the reduction of so per cent
on polished stone, and of a reduction of
the duty on rough stone to three cents
per cubic foot. This concrete fact ought
to be borne in upon the minds of the peo-
pie who are so directly interested in
what we have called the dry report Of
Congressional proceedings.
The Best Pain Killer.