Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1913-08-28
ELECTklC POWER Is CHEAP
Gives Burlington Big Advantage
as Manufacturing Center.
Commercial Club VIII Take Up with
transportation Companies the MAT
ter OF observation-disclosures Freight
Rates for Granite.

As a result Of largely attended meet
ing Tuesday evening, the Commercial
club will take up with the transpor-
tation companies entering this city the
matter of more advantageous freight
rates. with view to securing addi-
tional industries for, Burlington, es-
pecially in the line of the granite
business II was brought out that the
rates for electric power are lower
here than in Rutland. Brattleboro and
other Vermont localities. and lower
even than In Barre. except as the
Barre rates are Influenced by sliding
scale
Ernest II. Russell, sales manager of
Temple Brothers of this city, spoke in
detail of power conditions as applied
to the plant with which he Is con-
nectel Lynn r MacBroom manag ar
of the city electric light department
also gave figures bearing upon these
conditions That power is one OF the
chief items of cost in granite manu-
facture along with labor. was brought
out, and that compared with these the
cost of raw stock Is triflng. The
present equipment of the light and
power department, it was stated is
able to handle three or four times the
present demands. All in all the adj
vantagas of Burlington as possible
granite center were presented in an
attractive way that aroused much In
teres..
Mr. Russell said that freight rates
over she Rutland have never been sat
] iafactory. but that the rates to Barre
| over the Central Vermont. with an al
! lowed rebate ana the Champlain
! Transportation company's rate of five
cents a 100 pounds TO northern New
York points, with free return of tools
used in placing monuments, have
! helped to make II possible for the bus
mess to grow from $4,000 to 100000
in about three years past Gales are
leading in Barre granite, but much of
the work of his company can be done
more choaply in Barre than here.
1t has been cheaper, he said, to
ship finished stone to New York via
Rouses Point and over the Delaware
&'Hudson, or via the Central Vermont
through Millers Falls, than direct over
the Rutland south.
In Barre, said Mr.. Mac Broom. there
is maximum power rate of four cents
Il kilowatt hour, and a minimum of
two cents here the maximum and
minimum are five and 212 cents. re-
spectively. In Rutland the low rate
is three cents Freight rates
on unfinished granite from the Barre
quarries to Waterbury are So a car
with 80 for switching charges. TIC
burlington from the quarries, the rate
is from $40 to S45 a car. The rate
here from Hardwick Is very high, but
the Iardwick granite Is a building
stone used but little here. except for
curb stones Mr.. Russell replied to q
question that he would prefer the lake
rate of five cents a 100 pounds to the
=, Central Vermont rate, even with the
rebate, on shipments from Barre. His
firm have plans, he said for a shed 16C
feet long with G0foot span and trav
. cling electric crane, If power rates
could be made satisfactory. The ques
tion of lower rate for large users o
power on a sliding scale. which would
J make 1t as low to such large user!
as the Barre rate, was discussed ap
provingly.