The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1913-07-28
YOUR GROCER SELLS
Stickney & POor's Mustard
Tell him nothing else will suit
ysu.
PNEUMATIC TOOLS IN ABERDEEN.
There Is Considerable Discussion Going
on About Them.

The Aberdeen granite-cutters are pre-
pairing to embark on new campaign
This time it is not question of hours
and wages although presumably these
mundane matters will not be forgotten
but a movement inspired by the laud-
able desire to protect the health of the
workers in our local granite yards. Dur
ing the recent trouble, ominious NUT
terings were occasionally heard against
the use of certain pneumatic tools for
stone-cutting purposes, although natur-
ally any grievances which the workmen
may have entertained in that respect
were overshadowed by the more impor.
tant differences which gave rise to the
disastrous strike that for nearly two
months paralyzed one Of our most i'm
portant local industries. These ques-
tions have now been settled for a time,
however, and the stonecutters are deter
mined to seize the opportunity to inyes-
tigate thoroughly the effects of pneu-
matte tools on the health of the work
ers. AS is well known, there are two
types OF pneumatic tools used in the
Aberdeen granite yards. There is the
heavy surfacing maehine-the "dunter,
as it is colloquially termed-which is
used for hewing down the faces of head
stones or other large surfaces prepare
tory to polishing or fine axing, and
there is the smaller and more plant tool
which is used for carving letter-cutting
and similar purposes. 1t is mainly
against teh surfacing machine. "a muir
protests of the granite cutters have been
mainly directed, although it is urged
that the continual Earring of the smaller
tools also tends to destroy the use of
the wrists and arms of the operators
who have to ply them day after day for
months and years on end. Vehement
and virulent are the anathemas that
have been hurled by the stone cutters
against teh surfacing machine. "A muir
derous implement, murder of masons
by machinery" "a tool better fitted for
a slaughterhouse than for a granite
yard these are some of the phrases
which have been frequently on the lips
Of the leaders of the mems union, when
this question has been discussed. The
Earring of the tool on the rough stones,
it is said, shakes the arms of the opera
tors as by a galvanic battery, and in
extreme cases produces an effect APP
preaching semi-paralysis OF the limbs.
The continual use of the smaller pneu-
matte tool, it is urged, produces effects
only little less disastrous TO the
health OF the workers. Such in brief is
the granite cutters indictment OF the
pneumatic tools. Employers, on the 9th
er hand, who have given good deal of
attention to the subject, declare that
the statements made by certain OF the
men are grossly exaggerated, and that
the use Of the ordinary pneumatic tools
has no evil results whatever on the
health of the workmen. Who, then,
shall decide when experts disagreeG The
monumental branch of the Operative Ma
sons and Stonecutters' union has taken
the commendable step of arranging for
thorough investigation of the question
from medical point of view. A we'll
known local doctor has consented TO take
the matter in hand Statements are be-
ing made by granite cutters OF their
experience OF pneumatic tools, and these
men will be afterwards examined by the
medical man in charge of the inquiry.
The result of his investigations will be
awaited with keenest interest by all
who are connected with the granite trade.
1t is too late in the day to talk of
abolishing pneumatic tools from the
granite yards, but if the mems com
plants are justified, even but to a
slight extent, it should not surpass the
wit of engineers and inventors to devise
such improvements on these labor-sav-
inn indictments ms will make IT pprfecfly
safe for workmen to use them without
producing any harmful results.-Aber-
deem, Scotland, Gazette.