Norwich bulletin., 1915-02-08
MYSTERIES GRANITE BUSINESS
Fair at Present-Good in Some Yards-Innoderate De mands of Employees to Blame for Number of Idle Men Miss Hanson Resigns at Kingston School

Speaking Of the general conditions in Westerly in tho granite business, gentleman prominent in the industry says: Business conditions in Westerly are fair, everyone being busy, although there is very little building work. There is a considerable number of large sized Westerly granite monuments being cut in the different sheds with exception ally artistic designs and calling for considerable carving. The kind Of Joos which are cut from Westerly granite have done much to make Westerly leader in the monumental line, while many other granite centres have been obliged in order to get business, to make up designs which call for a min mun amount of cutting and simple. inexpensive carving. The Westerly dealers have succeeded i'll not only up holding their standard, but adding to it. The three leading granite concerns ail employ designers who have In the past 25 years originated many designs which have proved the best sellers. when the local dealer has partiCu- lar customer to please. These design CTS, together with the designers from the other large granite centres, and designers employed by the different wholesalers and prominent dealers. are really a great asset to the granite bus mess, and few dealers realize when they go to the cemetery to make . sketch of a monument already erected, or receive a photograph for the small sum of 75 cents with the sizes on the same how much thought, time and money were spent by the concern that originated the design or combined sev- eral former designs into one with new and pleasing effect. Westerly claims to have done more in the past 25 years than any other section in ele- Vating the monument industry, both in point of design and quality of work n1a.nsf1ip and I believe the dealers here have a, reputation second to none for honesty and fair dealing
 Frank A. Sullivan, manager of the Crumb Quarry company, which deals entirely with stock tn the rough, says: At the present time our quarry pumps are kept busy disposing of this un- precedented amount of water. We are very busy. having our full force of men at work and are shipping a large amount of stock, and in spite of the season of the year, with few excep- tions, we have our orders filled within 30 days. This is due to the excellent condition of our quarry. which is pro- ducing more granite than ever. Our new quarry is also producing a large amount of the very best rough stock, and we are counting on installing con siderable additional equipment
 A granite manufacturer, dealer and
 
 cover many points in New England, says that he never knew of the tirnI when there were so many idle men as at present and he saw no signs cf immediate improvement. He said this condition vas due to an extent to the actions of the employees who made such unreasonable demands that they have had a depressing effect on the granite business. He said that the new "biIl of prices soon to be presented to the manufacturers will, provide for 8 seven hour worl5day with no reduction in wages, and with further provision that when the proposed "oill of prices ex- pires there will be a work day of seven hours
 This forced action will mean a fur ther increase in the. cost of the produc- tion of granite and naturally lessen the use of granite for building and uOn- umenta1 work. He says the initial move for this change will be made ir Barre, Vermont, and extend to the trade throughout New England. Now adays, he added the old-time cutting sheds have become 3, thing of the past and veritabIe machine shops have been substituted, requiring the employment of many grades of mechanics but they all come under the head of stone-cut- terS in the consideration of the "bt1l of prices, although some of the men while expert in the handling of stone working machines. never handled q hammer and cutting tool or any grade of hand work in the manufacture of