The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-07-15
BITTER BATTLE FOUGHT
OVER ENFORCElNENTLAW
WITH THE DRYS' WINNING
ALL BARRE PLANTS
WORK TOMORROW
THURSDAY UNCERTAIN
Officials of Company Are Trying to Work
Out Schedule Which Will Make Bur
den of Power Shortage Fall
Equally on Whole
Barre Belt.

Officials of the Montpelier & Barre
Light & Power Co. stated this afternoon
that all the granite plants in Barre will
have power for operation tomorrow
The prospects for Thursday are uncer-
tain, with the chances against full oper-
alton of the entire local industry un-
less there should come decided break in
the drought conditions, which were only
slightly alleviated by to.day's showers
In order that Barre may have all the
electricity it needs tomorrow it is nee
essary that some other place supplied by
the Montpelier & Barre Co. go without;
and it is understood that Northfield will
be the place to lie idle on Wednesday. It
is an alternating system of power serv-
ice for the cities and towns in the Barre
granite belt until there is enough water
supply to furnish the full amount Of
electricity required. 1t was said that a
system was being worked out whereby
granite manufacturers in Barre, Mont
peler, Mortified, Waterbury and other
places affected will be assured OF sde-
quate power during certain number of
DAYS each week,
Officials of the power company are
completing the schedule and due notice
of the running time allowed him will be
given each manufacturer. Montpelier,
Mortified and Waterbury, where the
plants hitherto have not been affected by
the power shortage, will share alike with
Barre the inevitable suspensions neces-
sary while the streams are dry. Dissat-
isfaction over the power service to-day
was somewhat tempered by the general
realization that conditions over which
the company has no control are measur-
ably responsible for the trouble, The
officials of the Montpelier & Barre Light
& Power company are inclined to CEN
sure the power company in Burlington
which has guaranteed a daily delivery of
5000 kilowatts, beginning July |. No
inkling of what was ahead was received
until Saturday, when it was reported
that the supply of water in reserve at
the Essex and Winooski gorge plants of
the Burlington concern was SO small as
to prevent the company from delivering
any of the contract service. Upon re-
eeiying the notice, the local power COM
pany Immediately inaugurated its steam
auxiliary service, with the result that
the power available was furnished up to
the capacity Of the steam and water
plants in the Tenney district.
just now the only hope of complete re-
lief lies in the possibility OF rainy pc
riod that will enable the Burlington peo-
pie to deliver the service promised. Tt
is true that one unit in the Tenney com
pany's Pioneer plant at Montpelier is
idle, although the officials state that the
inferior grade of coal in use will not
permit the operation of the extra unit.
On the whole the outlook in Barre was
more encouraging to-day. The power
shortage and attendisg suspensions come
at time when the granite industry is
going at full speed and an indefinite de-
lay in completing orders win mean loss
of thousands of dollars to the Barre dis
triet Yet the schedule arrangement
whereby all manufacturers in the dis
trict are to share the necessary suspen.
sion equally admittedly is an improve
ment over the original arrangement, and
it is believed that the district viii wealth
er the storm with smaller loss than
was anticipated at first,
The fact remains, however, that Barre
is facing the most serious water famine
in six years. and among those who have
the most at stake in the way of manu-
featuring interests there is feeling that
the Tenney company should 90 to any
length in supplying the power necessary
to keep the wheels of industry moving