The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1920-08-26
More Than 700 Freight
Cars Are Needed in
This T;tv Alone
POSSIBJ SHUTDOWN
OF GRf STE INDUSTRY
Situa - Giving Grave
co. Srn to Manufacture
efs and Employees

With the shortage of cars mounting
to an alarming total and finished mon
umental work continuing to clog man
ufacturing plants and tie up capital,
the Barre district to-day is facing al
most complete paralysis. According to
figures given out this morning more
than 700 cars are needed here in Barre
alone. OF this number, around 325 cars
are wanted for rough stock shipments
on Milestone hill. This total takes no ac-
count of the demand for cars in Mont
pelier, Northfield, Waterbury, West
Berlin and Williamstown, where the
situation is similarly acute.
Unless relief comes shortly, many
manufacturing plants throughout the
Barre district are bound to suspend
Operations at the quarries and in the
cutting plants cannot be carried on
indefinitely without cars, and in the
opinion of close observers a complete
shutdown within comparatively few
days is the alternative that number
VI dlt IdCIl2. w iln
winter coming on apace and the cost OF
living no lower, if not higher the
shipping paralysis is sure to throw
many men out of employment. The
possibilities of the situation are caus-
ing deep concern, both among employ
ers and among the men
Notwithstanding the repeated asser-
tion that the car famine extends to all
parts of the country, there is disposi-
tion among most manufacturers and
quarry owners to put the blame right
up to the railroads Neither the Cen
trail Vermont railroad, nor the NJ. & W.
r. railroad, apparently, has done a
thing in the past month to avert or to
alleviate the present disastrous situa-
tion. Nearly three weeks ago the Cen
tral Vermont officials promised 100 ears
to the manufacturers in Barre City.
Only small number have actually
materialized. Undoubtedly nefiiciency
and lack of concern for the principal
industry in. central Vermont are re-
sponsibe for the failure Of the rail
roads to take care of their customers.
The car famine came home to manu-.
facturers with special force to.day Be
ginning to-day an increase OF 40 per
cent in freight rates is one OF the added
burdens that the Barre industry must
bear. The advance comes at a time
when finished monumental work, val
1ed in the millions, awaits transporta-
tion. Most of it should have been
shipped long ago, but the railroads.
even in period when there was no
pronounced shortage, were inactive
To-day's situation has a distinct
,earing on the condition of business in
Barre during the approaching fall and
winter. Many retail monument deal.
RS have yet to receive from Barre the
monumental work ordered late in the
all of 1919 and during the winter.
naturally. they are reluctant TO buy
with the result that very
title new business is ahead The pros.
erity of the granite industry, and, in
urn. the prosperity of all the towns
nd cities in the Barre belt, is, there
ore, very largely dependent upon the
service. Relief, if it is
o restore prospects for busy winter,
iust come at once. On the other hand,
the railroads continue to neglect .he
zeal situation, IL is difficult to foretell
ow far complete suspension of work
, the Barre district. and a resulting
eriod of unemployment for many
orkmen win extend during the fall
nd winter.