The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1922-03-30
PreSbrey-LeIand Head Tells
Stand On Labor Question

The following letter written by c. H
Presbrey of the Presbrey-Leland Co. out
lines the company's attitude on the labor
question in the granite industry and is of
some interest locally for the reason that
the Presbrey-L Leland Quarries company.
an allied company, operates the quarry at
West DummerSton. 1t was written to
the editor of the Montpelier Argus:
\ copy of your paper dated March DIST
and kindly sent TO us at the Barre plant
has been received and we have read the
letter written by Fl. {. Hefner, president
of the International Monumental Retail
ers' association. to William Barclay of
Barre with interest.
Knowing your reputation for fairness
and impartialty. | am confident YOU will
not refuse to print the following latter
to the end that your readers may have Il
| little more light ON u serious and perplex-
ing question.
The Presbrey-Leland company has been
manufacturing at Barre since 1906 and
the business has gown from nothing to
1 its present proportions while the utmost
good feeling prevailed at all times be-
tween our men and ourselves. For sew
erul years we have paid extra compenSa-
AANtt ~ tAAaAiN VI bAAi tAtAilDN - am dDDQt
two and a half years ago this plan was
extended to the cutters at Barre The
extra compensate is based entirely upon
the net profits of the business. They help
earn these profits and are entitled to share
in the results of their toll.
We noted a lowering ia efficiency dur
ing and just after the war. but by no
means to the extent Of 10 or 50 per cent
rs reported by many manufacturers.
About nine months ago and after careful
consideration We decided To try out a To-
minute rest period twice day Knowing
what recess does for school children
and that a tive-hoUf period of unremitting
honest and hard labor must necessarily
result in a slackening of application and
pep. we were willing to grant the request
OF the men. only STIMULATING that the daily
production must not fall below the stand
ard. We have found that the output has
been increased, the men have increased in
weight, improved in health and are mucn
happier at their work. At the end of the
day they are not a. tired: hence the agi-
tation and request for a Seveu-hour day
with a corresponding decrease in wages
has been forgotten.
The Presbrey- Leland company found
the year 1921 the best and most profitable
of its career and its overhead expense
at Barre was reduced over - per cent
with corresponding saving of many thou
sands of dollars in estimated costs We
paid in cash during 1921 over S12O.OO0
for Barre rough stock alone and in wages
at the Barre plant $26S. 401. -. to say
nothing of large sales in other GRANTEES
and marble.
When the Manufacturers and Producers
association voted last December to break
the agreement made with the q. {. /. A.
and knowing that the unwise Ito put it
mildly actions of those most active i'm
the association led by their president
could only eliminate in bitter feeling.
idleness and disaster to the granite indus
try, the Presbrey-LeIand company decided
to resign. We became thoroughly diSsat-
istied with what we considered misreprc-
sentation and miS-interpretation of the
q. {. l. \. and their attitude toward tho