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> of prices is from the "Commoner nud
Glassworker" of October 21 , 1899 :
"From an average price of about § 1 50
per box for single and $2 per box for
double strength in. 189)5 ) , the value of
glass has quite , if not more than doubled.
* * * The low price of glass was
due to a low tariff , combined with the
low cost of uuwrought material , and re
duction in cost of labor , with a poor
consumptive demand. * * *
"Since the existence of the American
Glass Co. , the greatest advance in price
has taken place. This company has
managed its affairs without change
practically since its formation , and has
done it so well as to not only control the
product , but to fix the price at the
highest possible notch.
" .The profits during the last three
years have been enormous. The pool is
said to have made $700,000 in 1896 ,
$1,750,000 in 1897 , $2,100,000 in 1898 ,
and still larger profits are anticipated
for 1899. "
I'riccs Ciirofully AdjiiHtctl to Turin * .
Iii no other industry perhaps are prices
adjusted to the cost of imported goods
with such precision. The cost of laying
down imported glass at interior points
being greater than at seaboard , on ac
count of freight , the prices at interior
points are held enough higher to cover
this difference. Thus customers at
Pittsburg , in the shadow of the factories ,
must pay 14 cents per box more for
ordinary window glass than the custo
mer > at Boston , and 20 cents more than
the Pacific Coast customer. The coun
try is divided into six districts , and the
prices for each are determined by the
cost of imported glass in each district
after the duty is paid. Prices for the
Pacific coast are lowest of all because
the cost of transportation from Belgium
is the lowest in comparison with the
cost of transportation on domestic
plates.
Since 1861 the duty on window glass
has changed but slightly except that it
was reduced about 80 per cent under the
Wilson bill. The duty now as under
the MoKiuley and previous bills varies
from about 1 8-8 to 8 cents per pound
and averages about 2 cents. This is
generally equivalent to between 80 and
100 per cent and often exceeds 100 per
cent. From 1860 to 18i)0 ) prices in this
country declined an average of 8 per
cent , although foreign prices declined
54 fper cent from 18G7 to 1890. Our
prices are now higher than in 1890 or in
1860 , for ordinary sizes. This one fact ,
taken in connection with free natural
gas and unrivalled opportunities for
production and in view of the great
progress made in most other industries ,
ought to bo sufficient to condemn the
whole protection theory. No other in
dustry has enjoyed so much protection
for so long a period and no other im
portant manufacturing industry has
'made so much progress backwards.
f
m
From 1880 to 1890 wo imported each
year about 80 per cent of our total con
sumption of window glass. Since 1890
the percentage of imported glass has
boon somewhat less. It is now about 12
per cent our consumption amounting
to about 5,000,000 boxes.
This trust , like many others , does not
possess a complete monopoly. It is said
to "hold the umbrella" under which
new factories outside the "trust" have
boon built and made great profits. It is
really the tariff which holds the um
brella. The "trust" and the outsiders
are both secure in their excessive profits
under it for a considerable time , until
the number of outsiders gets too large.
All that time the consumer will bo
forced to pay high prices and compe
tition will not lower them because the
combined power of the manufacturers'
trust and the labor union is able to re
strict production to only part of the
year. Up to a certain point it is profit
able for the "trust" to pursue this
policy ; and , even when that point is
reached the margin of profit afforded by
the tariff is so great that the trust can
make now terms with the outsiders ,
many of whom , according to the "Com
moner and Glassworker , " have been
attracted to the business by the prospect
of such a sale of their plants to the
trust.
The Ln1 > nr Trust.
The workers in the window glass in
dustry that is the skilled workers are
amongst the few who derive any special
benefit from protection , but it is entirely
owing to their compact organization ,
through which they compel the manu
facturers to divide the tariff spoils with
the workers. They understand clearly
that they can obtain no benefit from
tariffs without such an organization.
They harbor no delusions on this point.
Their official organ , the "Commoner
and Glassworker" of October 21 , 1899 ,
ridicules "the bluff that unorganized
labor used to get about the benefit to bo
derived by it from a high protective
tariff. " They laugh at the foolish
laborers who vote for protection and
who expect the protected manufacturers
to voluntarily share their tariff profits
with their employees. The tariff is
"hold-up game" and only those who
will play at hold-up can hope to come
out ahead of the game. They know
that the plate glass workers who have
no organization , get loss than one-
fourth the wages paid to highly organ
ized window glass workers , although
the work in each industry is about
equally hard and hazardous.
The Window Glass Workers Associa
tion "L. A. 800 , K. of L. " has always
worked with the manufacturers against
lower and for higher duties. But it
does not stop here. In 1885 it secured
the passage of the alien-contract labor
law which its lawyers drew up. It may
be mentioned , incidentally , that the
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union itself has been a most flagrant ' V4
violator of its own law. In 1889 its - v"-1
officers were indicted for importing 48
Englishmen under contract , but the
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case was dropped by the court through 4' . * ? ,
the influence of M. S. Quay. , - . ' ' .
This union then laid a tax of $800 per ] . '
head on imported workers who wished
to work in this country. Since 1894 ' , . (
this tax has been $500 , which sum must > ' 4
now be paid to "L. A. 800" before a
foreigner can enter any factory here.
The union has most stringent ap
prenticeship rules and in this way re
stricts the number of window glass
workers in the country. At present
there are enough workers to operate
only about 2200 out of 2600 or 2700 pots
now ready to operate. Thus the "Com- ' . : * - ' i
moner and Glassworker" of October 21 , . f i
"Inconsequence of there not being
skilled workmen sufficient to fill all the
places , there is but little likelihood of
any more glass being produced during "ft/j
the blast of 1898-99. "
The agreement which the union makes
with manufacturers provides that no
one shall ba employed who is not a mem
ber of "L. A. 800 , " and who has not his
clearance card. There are no non-union
factories. Blowers are not allowed to
make more than 48 full boxes of single
strength glass per week , although many
would bo glad to blow much more. The
union agrees with the manufacturers as ' $
t
to what wages will be paid each season ' 1 - ?
and when and what furnaces shall " , * * "
operate. They tried this year to get the " I ;
manufacturers to agree to fix a minimum > - . :
price below which glass should not be j . v
" " "
sold.
The window glass factories are supposed - - < '
posed to remain idle from May 80th to . . *
September 15th. But during the last ' , , . '
three years the most of the factories , , '
have , by arrangement with the others , „ " ' , !
remained closed until' November or . 'Vfi
fi
December. This year the union asked ' ' , '
for a 5 per cout advance in wages. The ,
manufacturers were willing to grant . , \v. ;
this advance but did not wish to % open
the mills until the surplus of 800,000
boxes had been greatly reduced. Hence
they offered an advance of 4 percent.
After a delay of six weeks a "compro
mise" of 6 per cent was arranged with
an agreement that fires were not to be
put in until the surplus was reduced to
800,000 boxes which will be about
December 1. The union orgau is con
gratulating the members on having re
ceived a greater advance than was asked
for , and adds , perhaps ironically , that
"if such dispatch is to characterize the
trust the workers are gainers along with
the general trade. "
The evil effect of this system upon the
workers is evident. Only a few are
permitted to learn the business and bufe
a small portion of these make good skill
ful operators. Hence the Belgian blow
ers , who are the pick of many who learn .
the business , are far superior to ours. , -