The Express.
London, England, 1850-01-08 00:00:00

TO TEI EDITOR OF THE EXPRESS.

SIR,—As you have given insertion to the letter
which I addressed to you respecting the reduced
price of chintz furniture, and the causes which have
led to such reduction, I venture to lay before you the
following corresponding facts in reference to the plate_
glass trade.

This trade used to be confined to a limited number
of manufacturers, who supplied the upholstery trade,
through certain wholesale houses called factors, who
generally silvered the article. The duties upon the
importation of foreign plate-glass were prohibitory,
and the factors were enabled, by 'combination, to
establish a close monopoly, to such an extent as to
lay down a tariff of prices at which plates of various
sizes should be sold by them to the trade. This
tariff increased in exorbitancy in proportion to the
largeness of the plates, and in addition to such tariff
price the retail dealer had to charge his customer
wial his own profit.
On the change in the duties a large importation
plate glass :rom contirient immtd_.tt‘ls took
place, and wu offered at prices varyin--.
50 per cent. below the paces firer 13y
'7 from 30 to
the factcm'
tariff for plates of similar size. I have now before
me a card which I receiv";:sc from a French manufac-
tarer, within thr'; weeks after the alteration of the
duties. the result was, that large purchases of
foreign plate-glass were made. The English manu-
facturers were alarmed, and inquired into the cause.
As in the case of chintz, so in this, they found that it
was not the cost of production, but the exorbitant
profits of the factors, which bad availed to raise the
price of this article so greatly as to give room for an
injurious or rather destructive competition from
foreign importations. Advised of their danger, the
manufacturers decided to sell to the retail houses,
without such intervention, at a consequent reduction
of more than 60 per cent., trade discount, aad 5 per
cent. additional discount for cash. The charge of the
manufacturer for a plate valued by the tariff at 1001.
being 381., and as the profit of the retail dealer will
be charged on the smal!er, instead of, as heretofore,
the larger amount, the gain to the public will exceed
70 per cent.
The cry has been, that free trade has ruined the
English plats-glass manufacturers. The foregoing
facts, and the increasing use of plate-glass, prove that
these manufactures have hitherto been checked by
the very duties which were called protecting; and
that the effect of these duties has been to create and
to sustain a very limited number of monopolists, to-
wards whose support the public paid upon every
article of plate-glass purchased more than 100 per
cent. beyond the sum which would have given a fair
profit to the manufacturer and retail dealer, and also
to any wholesale house, in cases where such an erste!,
pot might be convenient.
I have thus brought under your notice two articles
of commerce with which I am, in my own trade, beet
acquainted. I could hope that those engaged in ether
trades might supply you with similar information, for
I conceive that facts such as those stated by me in
this and in my last letter bear most materially upon
the general question of protection.
London, Jan. 4. Yours, &c. J. B.
P.S. I ought to mention that plates, which are at
all discoloured with sand-holes or with bubbles, are
sold at a nominal rate of from one-fifth to one-sixth
of the price laid down by the tariff, and which tariff
is a printed list universally adopted by all the manu-
facturing companies.

s TEE GALE OF LAST WEEk.—FEB.N ISLANDS...-
- A correspondent of the Caledonian Mercury gives the
I following details from personal observation :—On Thursday
I morning last, about 35 sail had sought shelter under the
Fern Island ; but from the fury of the tempest, and many
I not being able to get near enough to the island, also from
. parting, slipping, and driving, the fleet had by Friday even-
tog been reduced to fifteen afloat, and four sunk—viz. The
Liberty of Leith, Captain Lawson (having been run into by
the Britannia steamer of Leith) sunk at five A.Y. on Friday,
alongside of the Arab, crew transferred on board the latter—
; by. eleven •Y. the Arab of Limekiln, Munro, master, having
• pricked herself on the mast of the wreck, sunk on the top of
; her; both crews then transferring themselves on board the
1 Mary Key of Dundee. The Nelly of Montrose, Fershaw
' master, having rolled away her mute in the morning, was
; found to be in a sinking state, and by ten A.Y. the crew were
; conveyed on board the John of Dundee, Captain Roger,
being hauled thrones the water by a rope thrown from the
one ship to the other. By three P.Y. on Friday the dia-
. masted ship swung up under the stern of the John, and in a
few minutes stove her, so that they both sunk together. The
crews of both vessels had then to escape in the utmost haste
on board the Margaret and Eliza of North Berwick, which
vessel's chain were then overlaid by the wrecks, and conse-
quently had to be slipped on Sunday, when she stood out to
sea with windlass broken in two.
THE RAT HUNT IN PARIS.—The ecavengersof Paris
dined together on Sunday evening at Berey, to celebrate
their late rat chase in the capital. Some guests were present,
and the cover was laid for 105 persons. Mr. Jahn Warton,
of Lcudon, who had purchased 600,000 rat-skins at litc.
• piece, sent 25 bottles of champagne, and the two moors
of Grenoble who had at first been in treaty for the skins
sent 50 bottles of fine Mason. At the second service two
enormous parka de Chartres were placed on the table,
weighing 2510. each, on the crust of which was represented a
scavenger transfixing a rat with a lance. At the dessert M.
Disire Ferran proposed as a toast " La Republique bonnets
et so/free, ' and Mr. Geerget Romaine, "The complete
gray rate
rate
continued 12 o'clock at night,
wdestri
heillcttiheon of
gueethtse
separated
of Norway Ngreor:tagy :to nddhthe
um obularc.k of
J.
Wartoa has paid 60,0001. in eons du tresor for the skins of
the rats kWed during the 16 days' hunt. This sum was di-
vided amongst the 144 scavengers of Paris and their brigs-
diem all of whom have taken out a book at the savings-
bank, with an Inscription of 600 f., making up the difference
thaimares. They all refused to accept the gratuity offered
by the municipality of Paris for the deslination of the rate.
X.r. J. Walton Immo te make bake gloves of the skins •
.