West Virginia Democrat. [volume] (Charles Town, W. Va.) 1885-1890, 1888-01-13

uON tue lOImdtlOu VI iiuoe hs'S
affected prices. In January the job
bers' price of raw oil was 3S cents.
After the formation of the Trust it
steadily advanced, and at the end OF
the year "closed firm at the top,
which was 80 cents. Here is an adj
vance of nearly 81 per cent. The
average ad valorem rate OF duty
paid on linseed oil last year was
54.79 per cent. With this protection
the Trust may be able to push pric-
es to a much higher level.
Yesterdays dispatches from Pitts
burg directed attention to a recent
remarkable advance in the price of
window glass. This advance is
is said to be so per cent as compar-
ed with prices of one year ago. The
following dispatch, sent from Pitts
burg, was published in the Times of
Oct. %, 1886:
preliminary steps have been
taken by the window glass manu-
faeturers to establish national syn
dictate, the object being to advance
and maintain prices. The plan sub
mitted contemplates the formation
ofan organization or stock company
into which every member shall pay
800 per pot, the money to be for
feited if such member violates any
of the rules, such as selling under
the established price. The syndi-
cate is to buy glass from firms need
ing money at fixed price, notice of
price fixed is to be sent to manufac
turers in other districts, and if
prices are cut by them the associa-
ton is to sell in their market at
such prices as will make their terri
tory Improbable to them"
A dispatch from Pittsburg pnb-
lished in the Times of April %, SO,
indicates that the flint and lime
glass manufacturers had already
combined to kill competition, The
dispatch said:
Zone of the most important deals
ever made by the table ware manu-
facturers of this district was virtu-
ally consummated to-day. To NOR
row, at the meeting of the American
Flint and Lime Glass Association,
one of the greatest monopolies of
this age will be formally organized.
1t will be known under its old name
of the American Flint and Lime
Glass Association; but its objects
will have been extended, and in the
future the price of the smallest piece
of glassware will be fixed by the as
ISOLATION, which controls 43 furna-
ces, with daily output OF about
1000 tons of glassware. There are
20 table ware factories in the coun.
try, II of which are in this district,
and have signed the agreement bind.
ing them to this pool arrangement.
They control the trade of this coun-
try, and the remaining three facto-
ries can come into the pool if they
desire. but they were not asked.
Before this time the Protective
Association has only been sort of
news bureau for common informa-
ton, furnishing the trade with in.
side information as TO the credit and
standing of their customers. By the
new arrangement the association
becomes more powerful. The pro-
duction is not only limited, but the
prices agreed upon and penalties
attached to the violation of the
pledge. The cause leading to the for
nation Of this pool was the desire
of the manufacturers to make more
money. The smaller and weaker
houses have been able to keep down
prices by securing advances from
joboing houses for their output.
Some of the smaller houses objected
to going into this combination on
the ground that they would not be
able to keep up, and it was only on
the pledge of the new association to
take care of them that they at last
signed. The terms of the pool will
be made known tomorrow. 1t goes
into effect Aug. l."
Home competition in the manu-
facture and sale of glass can easily
be throttled under the shelter of the
extraordinary tariff duties imposed.
The ad valorcm rates on unpublished
window glass last year ranged from
COIL per cent. to 10S.50 per cent.
the last named rate being collected
on 17,60S,435 pounds. On glass
ware the rate was 45 per cent. On
plate glass, such as is used in store
windows, the rate rose even to 1872
81 per cent.
In the face of facts like these, the
people are told protection cheapens
home manufactures and increases
wages" The protection organs tell
us, competition, between home fac
tories, will cheaper prices: they do
not tell us,-these home factories
combine to prevent competition.