Evening journal., 1888-06-30

t1cn OF Duties Means Lower
Wages.
The chsistiana Window Glass Co., whose
works ere situated on the Christiana river,
near the Third street bridge. opposite the
Jackson & sharps Co.'s yards, make their
last blow for the season tonight and then
they will shut down until September l.
This ia their regular summer shutdown for
July and August In the interval OF idleness
the furnaces will be torn down and rebuilt,
repairs made and everything prepared for
another ten months Of work. The works
employ about 60 hands while in active
operation. About 90 men will be continued
through the summer 10 make the necessary
repairs and preparations for next season.
The officers Of the company consider tnis
season much more successful than last from
every point Of view. The works have manu-
factured for the past 10 months about
3S. 500 20 feet boxes OF window glass, being
over I 500, 600 square feet The value OF
this output is between $4,000 and seO.oOO
This is one of the largest outputs Tor
furnace Of this size in the country.
The past year's operations have been very
successful The president OF the company
says that with the force Of men engaged
the amount sf production, has been larger
proportionately than any he ever knew.
About q 9Th Of the total output has been
the grade OF glass known as doueie-tnlcs, OF
which three qualities are manufactured.
The remainder has been single-thieK glass
in four qualities The sizes manufactured
are from $40 inches to 40x6O inches and eil
sizss bstwesn these dimensions. The de-
mand for any particular size Is not perina
nent It is continually changing some
years the greatest dema nd is for
one s!zo. in other years another.
About $4,000 5O-feet boxes are
packed in stock in the company's
warehouses The greater part OF this stock
will be worked off during September and
October
In quality the glass manufactured by this
company has entered into direct eompeti'
tion, during tha past season, with .that OF
French manufacture, and it has done 90
with very satisfactory success. Gless mas
been sold this year to be used ID place OF
French chat has been in use, and the pur-
chasers think they have obtained as good
result from IL, as from the French.
The product Of this factory is sold
mostly 10 wholesale dealers In New York,
Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington
All dealers ia glass in Wilmington pur-
chase their supplies from this company
During tee past season an order was
shipped as far as San Francisco, to pic
ture dealer, who has heretofore used
nothing buf French glass. Another order
was filed for the national government to be
used IN the Natioual Museum at Washing
ton. This vaf an Of q large size and gave
perfect satisfaction.
The Christiaua Window Glass Co. is
composed Of workingmen, the skilled la-
borers Of the works being the officers and
stockholders Of TIE company. The system
Of working under q cooperative character
has been highly satisfactory to all the men,
50 far, the president says.h has never seen
set or naeu better satisfied than these
men are, and the general good feeling and
relationship between ell concerned bids
fair to continue.
The outlook for next year is fair. The
only disturbing element being the Mills
bill. While the demand for glass is fair,
owing to the pending OF the bill pdrchas-
ers only buy for present needs. They will
not buy box for future use. The Mills
bill proposes an average reduction OF 50
per cent ia The present rate Of duty. Three
fourths Of the cost Of making glass is in
wages paid TO the labofers employed in
its manufacture. TIE raw mater
ial is Just as cheap now as it will be
for years to come; so any reduction in the
cost Of production, to meet the proposed
reduction OF duty, and make competition
with gless OF foreign manufacture pos
sible, will have to come out OF the laborers
in the form OF reduced wages.
The raw materials used in she manufac-
ture Of glass, end which form only one
fourth Of its cost are sand, lime and soda
ash. The sand is obtained from the Norris
river, New Jersey It is Of peculiar quail
ity being almost clear Of iron in any form
and gotten from what has probably been at
some age a seq beach. Its cost ia nominally
nothing. Lime is obtained in Pennsylva-
mia, and the soda ash Is imported from
England. It comes in nominally free, as
there is only a revenue tariff on it. Il can
be readily seen that the cost OF raw mater
ial is now as low as it is possible to make it,
and any reduction must fall on the work
ingman emplnved in the manufacture. The
margin Of profit to manufactures is very
small. Tue condition OF the revenue Laws
at present are too uncertain f
allow any increase in the plan,
OF the works at this time. Manu-
facturers who are careful viii pursue a
conservative course and make no exteR.
sions in the product of their business for Q
while.
In Belgium a laborer in a glass factory
whose wages average s15 8 month, car
obtain $40 month ia the United States
for the same work.
A DULL COURT.