The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1889-02-02
Meeting of window Gia.. Manufacturers

Meeting Oh WhnuoW uthSs M"""s"e'"'o'"'
The semi-annual meeting Of the Amer.
can Window Glass Manufacturers AssWi'
alton held In Washington, January ION,
was very largely attended The annual
meeting will he held In New YORK mex
July The report that tue meeting In
Washington was for the purp 50 of i"rm-
Ing "A trust 10 untrue. No such suggestion
was made and no such possibilityis entef-
tanned. Noaction was taken Ell iher looking
20 A restriction of production, for the rea-
son that there are SO many Manufacturers
that II Is believed that no effective meas,
ures for such an action can he taken. NJ
action was taken In regard 10 the tsrti
The members of the association telt III I
the best statement possible of their CASE
had already been submitted to the senate
finance committee, and that nothing muie
could be- done, The tariff of 1888 made n
cut of one-aight Of a cent per pound Il
window glass, and the tariff dill now pend
ing In the senate makes no change In the
duty. The administration part of the bill
would, however, tend to prevent the undo =
valuation of glass, which 1t is estimated
now amounts 10 ten per cent. The present
state of the window glass trade was thor
oughly discussed before the association by
President Frank l.. BodiDe. of Phi!a 'el>
phia Mr.. Bodine said to reporter: The
consumption of window glass during tive
past six months has been very large; IL
fact, taking both American anu imported
glass together, II has been larger than ever
before. The excess over the last six
months was one hundred thousand boxes,
: all imported Nevertheless American
manufacturers produced up to January l,
two hundred Thousand more boxes tran
last year. This quantity is still on the
manufacturers hands, for the reason that
the imports have been very large, MS well
as the home product. The imports have
increased because of lower prices to large
consumers. The home product has In
creased at the same time because of the
great increase in the number OF furnaces.
This increase, which is almost exclusively
in the natural gas districts, Is from 700 To
over 200 pots. The result of this has
been great competition. As a consequence
the cost of imported glass is actually less
than the cost of making glass in America.
The excessive capacity still continues To
force prices lower The outlook is bad
so hopelessly so that nobody at the meeting
could suggest IA remedy"
Mr. BOdine was asked why il cost more
to make glass In the United States than
the imported glass. His reply is full of
interest to American wcrkingmen. I'VE
cannot make glass here as cheaply as 1t
can be made abroad, because We have to
pay from twice To thrice as much for Ia
Dor" he said "lf we could have Belgian
labor at Belgian wages we could make
glass just as cheaply MS anybody, because II
Is an industry naturally fitted to the country.
The cost or window glass is principally
In the price OF labor Eighty TO eighty
five per cent of the total cost is for wages
paid Now, in Belgium, for unskilled la
Dor two marks, or ABOUT 40 cents day, Is
paid Here we pay 81 % q day. OF
skilled labor in glass making there are
many classes, but we pay from double to
treble the Belgian wages. For example,
blowers in Belgium are paid from so to
$50 month, and here they are paid from
800 to $ljO."-Crochery and GiaSs Jour-
nal