Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-03-21

NAhH AND ADJUSTMENT OF LABOR QUESTIONS.
The Secretary of State has received an en-
PERTAINING report from Mr. Walter T. Griffin
the United States commercial agent at Limoges
france, descriptive Of the general state of the
CHINA trade at that place. He notes the in
crease In the trade in 1883, which he thinks TO
De due to several causes The manufacturers
seek the trade instead of waiting for it; they
send out travellers and establish agencies
TIE competition is livelier; the manufacturers
nave adopted the plan of producing only GER
tain lines of goods in which they have the best
advantage. The result of this change has been
That Limoges gives her whole attention to the
Manufacture OF dinner and tea ware, the higher
grades of ornamental and decorated work, such
as elegant vases. plaques, bisque figures, &c.
The second effect OF this competitor has caused
almost a perfect
REVOLUTION IN THE MAKING OF CHINA
The whole system has been remodeled. As
far as possible, hand labor, cheap it is has
given place to machinery. and this has reduced
the cost Of production very much. Take, for
example, the matter of kaolin. Ten years ago
Is per cent of this valuable material was wasted
The chips from the potters and molders, with
the debris from the broken ware before 1t had
been baked, was thrown away; to-day it is all
Ieground and worked over by machinery The
broken china Is now used ingredient i'll
not per cent of the pate is lost Another
Important item Is the improved manner of
mOldlng. Within the last two years extensive
changes have been made, and the rapidity with
which ordinary dishes can be turned off is
amazing. These dishes are more regular in
form and perfect In shape than those nodded
by the hand; but far the greatest of all the i'm
proyements has been the remodeling of the
whole system of
FIRING CHINA.
In old times wood was the ONLY fuel used
Coal. especially the French varieties, so dis
colored and soiled the clay that is put in the
upper chamber of the kiln that it was rendered
yaIueIess, at the same time the china in the
lower chamber was unevenly baked. If enough
heat was used to bake the china in the center
saggers, those on the sides were baked too
much; while If the saggers the sides were
baked sufficiently, those IN the center. not re-
celylng the full force of the flame, would not
be baked enough. This trouble has been OBJ
waited by recent improvements on Minturns
reverse-hame furnace. BY his patent the whole
lower chamber of the kiln was heated an even
temperature. Mlnturn's furnace differed from
the others in having the tre-bOxes in the in
terror of the kiln. Hard saggers are placed
just in front of the fre-boxes, that the first
shock oil the heat is broken before it reaches
the saGgeIs containing the china. Then the
flames are guided by tiues. which are made by
arranging the sagsers around the apertures in
the floor through which tine flames ascend, so
lilcLi UP 10 FOOI OF the nrSt cham
Der TO notches in the arched roof; from thence
they are guided down another fue, formed as
WAS the preceding fue. by draft in the floor
which draws the flames down thi ough an open-
ing IN tine hOOr of the first chamber whence
they pass towards the circumference of the
kiln up through other fiues Minturn's inven-
ton ended here. The heat went into the upper
chamber. as IN the old-fashioned way, through
the center.
The LIMOGES IMPROVEMENT
consists in adapting the same principle to heat
the upper chamber. This is done by making
the flames. when they pass up the second time.
go through apertures IN the floor of the second
chamber. thus heating this part of the kiln
equally and facilitating the firing of both cham
bers evenly. From the above description it
Will be seen that there are as many apertures
through which the flames pass to the upper
chamber as there are tire-bOxes. In large fur
naces there are usually ten and correspond
lngly ten entrances for the flames into the upper
chamber instead OF one in the center as before.
By means OF this Improvement fully % per
cent of fuel Is saved and 30 per cent in the
brcakage and quality Of the china. Within the
last two years nearly all of the furnaces have
been enlarged They are now one-fourth larger
than they were formerly; so that the 2O4i fur
naces fired last year would really equal 2555
furnaces of 1882; only difference between the
output Of 1882 and 1888 of Is per cent which
Is net gain OF 70 per cent of 1883 over 1885,
INCREASE OF DECORATED WARE
Another noticeable feature of the present
outlook il the increase of decorated ware. both
in richness and in quantity. Formerly deco
ratOr used to average the price of a cask of
china. when packed and ready for shipment to
America. at about 300 francs To-day the value
Is 500 francs. Although white china is a trihe
lower than II used to be. and labor remains the
same. yet the price of the decoration has in
creased In other words. there has been rise
IN the value. This rise consists principally in
richer decorations, as the United States BUYS a
finer grade of goods in Limoges than ever be-
fOre-in fact. the cheap goods have been
almost excluded. The amount of china deco
rated IN this vicinity last year was 22l63
moufcs. an increase of 1.7s6 over the proceed
ing wear. As each mOufe has an average value
OF 900 francs. the whole amount of china deco
rated IN this vicinity would equal IL Osl 500
francs. The whole amount of china decorated
and white manufactured at Limoges was about
lH.UV.OOO francs. These figures are founded
ON facts carefully cOllated from the reports of
the different kilns.
PRICE OF LABOR
The price of labor does not vary much.
The gradual tendency is downward. There
has been decrease of 10 per cent in ten wears.
The following gives the general wages paid in
the different factories to men and women:
Boys up TO sixteen years. lbs francs per diem;
furnace men, = to 81 francs a night; potters, 6
To francs day: decorators 3 to s francs a
day: designers. 1000 francs per annum; girls
from fourteen to sixteen years, one-half franc
To franc per diem; girls over eighteen wears,
retouchlng and enamel. l y francs per diem;
girls over eighteen years. impressions and re-
touching. IL to francs per diem.
How LABOR QUESTIONS ARE SETTLED
There are two syndicates at Limoges one for
the manufacturer and one for the workman.
The ordinary run of dishes have fixed prices
and are always paid for by the piece. When
new shapes are invented or new and special
forms are designed the manufacturer tries 10
arrange with the potter. II they can agree it
l. well; n not. tine matter is taken before the
WOrkmans syndicate, where il is carefully de-
scrlbed. and they give their decision III that
Il stlll unsatisfactory to the manufacturer he
takes II TO his syndicate. where a committee ia
formed to meet a committee from the work
mems union. who arbitrate, and the terms thus
made are binding upon the manufacturer and
the employee. In consequence of the above ar
rangement strikes have been unknown in Lii
mOges for several years. The price of English
coal used in the furnaces has advanced 5II
francs per ton; all other materials remain as
given IN last years report. All the manufact-
urers speak very encouragingly of the pros
poets OF trade for the coming year, and are run
ming their kllns at nearly full force. Heavy
orders from the United States have been re-
ported. and the manufacture this year bids fair
To surpass its highest record.
Stoning Premier Won Tisza.