Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-03-26
NO PROHIBITIONISTS.
The American Flint Glass Blowers
Are Working for Bottles.
THE BOTTLE TRADE WOULDsUFFER
The Shutdown Movement on the River Has
Been Inaugurated.
THE GRISr OF THE INDUSTRIAL MILL

There is a quiet movement on foot among
the members of the American Flint Glass
Workers Association TO create an opposi-
tion in the association against the proposed
prohibition Constitutional amendment. 1t
is stated that number of local unions will
folio W the example of the knights of Labor
green bottle blowers and pass resolutions
protesting against the adoption of the
amendment.
The object in doing this is to prevent do
mestle injury to the glass business in the
event of prohibitory law. A great part of
the output of the flint glasshouses in this
city goes into the saloon business in West
ern Pennsylvania. The manufacturers
claim this business is worth hundreds of
thousands of dollars. and, if it be taken
away, 1t will not only be great loss to
them, but will also fall heavily on the glass
workers. In speaking of the matter yester-
day, William Dillon, Secretary of the
American Flints," said:
81 am going to vote against the adoption
of the amendment, and think am safe in
saying that the majority of our members
will do likewise.
LOCAL UNIONS MAY ACT ON 1T.
GAS an organized body we will not take
any action one way or the other, but do
not know what the different local unions
will do. We do not allow questions of pol
itics to enter the sanctuary of our order, and
one of the fundamental principles of the
association is to preserve the autonomy of in
dividuality. We do not believe in legislating
the votes of our members. If they wish to vote
and work against the amendment, that is their
own private business
"One of the reasons why majority of our
men will work against the amendment is the
injury it will do our business. You will remem-
Der that, after the first few months of the high
license law, we had great boom in the bottle
business here. Manufacturers who had large
stocks OF bottles that they had been carrying
for years sold them at good prices, and this
consequently made good demand for more at
the factories. Pint liquor TASKS and beer bot
ties were in demand all over the State, and
case where men got bottles of liquor they
threw away the bottles soon as they were
emptied The same bottles were rarely used
twice.
IF the prohibition amendment carries it
will close down all the saloons and drinking
places. These establishments keep a large
stock of bottles on hand, which they get from
the Pittsburg manufacturers. If you close up
these saloons, you kill this glassware trade and
the men who make the ware will really be the
sufferers
''The saloons of Pittsburg have always been
good customers of the glass men. There is so
much glassware of all kinds used and broken
every day that it counts up to
A LARGE SUM IN YEAR.
''The breakage of one beer glass in saloon
by a customer does not amount to much; but
it just takes one glass out of the stock, which
constantly has to be replenished. What will
become of the large stocks of bottles and glass
ware on the hands of saloon keepers now, do
not know. 1 do know, however. that as indi-
viduals, the majority of the glassworkers will
use all their influence to reject the amend
ment.
Mr.. David Pugh, member of the Executive
Council of the Association, formerly of this
city but now of Jeanette, said Yesterday:
II suppose that out of the 160 glass workers
who are in the association at Jeanette, there
| are about ten who will vote for the amend
think it would do an irreparsble injury to our
| business The utility of glassware IN the
liquor business is so great that we cannot af-
| ford to help kill the trade There are thou
| sands of our members who are Temperance
| men, but will not vote for the amendment on
| this account" c.
Mr.. Hemmer, another member of the associa-
! ton who was at the rooms yesterday said:
'Of course the passage of the amendment
would seriously injure our business; but think
| it would only be temporary. The natural
| growth of business would soon make up for
| what we lost"
The green bottle blowers, who have de-
nounced the prohibitory law are going to make
an active canvass for antt-prohibition. They
are talking OF distributing pamphlets in the
| different glasshouses and workshops of the
| Southside, setting forth the disadvantages to
their business of prohibitory law.