Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-03-14
MUSHROOM VS. LABOR.
A Very Interesting Conflict of Views
on Flint Glass Dizziness.
FINDLAY, OHIO,BEGINS TO SoUEAI
Alleging That Wages Are RuinOuS, and
There Must be Battle.
pITTsBURG SAYS IT ISN'T ALL WAGES


old and heretofore reliably conservative
glass producers of Pittsburg, has become
painfully evident; for the two are dIametric-
ally opposed in their statements of the
causes that have led to the present flint glass
stagnation and the impending shutdown.
Pittsburgers say the trouble is that the
mushroomers aforesaid, with their free fuel
and cheap plants, cut the rates below living
figures for honest pay-as-you-go investors,
forced ruinous competition, got it, and then,
when they themselves were over-stocked and
couldn't sell at any price, laid the trouble
to other causes.
The following telegram, from THE DIS
PATCH correspondent at Findlsy, O., will
show how true the charge of '1sying it to
other causes" is:
Manufacturers of window glass in the natu-
raj gas regions of Ohio and Indiana are con-
fronted by a most alarming situation, on ac-
count of the generalization of prices. Never,
in the history of the trade, have affairs so con-
sPired to place manufacturers ''between the devil
and the deep sea-" SO to speak, as at present,
and the future offers nothing of promise.
Quotations have long since lost all semblance
to uniformity, and schedules have been thrown
away Every manufacturer is playing a lone
hand, but there's nothing in the pot for the
winner.
There is not an establishment in these Sec
tions but what is running at dead loss, were
they compelled to at once market their prod
ucts, and the prospect of a better range of
prices is so discouraging that a general shut
down may be expected within few weeks-not
longer than a month at the furthest.
THE DISPATCH correspondent to-day made
tour of the glasshouses of this city and talked
with the managers of the Findlay Window
Glass Company, the Ohio Window Glass Com
pany, the Buckeye Window Company and
Hirsh, Ely & Co. on the present situation, and
secured their opinions regarding what the fut-
ure was likely to bring to the trade. All were
| of the opinion that affairs could hardly be
worse than at present, and all agreed that it
was wonderfully sanguiue man who derived
any encouragement from what the future
| promised.
RUNNING AT LOSS.
Mr.. U. G. Baker, Secretary of the Findlay
Window Glass Company, voiced the general
sentiment when he said: 1.-THE factories of this
city, as well as those In the Indiana gas region,
are all running at loss, and Just as soon as
we get stock enough to fill our old contracts
we will put out our fires and close our
doors. We cannot, under our agreements with
our workmen, reduce wages, and a generaI
| shut down is the only thing left for MS to do.
| A number of houses in the Western district
have already thrown up the sponge, notably
the factory at Maumee, O.. the one at Dun
kirk, Ind, one factory at North Marion, Ind.
and several more will quit this week. Out of
| LOO pots in the Western district $50 are al
ready idle, and before month not less than
| 800 will be growing cold"
| what is your remedy for the troublef' was
asked. ....
To this Mr. Baker replied: "a general re-
| duction of wages. Foreign manufacturers
have reduced wages 20 per cent, and we must
do likewise if we expect to continue in the
business. Of course, know this move on the
| part of manufacturers, will bring on a great
strike. but it must come, sooner or later, and
we had just as well meet it this year as II
months hence. When it does begin it will be a
battle royal. No labor organization in this
country is better equipped for long and ter
| rible fight than the Glass Workers Associa-
| tion, and the result of such contest cannot
now be predicted, but the manufacturers,
naturally expect in the end to win, although
| this is not at all assured. 1t does not matter
| which organization succeeds the whole con-
test will be demoralizing to every trade inter-
est in America. The struggle cannot be de-
the importation of foreign glass, and no re-
duction in the output of the operating factories
| Of this country, and
REDUCTION OF WAGES
must follow or a shutdown, either of which
| will be disastrous not only to labor, but to
| capital as well, and the situation is full of
gloom, through which cannot see single ray
of light.
Mr.. Crafty Secretary of the Ohio Window
| Glass Company, talked much in the same strain
as also did the officers of the other companies,
all of whom are getting things in shape for the
storm, which they expect to be upon them
soon.
Advices from the Indiana natural gas region
| 0fa ilyo har tor mr. ic ha mi M
all the manufacturers that within a month
| every window glass house IN Ohio and Indiana
| will be closed down, thus throwing thousands
| of workers out of employment at a season of
the year when they are not prepared for such
a condition of affairs. As one manufacturer
remarked: SIT is a condition, not a theory that
confronts us, and we have no alternative
The report that the flint glass trade is un
usually dull, and that q number of factories
must close down, was confirmed yesterday
by President Smith, of the American Flint
Glass Workers Union, In speaking of the
condition of trade he said: 'I cannot
understand the dullness. The only line
that is in good shape is the chimney branch.
The North Wheeling factory closed for a
few DAYS, but has started again; but may
close soon. The Elson works at Martin s
Ferry will likely close down in a few days. -
This dullness has been heretofore alluded
to in print quite often of late. 1t is not de-
MED. But the cause of it, as Mr.. 'Jenkin
Jones and others have stated, is attributable
to the mushroomers out West. Several oi
the glass workers on the Southside, who are
engaged In the flint and table ware trade,
put the same coloring as Messrs. Jones and
Smith upon the condition of the business in
Findlay, o. Those who were asked about
the matter had this opinion on the subject
s'If the glasshouses in Ohio are going to
a., ! se ,ok - h.
at. When some of the small towns out
West went through the country begging
people to come to them and start manufact
uring plants there were quite number only
too anxious to avail themselves of the op
portunity. A good many glasshouses sprang
UP in consequence, and quite a number are
run by people who do not know anything
about the business.
HOW THINGS CHANGED.
"Of course, while they got land, gas and
even bricks to build theirplants for nothing
they found it very easy to manufacture glas!
and compete with the rest of the firms in the
country.
"But it seems that things have changed
The Town Councils of those places are
now coming forward and asking fol
payment of what they gave at first,
and on that account good
many manufacturers find themselves in 6
very bad position. They are now working
on basis similar to that of the older manu-,
facturers here in Pittsburg, and, of course
inasmuch as they have not the same pres
tige and custom in the trade, they find thai
they cannot compete with the older manu-
facturers any longer.
. ''That is the reason they begin to how
at labor. Their complaint of the
wages being too high is utterly unfounded
Wages are no higher now than they wer,
two or three years ago. And as for theil