The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-01-01
MACBETH WANTS A SHOW
The Session of the House Committee
Looking Into the Tariff an
Interesting One.
Potters Ask for More Protection
and So Do the Flint Glass
Manufacturers.
A Manufacturer of Lamp Chlmueys Asks
for Free Raw Material and lie win
Lead the World.

WAsRivoroN, Drc. 9l.-Athough the
ways and means committee had
assigned to-day TO the hearing Of per
s'ns int rested in the manufacture of glass
and ealthcnware. the committee first lis
tened 20 an argument from Robert NJ.
Thompson, of New York, in favor of the
free importation Of copper intended for
expiration as refined copper. J. j. Bodine.
oi New Jersey. impressed upon the commit
tee the necessity Of restoring the rates of
duiy which prevailed prior TO 1883 ON
cylinder window glass and bottles. German
and French. Since the act OF 1888. foreign
glass had been taking the place Of Amen.
can glass, although there existed in the
United States furnaces 10 produce glass for
the whole country. Ex-C0ngressman
Brewer. of Trenton, representing the pot
teis, thought all their trouble grew ont of
nd yalorem duties. The pottery industry
never lad been adequately protected. If
something WAS not done to check the impor-
taiion Of German goods, the Bohemian
wares would have the markets of the United
Simes. within five years, aud The American
poiteifes-would have I, snccumb or reduce
wages very materially.
George A. Macbeth. Of Pittsburgh, man.
ufaciurer of lamp glass, said he mnnufac-
tufsd 200 styles Of limp glass, and Of that
200 STYLES only 20 were competed with bv
foreign producers. One of the principal
articles used IN this business WIS soda ash,
and he favored Il reduction of duty on that
article. He would take the duty received
from coda ngh lugf l..+ L..
ash manufactory at Syracuse four times
over. lie bought foreign soda ash. aud be-.
lived he could manufactured M the rate of
GO cents hundred pounds. The present
price was Sl.f5. Another ingredient
which r--sered into his manufacture
WAS carbonate of potnsh, which bore n
duty of 70 per cent. There was not enough
OF that article In this country to supply his
factory alone. The increase of duty, he
argued, would not cut of the importation
OF foreign glassware or crookery. II would
make people who wanted thnt identical
kind of ware pay more for il than now. bui
would not prevent it's importation. The
only oifect would be 10 increase the price of
lsO kinds Of lamp glass. for which he had
no competition. lie wished 20 have the
duties rcmitted on soda ash. carbonate of
pctQsh an 'ead. Give me free material or
| fled trade. such M England has" SAID Mac
beth, ''and give me the proper products of
my labor, and | defy any competition on
the face of the earth"
/ Mr.. Bayne-And pay vour workmen the
vases you now pay themg
'les, more"
| Macbeth then said be at one time contem-
plated moving his works 20 Germany. He
said the German workmcn were not m
efficient and sLilful ms the Americans. but
had he found il difficult 10 work with them,
ne would have taken men from here.
Bayne asked him If he would have paid
them the wnges he paid here. and Macbeth
said he would not. His leading idea IN
going 10 Germany was the cheapness Of
material and plant. II he had free trade IN
his raw material. he would be p,rfectly
willing 10 have free trade in his product.
| The chairman inquired whether the con-
sumer OF lamp chimneys would bo benefited
10y allowing raw material. as well ~ the
| finished product, to be admitted free.
Mr.. MHclSeth said the difference in price
would be three or -four cents dozen.
Mr.. Gear-That is 10 the retailer would
the woman who goes 10 a store to buy Il
chimney get IL for less?
MnoBeth-My individual opinion is that
doubt u.
James Gillander, Of Philadelphia, snid
the lamp chimneys mostly used in this
country were manufactured here and sold
for less than the imported chimneys
Imported chlmneys were used principally
on special lamps. and were bought by peo-
pie of means. lie did not want free raw
material, and advocated an increase of the
duty OH various grades of glass. II his raw
material, as well as the finished article.
was admitted free, he could not pny the
present wages and compete with foreign
goods.
ID. p. Ripley. of Pittsburg, president Of
the American Flint aud Lime Glass associa-
tion, advocated protective duties on cut
glass. lie presented several specimens oi
Belgium glass, and stated they could be
laid down here at less price than they
could be cut for in this country.