The Forrest City times., 1891-04-03
TRUSTS IN GLASSWARE.
baANUFAcrvRERs COMBINING INTO TRUSTS.

Icy Gave Thsm stili Higher Protsctioa-
 fssGts of the Business.
 A dispatch from Findlay, Ohio, has recently appeared in the papers as fol- lows:
 sThe Western Flint Bottle Associa- Sion, comprising thirty seven factories, At meeting last night decided to close 1heir works on June instead of July As heretofore. This is for the purpose of maintaining priccS and compelling 3Ubbers to come to the manufacturers xerma"
 This Is one of the trusts in the glass business Another Is the trust of the manufacturers of table glassware. which was started only 8 month or two ago, and which is now completing it's organi- sstion. The Mckinley law made heavy Increases in the duties on glassware; and now the trusts are making haste to get all they can out of the advantage that Mckinley has given them.
 The increase in the tariff duties from 70 per cent. to GO per cent, not to mcn- tion the imposition of duties upon pack ages, which would add nearly 25 per cent. more, was entirely uncalled for, since the old duties were practically prohibitive. Nevertheless this scale of duties upon glassware was insisted upon in the con- ference committee by Mir Mckinley. What his purpose was, backed as he was by the manufacturers in Ohio and west ern Pennsylvania, could not be surmised ct the time. 1t is now however perfect ly plain. Nine of the largest manufac- turers of tableware in Ohio and Pennsyl- vAnia have united and applied for Q charter under which table glassware trust has been formed. Their purpose IS to control the output of glass and raise the price. This combination was born in MT. McKinleys district, and the more active manufacturers concerned were among those who contributed large sums to carry on his campaign last fall. Abun- dantly able to control the markets here even with glassware upon the free list and to export large quantities besides, they are not content with their present profits but aim under the Mckinley tar af to charge as much for their goods here as they can force consumers to pay, re- lying upon the foreign market to take the surplus, at reduced rates
 They have secured what they wanted and will not hesitate to carry out their plans One of these companies declared dividends of 60 per cent. in 1883, 60 per cent. in 1884, and about the same since. Another has declared nearly the same amount in the same time, and it's stock has advanced over 200 per cent. since 1885. Another has doubled it's capital out Of it's earnings for the past three years. When carefully managed these works make not less than 25 per cent. profit each year. These figures show how reckless the Mckinleyites were in raising duties where there is absolutely no necessity for an increase. Some of the flint and lime-glass makers went be- lore Mckinley's committee and pre- tended that they were being driven out of the home market by German compe- titiOn. These men had much to say about the low wages of German labor 1t Is a specimen case, showing how lot of smart manufacturers can pull the wool over the eyes of q committee of protectionists, ready and willing to be deceived, and eager to find an excuse for giving the highest kind of protective duties.
 The increase of these duties is rem dered all the more inexcusable in view of the great and rapid development of the glassware industry under the old duties. That growth is reflected in the following figures:
 1880. 1890. No. of establishments. el IA No. of furnaces. ss.......,............ 162 925 Ao. or pots. ..............-...-.-. 1.o5S 2.624
 Great as this development Is, 1t is not 90 great as 1t would have been if the glass industry had the benefit of free raw materials; for the tariff on these is great burden on this highly protected in- dustry itsc.f.
 Of the raw materials used soda, potash and lead are imported to greater or less extent. If soda is used in the form of soda ash 1t is very largely imported, since lit 6 only is made here. But salt cake h often used as a substitute for soda ash, and of this the greater part is of domes- tic production. Soda ash pays A of a cont per pound duty or 26 per cent, and salt cake $l. 25 per ton or over 2S per cent These duties affect the manufacturer of lime glassware only.
 Potash is largely imported and is free of duty. The chief raw material, with the exception of sand in quantity, and the costliest of all used in the manufac- ture of glass is lead. One third of tho total weight of lead glass is lead. Since leaI in the form in which it is used in glass manufacture is worth to-day from 6A to 9 cents per pound, at wholesale, it will be seen that in every pound of glass made with it there are from 2 to cents. worth of lead.
 The duty on pig lead from which red lead and litharge are made is 2 cents per pound or 72 per cent. On red lead and litharge the duty is cents per pound, or 66 per cent and S5 per cent respectively. The smelling and refining of lead in the United States Is in the hands of a ~truSt which manaues to keen mn tha price here above tho foreign price bv nearly the whole amount of duty. Red lead and litharge are the form in which glass manufacturers use lead, and these products are made by the manufacturers of white lead. It happens that the same trust controlling the production and price of pig lead is also in control of the production of white lead, red lead, and litharRe. The excuse which they offer for the high prices which they charge the ass manufacturers is the high price of pig lead, which, however, is not the price they pay for it, but the price they charge their competitors. Nothing shows more clearly the handicap that is placed upon the manufacturers of lead glass in competition with foreigners in the mar kets of the world by these high duties than the sworn declaration of Mr. Mac both, large manufacturer and exporter 0f lead glass, who appeared before the Ways and Means Committee of the House early this year. Mfr. Macbeth declared that for materials which cost $40 in Ger many he had to pay hero S79 63, or near. ly 100 per cent more; and that upon the materials used in making 1,SOO gross of lead chimneys, or one weeks production, the enhanced cost on account of the