The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1891-10-21
THE AGE OF TRUSTS.
How They Rob Laborers and squeez.
Consumers.
r,rr

ported Indg n1Iy Belg1dnS reached EOSs
toria last night over the Baltimore &
Ohio road, coming direct from Belgium,
to work in the different window glass
houses in this section, and there is
much Indignation among native work.
men concerning the manner in which
the Belgisus succeeded in getting here.
-(Press Dispatch.
COMPETITION AND THE M'KINLEY BILL
THE BASIS.
CLEVELAND, o., April Is, 1891.-The
Mckinley bill is working out its 1egit-
innate results. The duty on window
glass plus the heavy duties on packages
has given manufacturers so wide a
margin that combination and extor-
tionate prices are possible.
Several months ago the window glass
factories of Pittsburgh, Findlay and
other natural gas centers undertook
the formation of trust under the name
of the American Window Glass Co., and
patterned closely after the Standard
Oil Trust. The object was to maintain
prices at a point where large profits
would be assured. Several large fac
tories refused to join at that time, and
since then the screws of competition
have been put on harder than ever, and
prices have been cut until the obstinate
factories are glad to secure peace.
A meeting of all window glass manu-
facturers has accordingly been called,
to convene at Chicago April Is, when,
it is understood, there will be no OBJ
jections from any factories to the
formation of an iron-clad com bination,
as contemplated before. The meeting
will have a very important effect on
prices, and, if the trust is formed as is
confidently expected now, material ad-
vances are certain.-(Press Dispatch. J
Under the protection of an ad valorem
rate of duty OF 90. 3s per cent, imposed
on foreign window glass imported
and sale of glass is easily throttled.
The average duty on all other glass
than window plate, was % per cent.
On plate glass, such as is used in store
windows, the rate rose to 1872. "a per
cent.
There are eight plate glass factories
in the United States. In 1880 they em-
ployed $50 men, women and children,
and in 1880 these work people each
earned the prineely sum of about $3O5,
less than dollar day. These people
received work and nothing more and
their wages were no greater than labor
commands elsewhere. They received
none of the benefits of the high tariff
duty, because they sold their labor in
absolute free market under the open
competition of the world On the
other hand their employers sold their
glass in a highly restricted market with
the competition of the world cut off by
the high tariff duty, and domestic COM
petition was killed by the combination.
M. G. Depauw, of New Albany, Ind,
rolled up SIS, 000, 600 in less than
twenty years. The 100 per cent. and
more of protective tariff on imported
glass gave him monopoly of the home
market and he used that power not to
elevate and dignity labor, but to make
himself rich.
It is said that the profits of the Pitts
burgh Plate Glass Co. are $1,000, 900 a
year. In lawsuit last year the fact
was brought out that this concern
cleared 34% per cent on its capital in
1889.
glass men were given higher protection
than they had under the old law. Be-
sides the increase of duty from cents
foot to cents on the smaller sizes,
the Mckinley customs administrative
law, which went into effect August L,
1890, allows nothing for breakage, and
compels the payment of duty on the
boxes and all costs on the other side
for packing. transportation, etc These
additional charges amount to from 10
to 20 per cent. of the extra protection
for the domestic manufacturers. 1t
seems to be the purpose of the tariff
makers, not only to give our glass men
living chance, but to insure them
profits which will make them willing
and liberal contributors to the cam
paign funds of the party.
The Philadelphia Telegraph, repub
| lican and protection paper, arraigns
the Window Glass trust and the Nc
Kinley bill as follows:
''Now, with the aid of enlarged du
ties, they (the trust) are free from for
eign competition; they can make the
prices pretty much what they please
and the buyers must pay them; and tc
keep them up on this article of univer,
sal consumption, they have only to re
strict production-which they do. We
can see, under the circumstances, thai
this is an excellent encouragement fol
the manufacturers; but we car
not so clearly perceive how it helps the
| public, all of whom must buy window
glass at a largely increased price; o.
how it benefits the glass workers, O
whom there are now a larger numbel
idle than at any time since 1885. w,
have not heard that those who are still
permitted by the trust to work ge
higher wages than formerly; and Sec
retary Cake says that, owing to tn
closing of their factories, great man,
get no wages at all The truth is that
as measure of benefcence to eithe
consumers or workmen, the McKin1e,
bill is one of those mysteries which NO
body can find out; as benefcent meas
ure to trusts and monopolies that it ha
created or fostered, there is no mys
terry about it. For them it is might
fine bill. and they know it
AS the republican Telegraph truth
fully admits, it is a fine bill for tn
trusts. 1t is class legislation in tn
most offensive form. The operation
of this one trust would Justify a popr
lar uprising against Inc mch1n4ey IdrAA
But when we add to it hundred an
one other tyrannous impositions, th
aggravation becomes intolerable.
According to Carroll D. Wright, con
missioner of labor statistics. the ave,
age wages of glass workers in tn
country in 1860 under the low tari
were 50. 96 per day. In 1890, after twel
ty years of high protection on glas
they were $1.79, decrease of 81. II pt
day, or 20 per cent. Depauw, protects
by duties ranging from so to $50 p
, cent, rolled up fortune within the
! twenty years, while the laborers Ell
ployed in the glass industry saw the
wages shrink from 50. 96 day to ST.
Examine the report of the republi
: an tariff commission of 1888, on pa
1899, and see how the benefciaries
/ the duty on glass love the Americ
' workman, any other time than VIII
{ they need their votes. The followil
} is the testimony:
| ''In 1873 the master of the gla
5 works at New Albany, Ind, sent
auant 10 Ra1Ui11ro who m ado a o0nfrs