Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-12-22
FREIGHT RATES GO UP.
Higher Prices Will Be Charged for
Shipping Bottles.
PITTSBURG WILL BE FROZEN OUT.
The Glass Workers Will Be Compelled to
Bear the Load.
SBURG WILL BE FROZEN OUT.
A RETURN TO OLD RATES DEMANDED

The green bottle makers of this dis
trict are considerably wrought up because
of tine recent action of the Freight Com
mittee of the Central Traffic Association.
1t raised the classification of bottles in less
than carload lots from the third to the
second The consequence of the increase in
the rates is that the small factories in Mary
land, Ohio, West Virginia and Illinois have
secured large proportion of trade that
formerly came to Pittsburg, because of the
additional burden placed upon the local
makers by higher freight. 1t is estimated
that tens of thousands of dollars of business
is being transferred to other points because
of this alleged discrimination. Local man.
ufacturers have been taking counsel on the
matter, and at the forthcoming meeting of
the trade in January a committee will be
appointed to see if redress cannot be had
from the Traffic Association. The matter
becomes of the greater importance because
the increased cost which the manufacturers
have to carry will have bearing on the rate
of wages to be paid for the next fire. To
preserve the trade to the city economy
will have to be practiced wherever prac-
ticable, and if the railroads will not with
draw the higher tariff the labor end will
have to bear the load.
Local Committeeman Hoodwinked.
Local manufacturers are inclined to the
view that the local committee allowed itself
to be hoodwinked by some smart man from
ha xrh adu
own section by raising the rates on the
Pittsburgers. One local agent admits the
change was made because the chimney glass
and tableware men, whose goods are in the
second class, used to ship them as sbottles,
thus getting the benefit of the third class
rate. The committee decided to stop that
by placing the two lines on an equality,
thus making the bottle men suffer for the
sins of their neighbors. The bottle manu-
facturers, when the new classification went
into effect, sought to make their customers
pay the additional freightage, but this was
protested against by the iobbers who de-
clined to paw more than the third class rate,
deducting the difference from their bills
Later. when the point was insisted upon,
the jobbers looked around for a cheaper
market, and found them, to the detriment
of the Pittsburg makers, whose trade is
the classification.
Thomas Wightman, of Thomas Wight
man & Son, when asked for information on
the point, said that the classification was an
outrage, and that it was causing a loss of
business to local manufacturers amounting
to thousands of dollars annually. He said
the change was without any valid reason
which could be advanced in its favor The
business in lots of less than carloads was
the most profitable of the trade, and this
was rapidly being lost to this city because
of the higher freight.
Almost Shut Ont in This Line.
He said it cost So 10 more to ship 5000
pounds of bottles to Dayton than it used to,
and naturally makers in that locality would
avail themselves of this extra disability
against Pittsburg men to cut in for their
business.
Another manufacturer said that bottles
are much better freight than tableware or
chimneys, because they pack into smaller
bulk in proportion to their weight, which
was half that of the latter, and yet they are
placed in the same class. Local makers
were no longer able to hold the trade in
Ohio, Illinois, West Virginia, this State
and New York, because of this increase in
the freight. He thought the makers should
ship their bottles as hardware, and give the
inspectors something to do.
General Agent Childers, of the Central
Traffic Association, when called upon for
his side of the matter, said his duty was to
carry out the rulings of the association, not
to discuss the merits of its legislation. The
proper persons to see in the matter were the
members Of the Freight Committee.
James Means, Chairman of the local COM
mittee, was called upon. In his absence
Chief Clerk McAdoo said that it was true
complaints had reached the Office from the
bottle makers regarding the change in
He did not know what would
be done. The committee might take action
if representations were made to them.