Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-05-14
PRICES OF PLATE GLASS.
A FALSE PROTECTION CLAIM Ex-
POSED

Where the Price of Plate Glass Fell First.
The Downward Course of Prices in
France Before We Began to SIanufact-
ure-Domestic and Foreign Prices Now.
The high tariff papers of the country
are at present making great ado over
the plate glass industry, which they
claim is triumph of protection. They
are constantly asserting that it was not
until the industry was established in
this country that the prices of plate glass
began to fall, and they are very fond of
comparing the prices which prevailed
from 1870 to 1872 with those at which
the glass is sold now
How careful they are not to say any,
thing about the real cause of the hiyh
prices which prevailed during the for
mer period. France is the most impor-
tant center for the industry in Euro,e,
and it is from France that nearly all
our imports of plate glass have come.
During the Franco-Prussian war all in
dustries were shaken up, and the drain
of recruits from the workmen for the
armies caused a great rise in WAGES.
terials rose, which, taken in connection
with the heavy taxes and expenses Incl
dent to manufacturing industries in war
time, caused an abnormal rise in the
cost of production, and hence the price
of glass.
1t Is just as logical, therefore. TO COM
pare the prices OF wool during war time
and now as it is to compare present
prices of plate glass with those ruling in
1872. The average price of Ohio wool
In New York in January, 1865, was
ninety-six cents to S1.02 per pound. Tie
present price is thirty-one cents per
pound. Behold the effect of high tariff.
OF course such a comparison is absurd,
but so is that made by the high tariff
papers on plate glass.
History tells Us that in 1909 the Count
ess of Frique exchanged an estate for a
single mirror Of plate glass. Only three
years later yard of plate glass sold IN
England for &C l2s., or $50. II.
How absurd is the statement of the
papers that plate glass did not fall in
| price until the industry became estab-
hshed here is shown by the following
figures, which are for plate glass sold -
the st. Gobain plate glass works OF
| France:
PRICES PER SQUARE FOOT.
lsS: lS56. 1867 ISL.
| 3937x3o.57 inches..S2.27 Sl.O9 S0.S6 SOC.
7s.14x39.37 inches. Go ESQ l9l Ia
This does not show that prices Were
| kept up until we began to make plate
glass. On the contrary, the prices have
| steadily fallen. Only during the pas
decade have our manufacturers beer
able to produce enough glass to affect
the market
The duty on the sizes of plates now
imported are twenty-five cents and fifty
cents per square foot, and our manu-
facturers add the duty to the price OF
the glass they make, thus enabling them
to exact this amount from the consum-
ers. That the domestic manufacturers
do add the whole amount of the duty to
their glass is shown by the fact that,
while the small quantity of plate glass
| imported last year is valued in the treas
ury reports at slightly less than thirty
three cents per square foot, the domestic
manufacturers sell their output at an
average of about eighty-fve cents. Thus
the domestic manufacturers are able to
declare enormous dividends on watered
| capital, and last year the Pittsburg
Plate Glass company declared a divi-
dend of 81 per cent.
AT the same time that the manufact-
urers make these enormous profits they
pay the lowest wages-of any industry re-
quiring skilled labor. The highest wage
they pay their workmen for twelve
hours work is three dollars per day.
This amount is earned by the master
teasers Other workmen receive as low
as S1.25 per day for the same number of
hours. They are enabled to keep the
wages down by importing contract labor
ers in spite of the contract labor law.
The real causes of the fall in the price
of plate glass are the use of machinery,
which makes possible cheaper produc-
ton, and the greatly increased demand
for plate, which in turn makes possible
production on large scale.
The true effect of the duties upon
plate glass, therefore, is to make posi-
bic the combinations among the manu-
| facturers to keep up prices and keep
down wages. 1t is impossible to evade
the duties so that the prices they fix can
not be cut. But they succeed in evad-
ing the contract labor law so that they
have practical free trade in labor. Thus
on the one hand they make consumers
pay more, and on the other force their
workmen to accept less for their labor.
These are the true effects of the high
duties, and, being such, tariff reformers
are perfectly contented to let their CD
ponents have all the glory that they can
make out of them.
a Tack Trust.
The tack companies of New England