Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-09-02
THE GLASSWARE TRUST.
COMPLETION OF A M'klNLEY CON-
EINE.

BiNE.
The Table Glassware Men to Enjoy Nc
Kinleyism - Plans of the Combine.
Mckinley Helped the Trust with High
Duties-Large Exports of Glassware.
Soon after the Mckinley tariff law
was passed the manufacturers of table
glassware began to take steps to form
trust in order to enjoy the full benefits
of the greatly increased duties.
When the law went into operation in
October the New York Tribune printed
interviews showing glass manufac-
turers happy"
Well they might be happy, for Nc
Kinley had increased their protection by
so per cent. The old duty on glassware
was 40 per cent, this was raised by Nc
Kinley to co per cent. But the provi-
sions of his customs administrative law
with regard to packing, breakage, ETC..
are equivalent to an additional 10 per
cent. protection. The manufacturers,
therefore, have a protection of at least
20 per cent.
And now comes the trust to make this
protection effective. About the first of
the year it was reported from Pittsburg
That nineteen of the Leading table glass
ware manufacturers of Ohio, Pennsylva-
MIA and West Virginia had formed a
trust. This report, however, referred to
the preliminary arrangements, as only
NOW in mi 1S,,r,p,ar DOCS tba bicrL .o-;+r
New York Tribune report the compile
ton Of the organization. This it does IN
a dispatch from Pittsburg, the center Of
the table glassware trade, as follows:
PITTsBURG, July 15.-At a meeting of the
table glassware manufacturers of Pennsylva-
MIA, Ohio and Vest Virginia in this city today
The plants were consolidated and an assoca-
ion formed under the name of the Unitci
States Glass company. ID. c. Ripley, of this
city, was elected president. The company COM
prises eighteen firms, with capital of 81, O0O-
OOo The object of the combination is said to-
40 SYSTEMATIC and TO harmonic the WORKINGS
Of the several plants, and to secure such econo-
mics in cost as may result from a consolidation
Of interests. The headquarters viii be in Pitts
burg.
This trust starts out with the promise
not to raise prices; but such a promise
viii hardly deceive anybody at this late
day. That is an old trick which has been
worked too often. When this trust was
being formed in February one member
of II told Boston dealer in glassware
that the main purpose of the trust was
to raise prices on staple tableware and
10 control output
Another part Of the trusts plan was TO
buy ZIP all the independent concerns, or
else squeeze them ont; and then the least
profitable ones were TO be closed up to
reduce the output, and thus sustain the
trust prices. Only recently it has been
announced that the price of glass fruit
jars, evidently manufactured by this
trust, has be n advanced.
The increased duties on glassware
should be explained by Candidate Nc
kinley on the stump this fall. 1t is
stated that the trust was originated by
the manufacturers IN his district, who
also contributed literally to his cam
paign expenses last fall. Such party
service may have been a sufficient excuse
for the great increase in duties.
Certainly there was no excuse in trade
| conditions to justify an increase of duty
Cur imports of plain nodded or pressed
flint glassware during the fiscal year
1899 amounted to only SOS. 900, and last
| year to only $4,000. On the other hand,
our exports are generally about ten
| times as much.
| The New York Tribune. the leading
| high tariff organ in the United States. in
showing the advantages which recipro-
| city would give to this country, enumer-
ated glassware among the articles which
can be produced in the United States as
cheaply as in Europe"
That this is true may be seen from our
| exports of glass, glassware and china to
| Mexico. The recently published imports
! of Mexico for the year ending June 80.
1883, show that its imports of glass and
| china from the United States amounted
| to S243,O00; from Germany, S1G0, 900;
from France. $159,00O: from England.
| $4,000.
| On the face Of such facts as these.
where was the necessity of increasing the
| glassware duties? If our manufacturers
can beat their foreign competitors in
| Mexico, even without the advantage of
reciprocity, is it not the height of alb
surdity to give them greater protection
| at nome: Can Ncklnleys increased
duties have any other effect than to turn
| domestic consumers over to the tender
Elercies of his glassware trust?
Whatever may be said of protection
TO American industries the formation
of these tariff trusts Is growing extreme
! ly tiresome, and the trust crop has been
unusually abundant since the Mckinley
| law Went into effect. This thing is GO
ing entirely too far, and the patience of
the people is not going to stand these
needless Mckinley tariff taxes forever,
with their numerous brood of Mckinley
trusts. The day of reckoning must soon
| come.
Rare Genius.
| Jinks-That man does not look very
smart, and yet you say he has made a
| million