Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-08-26
GLASS DEAL BROKEN.
The Window Glass Men Who Sign
the Agreement Released.
NOT ENOUGH POTS REPRESENTED.
Men in the Forge Department at the Lower
Mills Come Out
0THEREyENTs IN THE WORLD OF LABOR

IN Columbus one week ago the agreement
formulated and signed at that gathering
had proviso attached which now renders
the document void.
This proviso was to the effect that 1000
pots must be represented in the agreement
to give it proper force. Ifthis number was
not included the manufacturers who signed
would be at liberty to withdraw their names
and start their plants as soon as they saw
proper. The failure to carry out the
Columbus agreement permits all manufsc-
turers to begin operations any day after
September L. 1t is feared that the season
will be irregular and may affect prices un-
favorably. The market now is much de-
moralized, probably due to an overstock of
product, and great many manufacturers
are sorry to see the agreement cancelled.
Would Not Enter the Deal.
The object of late start was to get rid
of the surplus glass in the market before
any more was produced. Thus a prosper
Gus season and the maintenance Of prices
would be guaranteed At the meeting in
Columbus, while the Chambers & Mckee
Glass Company, of Jeanette, were not rep
resented, one of the manufacturers present
was authorized by that company to an
nounce that they would start on September
/. The Chambers & Mckee Glass Company
arrived at that decision previous to the
manufacturer meeting. They determined
to put their facteries in operation irrespect-
i've of what the others would do.
Although this decision of the Chambers &
Mckee Glass Company did not defeat the
manufacturers' agreement, it helped very
materially. Other manufacturers were
positive that the R. C. Schmertz Company
would enter the deal The latter company
represent 40 pots. This number added to
the $40 pots belonging to manufacturers
who had already signed the agreement
would have made more than the 1000 re-
quired.
Why the Agreement Was Annulied.
Following the course of the Chambers 6,
Mckee Glass Company, the firm of Will
lam McCully & Co., with "a pots, also re-
fused to sign the agreement Following
this movement, William Loeffier, of r. c.
Schmertz Company, said he did not feel
justified In adding his firms name to the
agreement when the Chambers & Mckee
and McCully & Co plants were not in the
deal This was the cause Of the agreement |
being annulled.
After the manufacturers had signed in |
Columbus petition was circulated among |
the Chicago glass men to also refrain from |
beginning operations until September "a |
This petition met with favor and resulted |
in seven manufacturers of that city offering |
their signatures. to the agreement. These |
were: James II. Rice Company, George T. |
kimball, Tyler & Hippach, r. w. Eisen-
drath & Co., Sprague Smith & Co., F. Brown
& Co. and the H. NJ. Hooker Company.
The window glass manufacturers in Chicago
follow the course of their Pennsylvania
and Ohio neighbors. They invariably close
down july 1 and do not start up again until
between September i and October l. Some
time ago they tried to arrange an agreement
similar TO the one formulated in Columbus,
but it was failure.
Gives Rise to Much Discussion
The abandonment of the agreement gave
rise to much discussion in window glass cir
cles last evening. While the workers are
pleased the manufacturers would rather
have DELAYED operations. Several glass /
men who were questioned said the change
would cause much irregularity in the win
dow glass trade. They said the manufact-
urers who had signed the agreement, think
ing that the movement would be adopted,
had made no preparations to start their
plants. This would have a tendency to
keep them all back, and it would be a
coudle of weeks before they could make the
necessary preparations
William Loeffier, of R. c. Schmertz
Company, last evening said: 1T is alleged
that the jobbers in Chicago are signing q
petition asking that the manufacturers
make late ST. rt. If this is true it is a
pity that the memorial was not presented
at the Columbus meeting because the Job
bers always received respectful attention
and the manufacturers try to shape their
action TO meet their views
AT that meeting very prominent manu-
facturer stated that he had informed himself
carefully as to the condition of the market |
and the stocks on hand, and that never before .
was there better prospect for higher prices,
because manufacturers and jobbers including |
sash manufacturers are almost bare of glass.
This corresponded with the information 1
had, and l knew that not single manutac-
turer could fill orders Even the United
Company, of Chicago, tried to buy glass as
far back as July.
4 fraid of Foreign Importations.
This condition of affairs indicated a
famine in American glass in September and
it meant to abandon the market to the i'm
porters providing the American manufac-
turers postponed starting until September ,
"A or October l. Therefore, and for the ad- !
reason TO cheaper production bv
operating the whole five and to thus be /.
able to compete with foreign glass, R. c.
Schmertz & Co., Limited, favored an early
start However, / am never arbitrary and
always willing to make concessions to Sc ;
cure harmony of action, and in this instance :
l proposed in spirit of compromise to fix
September Is or II as the date, but the same
was not agreed to and of course when we
found that Chambers & Mckee Glass Com
pany and William McCully & Co. nm O
willing to wait until September "a, our ,
firm could not afford to stand idly by and :
prevent these manufacturers to operate and
take our customers away
There is no sensible reason whv all the q
glass made this fall should not sell at fair !
price. About 800 of the pots will not be in
them not before November or December. In 7
deed, not one manufacturer will be ready to I
start September /, so that the average start j
will be about September "a Nor will "
here be such large increase in pots as
'ome think. Many of the new pots are on
PAPER and exist only in the imagination of
'eal estate spectators. q
Glass May Be Scarce, Anyway. c
t'Besides many pots operated last wear G.
Fill be idle this year. 1t is q well-known "
act that the blowers make very little glass a
he first four weeks, and when the trade p
ully realizes the correct condition of the b
market both manufacturers and jobbers will ii
axe advantage of the situation" "
The new Chambers glass plant at Ken
ington had fires lighted under the tanks,
esterdar. The company are making all
Preparations to begin operations as 4,
ar!y IN September as possible. The u u
anks were filled with cullet, but it f
ill still be several weeks before they can W
low. In speaking of the situation, II. A. re
'ewkirk, who represents this company,
hfnE faIx g. Al