The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-09-30

AT noon to-day tho bars will be
pulledin tho one furnace that has been
running ut Factory o Of tho United
State, Glass Company, the old Central
factory, and there is little or no pros
poet that work will DO resumed again
before spring. There has been report
in circulation for several days that work
would stop to-day, but no confirmation
oft could be obtained until yesterday,
when the fact that no new metal was
being put in the pots showed that maxi
ing ware could not go on much longer.
The Central has been running but one
furnace, largely on current orders.
About $50 persons were employed in
ali departments, all OF whom will now
DO rendered idle When in operation
to its full capacity about 500 hands are
employed. Factory II, the old Hobbs
works, which shuttl this week, will
also doubtless remain closed through
the winter, so that about 1000 persons
usually employed in these works must
remain idle.
While tho disagreement with the
American Flint Glassworkers' union as
to tho removal of the limit of the nd!n-
Der OF pieces that may DO made in a
turn and the abandonment OF the sum-
NOR stop requirement, has not little
to do with the shut down, 1t Is an un.
deniable fact that the uncertainty as to
what Congress will do in the way OF
tariff amendment, Is most potent IN
bringing about the result. Astothe dis.
pute with their employees, the manu-.
iacturers say that the non.union facto-
ries arc enabled by tho absence OF tho
limit on the amount OF work, to turn out
ware at about 25 per cent less than
union factories, while at the same time
paying out moro money for wages.
They think the men should have some
confederation for employers who have
always run union factories, and now in
time Of financial depression and sharp
competition find that they are IN q
losing business on account Of the union
rules.
The way the tariff agitation Affects
the glass business is very apparent at o
! glance. The ware made through tho
winter is that demanded for the spring
trade. With the prospect that the duty
on glassware may be abolished and Ill
most certainly will be at least greatly
reduced by Congress. staring the coun-
try in tho face, jobbers will not lay in
large stocks, nor will those who sell to
the consumers buy beyond their imme-
date needs. Tho result is that the
manufacturers must pile up what ware
they make. II the duty were then
abolished this would be all dead stock,
or must be sold at a sacrifice.
The serious effect Of reduction Of
the duty on glassware may be seen when
it is known that even with tho present
high duty European manufacturers
with cheap labor sell much glass in
America in competition with the home
product. There are certain lines, for
instance small chimneys for night
lamps, which cannot be made at all in
this country, for the reason that they
can actually DO sold here, duty paid, for
less than the mere cost OF wages to
make the ware in an Amert-
can factory. II the duty were taken
off whisky glasses. IN important
article Of manufacture, Bohemian
makers could sell them in New York,
carriage paid, for twelve cents dozen.
In a Wheeling factory tho labor alone
OF making these glasses cost, fourteen
cents per dozen. two cents higher than
the price OF tho finished Bohemian
glasses, not counting the cost Of mater
ial and other items of cost in this
country.
The long shut down will be a serious
drawback to business, in the Eighth
ward and East Wheeling particularly.