The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1894-02-12
WAGES or GLAsswonlsEns.

A glass and glassware supplement 10
tho american Manufacturer Of last week
contains Il great amount Of valuable sta.
tlstics prepared by Joseph D. Weeks.
1t gives tho production, cost and impor-
totion, with statistics OF capital, om-
pIoycs, product. CNrninga OF labor and
relative wages and costa In tho United
States and other countries. Following
Is a summary oil tho information re-
gnruing wages, etc:
That tho American glass worker Is
paid more wages than tho glass workers
in tho English, Belgian, German and
bohemian glass houses IL not denied.
In those occupations, and in that coun-
try in which tho wages approach near
est to those paid in tho United StNtos,
tho difference in rates is rarely less
than fifty per cent in favor OF tho Amer.
lean workman, while in some cases. and
these not II few, the difference is 200 10
500 por cent.
rLATE GLASS WAGES.
A reference TO tho tables OF compare.
two wages given in discussing tho
several branches Of glass making will
provo this conClusively. Under plato
glass the earnings OF So different classes
OF employees are given. In all but 8
cases tho wages Of the American work
men are more than 100 per cent greater
than tho Belgian; in Is occupations
they are mo:o than POO per cent greater,
and IN ! cases moro than 800 per cent.
In all but II occupations the wages OF
tho American plato glass workers arc
lUO per cent greater than in the English
plate glass works, while in cases they
arc more than 200 per cent greater, and
III case over 800 per cent greater.
WINDOW GLASS WAGES.
So in window glass, Mr.. Bolino states
that the average OF wages in the Ameri.
can window glass house is $50 per cent
higher than in the Belgian, from which
most OF the imports OF window glass
come.
FLINT AND GREEN GLASS WAGES.
For reasons that the variety OF goods
made is so great rs not 10 permit Of as
exact comparisons in flint glass and
bottle glass as in plate and window
glass manufacture, VIC cannot make Il
detailed comparison, but the wages IN
American houses are so to 800 per cont
greater than in European works. Mr..
Bodinu states that the conditions in the
green glass houses are quite similar to
those in the window glass houses. and
MIR. Blair states that the wages OF the
American flint glass workers are 100
per cent greater than in the Belgium
and German, and 800 per cent greater
than in tho Bohemian.
WAGES 30 TO 300 TER CENT GREATER IL TIE
UNITED STATES.
II may be assumed then, as conceded,
that tho wages OF the American glass
worker arc from 50 to 300 per cent great
err than those OF the workers in foreign
glass houses. This statement applies
both to wages and earnings, that is not
only are the rates per day, or per box,
or per dozen, or per gross, greater, but
the amount oil wages earned, the total
earnings per hour, or per week, or per
year are very much greater.
COST OF PRODUCTION AND LABOR COST.
1t is argued, however, that though our
wages and earnings and higher than
abroad, that because OF our greater
facilities labor cost is no more ii as great
IN the United States as abroad.
GLASS MAKING 4 HAXDlCRAFT.
Tho glass industry is one in which
handicratt, pure and simple, as opposed
to machine work prevails to an extent
that is found in few, If in any other OF
the great industries with possibly tho
exception OF pottery. The success OF
the most important occupations OF glass
making depends upon the skill OF tho
glass worker and not upon machine.
No mechanical contrivance has yet been
invented that will gather tho glass in
any OF the glass industries, or that will
blow the cylinder or natien, or select,
or cut the glass in the window glass
works, or cut oil the right amount OF
glass, or finish, or handle, or do many
other things in the press shop, or blow
the glass in the lime flint or mold shop,
in bottles and othor houses when molds
arc used.
CHIEF COST OF PRODUCTION, LABOR.
1t follows, therefore, that it is the
wages OF labor that determines cost in
the glass industry. Materials, except
fuel, cut but small figure in cost; ma
chinery has little place in manufacture
Ing. 1t is wages that makes cos. Of pro-
duct. Ii this is so then, with wages SO
much higher in this country than
abroad, cost OF production cannot be as
low. 1t is conceded that BY reason OF
the greater effectiveness OF American
labor and American methods OF work,
the difference III cost Is not rs great US
the difference in wages, but the differ
cncc is still so great as to demand all the
tariff that is now levied ii American
glass house labor is to be kept employ
cd, and ii American markets are to be
supplied by tho products OF American
glass houses.
THERE il no claim made for Ayers
Sarsaparilla which cannot be endorsed
by scores Of testimonials. This fact
plainly proves that the blood is the