The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1894-08-16

The labor difficulties at the two South
Side plants Of the Wheeling Pottery
Company have been disposed Of in a
way. though there 10 no settlement Of
the matters at issue. At the IaBolle
plant the bone Of contention. the
'Triumph" dinner set, the designs have
been withdrawn aud the goods will not
be manufactured.
Tho committee OF workmen from the
sanitary department Of the company
saw President Franzheim yesterday
afternoon, but the meeting was without
success The men held out for the old
prices, and Mr. FrauzhOIm stood firm In
the position no had before taken, as out.
lined In the lETELLIdENcER yesterday.
that the company could not pay higher
wages than Is paid for the same WORK
elsewhere. To this the mon would not
agree. 80 tho company announces It's IN
tention 10 close down the sanitary de-
pnrtment permanently unlcss tho work
men will accept the wages offered.
Pro,ident Franzheim said last night
that the men must return to WORK
al once or tho works would be shut
down indefinitely for two reasons, first,
that the company cannot afford 10 pay
higher wages than arc being paid else'
where ior tho same work, and, second,
that the new tariff conditions havo put
tho pottery business in tho United
states in such shape that 1t 10 doubt-
fu! whether it can be prosecuted with
profit until there 10 IN increase In tho
scale OF duties on imports. Continuing
ho sald: ''Iho pottery interests in this
country have been cut worse in tho new
tariff legislation ut Washington than
any other American industry, and yet
il IL IN industry that needs protection
more than almost any other, because
wo arc paying higher wages by 100 per
cent than Is paid for the same work
in England. 200 por cent moro than IN
Germany, and 800 per cent moro than
in Japan. Further. wo feel that We
should got tho work done in our plants
at as reasonable prices as in other places
in this country, because our factories
arc fitted up go that everything is con-
yenienk for the workmen, advantages
not seen in many other potterles where
the same wages are paid. Tho mon IN
the sanitary department knew when
they went 10 work exactly what they
we're tn get, and we know that they eau
mako froms:4 to So per day ut the wage
scale now III effect II the men do not
accept our terms and return to work,
the sanitary department will be shut
down aud one hundred men thrown out
OF employment A portion OF the old
pottery, where @. 9. ware Ia manuIac-
tured, will continue to operate"
The general idea 10 that the English
and Germans will take possession OF
the American market for pottery uudor
tho new tariff conditions. President
Franzheim, who is undoubtedly m au-
tIlority OH tho subject. states that tho
home potters need not look 10 England
and Germany for tho pottery ware that
will flood the country from abroad
when tho new tariff law goes into eject.
The tlercest competition will como from
mn opposite direction-Japan, the ma
ton OF Orientals, that oil late years has
copied 80 well and extensively from
western nations. Japanese pottary is
acknowledged 10 be the best made any
where and is manufactured ut prices
that the American potter cannot at
tempt to compete with. There the pot
ter receives about twenty-five cents per
day for his work. Mr.. Franzhcim
gives as M instance OF what the
Japanese can do, tho umbrella stand
seen in many American hall
ways. 1t is sold hero for ninety
nine cents, and in an American factory
could not BIO made for several times
that money. The Same ratio applies to
other articles OF pottery. Up to tho
present the importations OF Japanese
pottery have been confined to articles
OF bric.a.brac, not in competition. OF
course, with the product Of American
pot,eries. All this will DO changed.
however, when tho now pottery tariff
schedulo goes into effect. For the past
two years, says Mr.. Franzheim, agents
OF the enterprising Japanese potterics
have been in this country looking over
the Geld and ascettainiug just what
goods in the pottery line are popular
and saleable hero. Tho result 10 that
tile twcnty-iive.cent day Japs will soon
be manufacturing goods OF exactly the
same character as tho product OF the
Wheeling pottcries. and Of course tho
latter will not DO in it. This is truly m
encouraging prospect for tho American
hotter!