The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1896-01-23
GLASS is BECOMING SCARE


OTelBH WlHuOW grass Has Deen
most completely shut out of the Until
States. The latest reports show \,
rapid falling off in imported glass, al
during the last few months impoI}
have been lower than ever before in II
history of the trade. All the gid
needed in this country will be manufi "
tured at home, as prices and was9s
across the water are at the lowest not b,
while the workers are considering tie
ACCESSIBILITY of demanding an advanSe
in wages. Editor Frank NJ. Gessner, 4f
the National Glass Budget, who is we'll
posted on the condition of the glaks
trade says:
The Belgian manufacturers seem to
have about given up the idea that TIA
United States is dependency of thu
little kingdom 50 far as window glaa
is concerned. Our markets do not even
afford good fighting ground for them
under present conditions. Wages
abroad are about as low as they ca5 be
reduced, for even now such orgafiza.
ton as exists in Belgium is preparing to
able opportunity. Owing to the Urge
curtailment resulting from the strike
last April and May there has been sutfi-
cient transatlantic demand to fairly
absorb the product until within a. gerry
reasonable period. u
"a very slight increase in expdfQiio
the United States is noted during Sep
TENDER, when there was an uncertainty
about American factories starting up
and importers placed increased orders
in the belief that late reslmp
ton would seriously curtail avail.
able stock. The very full re.
sumption of American factories anC
the organized condition of our manu-
facturers, the wise and liberal policy
which has been adopted in their deal
ings with the distributing trade, the
ready acceptance of changed conditions
by the jobbers and the promptness with
which they have placed their orders, to
gether with the firmness of manu-
tacturers and the satisfactory condi
ton of jobbers, has about convinced
belgian manufacturers that they have
little profit to seek in this country il
the future. The 81 tank furnaces in Cd
Grafton in Belgium are turning our
more glass than can be marketed, now
| that the American market absorbs 81
little of their product, and for the frs
time in the past quarter of a century
they are called upon to cope with tn,
| problem of overproduction.
AT recent meeting the matter
was fully discussed, and it was decided
to reduce production after January l
proportional to the capacity of firm
operating. The matter of arranging de
| tails was left to committee of five. ant
II is believed that production will b,
reduced fully one-third for severa
months in the new year. This is tn,
most convincing proof that American
wlndow-glass manufacturers hav,
about fought their most formidabl,
| foreign rivals to a standstill, and it i
hoped they will make full use of thei
opportunities, and not only amply SUP
| ply the entire demand, but take promp
measures in their organized capacit,
to bring the average quality up to til,
high standard established and admira
bly, maintained by the leading tanl
manufacturers of the country.
Enough glass to satisfy the demand
and of uniform high quality, must b,
made the watchword of both the Pitts
burgh and western manufacturers. ant
unless prices are foolishly advanced
to such point as to again stimulat,
| imports we ought to be able, in few
years, to completely establish our in
dustrlal independence"
The demand for window glass still
Keeps up and is in excess of the i'm
mediate supply. This is largely at
trlbutable to orders stimulated bv dis
counts offered large buyers and mem
bers of the Jobbers' association by tn,
organized manufacturers, and on ac
count OF building activity. The regula
demand, however, is very large.
Advices from Belgium were that al
agreement had been reached amons
manufacturers which will curtail pro
duction during December, each of 3
hrms operating tank furnaces havin,
agreed to close their factories tempo
rarily in order to prevent overproduc
tlon.-Pittsburgh Chronicle-Telegrapb
|