The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-01-09
GLASS MEN TESTIFY
THEY TELL WHAT The WILSON
ACT HAS DONE TO THEM.

Smaller Number Appear on the Day De.
voted to Glassware, Earthenware, Mar
bic and Stone, Bnt None Have Spoken
More Strongly to the Point of the Ill
Effects of the Wilson Law Than They
Workingmen Represented aad the Story
of the Starvation Cuts in Wages Fully
ToId-Scheduies Submitted.
Washington, Jan. S.-Tne working
r,en played cha principal parts in tue
tariff hearing tGday before the ways and
rseens committee DeIegi':ens of opera
tJves from the organiZatior. of glass
blowers, flint and lime glass workers,
The bottle and window gloss blowers Of
Illinois and Pennsylvania ana the pot
:ers Of Trenton, n. j., and Last Liver
rool. O., spoke. All told the same story
e: decreased wages, mills running on
Short time and general distress under the
operation OF the Wilson law. +. j.
Fcdine of Philadelphia SPIKE for the
manufacturers of cylinder window glass
and Congressman Taylor of Ohio, for the
potters, gave interesting illustrations Of
Tlrinous competition from Japan. F. G.
Partridge OF Rutland, VT, presented a
schedule agreed upon by all the marble
interests. and miners interests were also
represented.
GLASS MEN FIRST.
Washington, Jan. S.-The schedule of
the tariff including earthenware, glass
ware, marble and stone brought fewer
business men to the ways and means
committee than had the other schedules
considered this week. f. W. Walger of
Beaver Falls, Pa, spoke on tiles, asking
for rectification and specific duties. On
the tiles now paying % per cent ad
valorem he recommended 10 cents a
square foot, or 6 cents pound.
GLASS BLOWERS.
There was a large delegation of glass
blowers. representing the workmen of
the United States, in the committee
room For them Louis Arlington Of AL
ton, H., announced that they desired the
re-enactment Of the Mckinley rates.
Edgar A Gard of Streetor H., read
statement describing the Generalization
of the glass bottle blowers brought about
by the Wilson act. Under the Mckinley
law the business had increased three
fold, while. with the improved method of
manufacture, the prices had fallen 20 per
cent. Under the Wilson law prices OF
bottles had decreased from IL to 40 per
cent. and the loss had fallen mainly on
the Morkn1en. whose wages had been de-
creased Is to % per cent and hours of Ia
Dor increased almost beyond human en-
durance. The chief item of cost in the
production of bottles was labor, and with
free bottles the foreign makers could
underseH Americans, even if the latter
had TO pay no wages. He recommended
that the bottles in which wines, liquors
a+av.c t,1
should pay TIE same duty levied on
empty bottles as well as the duties on the
contents
The manufacturers had demanded a 80
per cent reduction in wages, but, through
their organization, the blowers had been
able to resist the demand Wages in
the best times averaged So a day, and
the mortality among the blowers was
great, the average age at death being IS
years. The maximum wages OF blowers
was SO day, but they could not secure
work through the year. TIE minimum
earnings Were about IS per week. In re-
Spouse to a question by Mr.. Turner the
speaker said that the questions of wages
hours and apprentices were arranged by
arbitration. The number of apprentices
was limited to one-third the number of
JouIneymen.
FLINT AND LIME GLASS.
The chief officer of the organization of
flint and lime glass workers, W. J. Smith
of Pittsburg, asked for a tariff which
would secure the manufacture of the
Amer;can-used goods by American work
men. The capital invested in the liz
dustry in the United States was s2O. O00.-
600. the annual production of about the
same value and the number of workmen
employed 10000. In the fiscal year 1899
the American production had fallen off
20 per cent, while the importations had
been S,605,00O articles. The competitors
of the United States were England,
France, Germany, Belgium and Austria,
particularly Austria, or Bohemia.
Comparisons of labor cost on lamp
chimneys were given. An example was
Argand chimneys, on which the foreign
labor cost was cents a dozen, and the
American labor cost IS cents. the i'm
porter's selling price in New York being
60 cents. The workers charged higher
rates than had been given in any pre-
vious law.
The rates asked were: On articles of
glassware or crystal mouled. or cast in
noulGs. not gided or decorated. 8 cents
per pound equal to 60 per cent ad
valorem; present rate 40 per cent?; on
glassware, crystal ware or opal, blown
with a mould, cut, stained, engraved or
equal to % per cent ad valorem.
WILSON ACT AND WAGES.
NJ f. Dorflinger presented a petition
from the Cut Glass Manufacturers asso-
uiation. They asked specific instead of
nd valorem duties and for a rate on
BLANKS of 10 cents pound and 30 per
cent ad valorem. The factories in the
United States, he said. employ 1000 man
and have an annual production OF 81
600, 600. The wages in the United States
are SIS a week; in Germany IS; Belgium
s.. Attention was called TO the evil of |
agents in the United States for foreign |
houses. through whom systematic under
valuation was practiced.
+. l.. Bodine of Philadelphia spoke for !!
manufacturers Of cylinder window glass |
ana green and flint bottle glass. He rep |
resented that half the manufacturers in |
the United States were today bankrupt |
although they would not admit it. as a |
result of the Wilson law. Without pro- !
lection they could not continue 20 do |
business with the American rates of |
wages.
Simon Burns OF Pittsburg, president Of |
the Window Glass Workers association. |
presented the case OF ,he workingmen, |
stating that their average wages per |
month under the Mckinley law had been |
S79.27, under The Wilson law $3.50: the |
average weeks of employment IS under |
The Mckinley law. 81 under the Wilson |
law. The imports had increased 80 per
cent Many mills were closed and hun /
dreds OF men idle. The re-adoDtion Of /
the Mckinley rates with the new rates |
applying to largr sizes OF glass, were |
recommended.