The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-01-09
TARIFF SCHEDULE.
G1nss Workers and POtters Given
Hearings by Committee.

Hearings by Committee.
Washington. January S.-The working
man played the principal parts in the tar
III hearing today by the ways and means
committee. Delegations of glass blowers
and flint glass workers, the bottle and
window glass blowers of Illinois and Penn
sylvania and the potters OF Trenton, N. j.,
and East Liverpool, Ohio, spoke.
All told the same story of decreased
wages, mills running on short time and
general distress under the operation CT the
Wilson law.
f. l.. Bodine oS Philadelphia spoke for
the manufacturers of cylinder glass and
Congressman Taylor of Ohio. for the pot
tiers. gave interesting Illustrations OF luln-
Gus competition from Japan.
+. c. Partridge of Rutland Vt. pre-
scented schedule agreed upon by all the
marble interests, and minor interests were
also represented.
Edgar Egard OF Streator ILL.,. read de-
scription of the decentralization in bottle
glass blowers, brought about by the Will
son act. Under the Mckinley act the
business had been increased three fold.
While through improved methods of manu-
tacture. the prices had fallen 20 per cent.
Under the Wilson law prices az bottles had
decreased from 10 10 40 per cent and the
loss had fallen mainly on the workmen,
| cent, and hours OF labor increased almost
| beyond human endurance. The chief item
| of cost in the production of bottles was
| labor. With free bottles the foreign
makers could underseli Americans. even II
| the latter had to pay no wages. He recon-
mended that the bottles in which wines.
| liquors and mineral waters were imported
| should pay the same duty as on empty bot
ties, as well as the duty on the contents.
The manufacturers had demanded 30
per cent reduction in wages, but through
| organization the blowers had been able to
resist the demand. Wages in the best times
averaged 81 day, and the mortality amcng
| the blowers was great, the average age OF
| death being 3S years.
| The maximum wages OF blowers was $40
a day. but they could not secure wo,k
| throughout the year. The minimum earn-
| ings were about IS week.
| In response to questions by Mr. Turner.
| the speaker said the question of wages,
hours and apprentices were arranged by ar
bitration. The number of apprentices was
| limited to one third the number of Journey
men.
| The chief officer OF the organization Of
| the flint and lime glass workers, Il. j.
Smith of Pttsburg, asked for a tariff
which would secure the manufacture of
American used goods by American work.
| men.
NJ. F. Dorflinger presented petition
from the Flint Glass Manufacturers asso-
| citation. They asked specific instead of ad
valorem duties. Tho factories Of the Uni
ted States, he said. employ 1000 men and
have an annual production of 81 600 900
I, The wages in the United States Is SIS
week, in Germany s., in Belgium 50. At
| tention was called TO the evil of agents IT
the United States for foreign houses
through whom systeamtic undervaluatior
4, was practiccd.
u f. l.. Rodine of Philadelphia spoke fol
manufacturers OF cylinder window glass
aud green flint bottle glass. He reported
that half Of the manufacturers in the Uni
| ted States were today bankrupt, although
they would not admit it. as a result of .ht
! Wilson law.
Samuel A. Burns of Pittsburg. former
president of The Window Glass Workers
association, presented the case of the work.
irgmen. Their average wages under the
| Mckinley law had been $40. 81: under III,
Wilson law, S57. 90. The average weeks o.
employment rs under the Mckinley law; 81
under the Wilson law. The imports hat
/ increased 800 per cent. Many mills wers
closed and hundreds of men were idle. The
| readoption of the Mckinley rates, with new
rates applying to larger sizes of glass. were
| recommended.
Representative Taylor OF Ohio, who rep.
resents Major McKinley's old district spoke
| as an expert on pottery.
| d. NJ. Stewart of Chattanooga asked fol
duty per gross on lava gas Jet tops.
The committee then adjourned