The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-07-02
WINDOW GLASS MARKET.
Inquirers Find that 1t Is Very Likely
to Take an Advance.
Chicago Times-Herald.

Jobbers and other dealers who have been
figuring that the window glass market is
weak likely TO be disappointed: In
quiry has been active of late and the IN
qulrers have discovered that the market is
much more likely to advance than it is to
decline. The glass making season Just
drawing to a close, or the blast of 1856
81, as II is called. has been the shortest
on record. The furnaces were not started
until the middle or latter part OF December
instead Of Sept. l, as usual. The delay was
on account of labor troubles The season
will end next Wednesday. On that day the
fires will be drawn ia every window glass
factory in the country and production viii
cease. Then the window glass bear Will
find his disappointment.
The stocks in the hands of the manu-
facturerS at this time are less than one
half as great as they We're last year. They
are even below the figures for the lSt or
last September. The shortage is computed
roughly at 100000 boxes. W hat stock the
manufacturers have is badly broken as 10
sizes. The sizes used in picture frames ana
in greenhouses and the sizes most popular
with sashmakers are practically out OF the
market Very few jobbers have on hand
anything like a normal stock for this sea-
son of the year. One firm in Chicago has
little more than it had a year ago, but
the others are below the average. This,
then-ShOrtage, visible supply-is one reason
why the window glass market IS not going
down. Another is to be found in the eX-
pectaton that the coming season Will not
be any longer than the one just passed.
Labor troubles are on the horizon of the
window glass men again. There was n UNI
derstanding between the employers and en-
ployes last year to the effect that if an in
creased duty on window glass was secured
from Congress three-fourths Of the increase
would be added to the wage scale. The
tariff bill now before Congress increases the
duty 20 per cent. The leaders OF the Glass
Workers Union are to meet in Cleveland
July to consider the wage scale, and
it is learned that they intend to ask an in
crease Of 80 per cent. The manufacturers
will not stand any such rise. so it is eX-
pected that the dispute will delay the OPEN
ing Of the factories as long if not longer
than it did last year or until December.
Another point is that the union OF the
glass workers was divided. The blowers
and the gatherers are going into one wage
compact and the hatteners and cutters are
going into another instead of letting the
scale for all four classes of employees be
settled by one set of men.
The two glass selling agencies, the Pitts
burg Window Glass Company and the
Western Window Glass Company, forming
the window glass pool. as it is called. own
practically all of the available stock in the
hands of manufacturers. Thus, with pro-
ductiOn about to cease. with stocks much
lower than they ever have been, with the
prospects not good for speedy opening
of the new season, and with all available
stock in the hands of the pool, there is no
chance that the market will be anything
but stiff and there may be an advance in
prices.