The herald., 1897-01-09
Made by Bottle Makers and Glass
Blowers
TARIFFlTES OF CALIFORNIA
Agree on a Schedule for Some State
Products
A Recommendation That Half of the
Sugar Bounty Be Faid to the
Growers of Beets
Associated Press Special Wire

WASHINGTON, Jan. 8.-The work
ing men played the principal part in the
tariff hearing today before the ways
and means committee. Delegates of
operatives from the organizations of
glass blowers, flint and lime glass orks.
the bottle and window glass blowers of
Illinois and Pennsylvania ard the pot
ters of Trenton, N. j., and East Liver
pool, O., spoke. All told the same story
of decreased wages, mills running on
short time and general distress under
the operation of the Wilson law.
f. l.. Bodine of Philadelphia spoke
for the manufacturers of cylinder win
dow glass, and Congressman Taylor of
Ohio for the potters gave interesting IL
Illustrations of ruinous competition from
Japan.
+. G. Partridge of Rutland, VT, pre-
sented a schedule agreed upon by all
the marble interests, and minor interests
were also represented.
II. w. Walker of Beaver Falls, Pa,
spoke on tiles, asking for rectification
and specific duties. On tiles now pay
ing 25 per cent ad valorem he recon-
mended 10 cents a square foot or 4
cents a pound; on those paying 40 per
cent. 20 cents square foot or cents
a pound.
There was present a large delegation
of blowers. Louis Irrington of Alton,
ILL.,, announced that they desired a re-
enactment of the Mckinley rates.
Edgar A. Gard of Streator, ILL.,, read
statement describing the demoraliza-
ton of glass bottle blowers business,
brought about by the Wilson act. Under
the Mckinley act business had increased
fhran- xl-ht t,,v, ,nI Il
DDS of manufacture prices had fallen 20
per cent. Under the Wilson law prices
for bottles decreased from II to 40 per
cent, and the loss had fallen mainly on
the workingmen. whose wages had been
decreased Is to % per cent, and hours of
labor increased almost beyond human
endurance. He recommended that bot
ties in which Wines liquors and mineral
waters are imported should pay the
same duty levied on empty bottles, as
well as duties on the contents. Manu-
facturers had demanded 30 per cent re-
duction In wages, but through organi-
zation the bowers had been able to re-
sist the demand. The wages at the best
times averaged So. The mortality among
blowers was great. The average age at
death was IS years. The maximum
wages of blowers was SO a day, but they
could not secure work throughout the
year; the minimum earnings were about
$S a week. The chief officer of the or
ganization of flint and lime glass work.
ers, w. j. Smith of Pittsburg. asked for
tariff which would secure the manu-
facture of American-used goods by
American workmen. The capital in
vested In the industry in the United
States was s20,000,000; annual production
of about the same value; number of
workmen employed, 100000 In 1898 the
American production had fallen off 20
per cent, while the importation had been
3,600,000 articles.
CALIFORNIA; CLAIMS
SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. s.-The COM
mittee of the California tariff conven-
ton agreed today to recommend to the
congressional ways and means commit
tee tariff schedule for a number of
natural products. The schedule provided
for duty or rough lumber of 20 per
cent: for the higher grades of from s.
to $3.50 per thousand feet and for cabi-
ret timber an ad valorem duty of from
Is to 25 per cent. 1t was recommended
that the duty on bituminous coal be
raised to so cents per ton of 2240 pounds,
and on anthracite to IS cents. On flax,
hemp, jute, burlap and grain bags, wines
and brandies and table grapes the
schedule of the Mckinley bill was rec
ornmended. On all forms of sodium and
sulphur, the Mckinley duty was recon-
mended; crude sulphur to be free 1t
was agreed to recommend that so per
cent of the bounty allowed upon domes-
tic beet sugar should be awarded to the
grower of the beets, instead of having
all of it, as now, go to the manufacturer
1t was agreed to ask that the Mckinley
bill tariff of 21a cents per pound for cured
or dried grapes. raisins or currants
should be estored. 1t was decided to
recommend duty of 8 cents a pound
dAg n or IT,,
filbers were recommended to be taken
from the free list and made dutiable.