New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-01-09

ships at tho wharves at one time unloading
cargoes of imported bottles consigned to San
Francisco breweries The general public" hao
derived no benefit whatever in lessened COST
nor would it have to pay more II the duties
should be restored. On the whole. Mr.. Agaro
submitted a strong case, and presented II III a"
exceedingly effective manner.
THOUSANDS OF MEN OUT OF WORK.
He was followed by maker Of flint ana lime
glass bottles and other ware. His story Oh 'he
effects Of the law Of 1894 on that branch OF .ne
glassware industry was like the one told by MT
Agard Foreign competition had increased to
such an extent that many manufacturers hao
been forced to buy stocks Of goods abroad ana
,rnnort them to supply their trade. thus throwing
thousands Of American workingmen out OF en-
n,ovnoent In 1885,, or 1896 the total value OF 40
,nes,ic production was about S4.OOO.OOo less than
tho nor,na,-a decline Of 20 per cent-and the
total value OF MISUNDERSTANDING those that were
observation-disclosures more than S''"V'ooV'
Many foreign goods are now deiVereo III NV
York City duty paid at prices less than '"e oo''
OF labor required to produce them IN TINS country
but the retail buyer received no peneh' i'o',
these low prices. the profits being divided anu
absorbed by the importers. wholesale dealers anu
"middlemen" Undervaluations were easy oe
cause a large proportion Of the impor'ations
came in under the basket provision OF the grass
schedule at an ad valorem rate OF DUTY
Mr. Smith not only advocated specific rates OF
duty but insisted that the rates ought 20 DE
advanced somewhat above those OF the act OF
1890. He denied that there was any trust OF
combination among the glass manufacturers 10
cx or control prices as Mr.. Agard had also DONE
md both OF them declared that there was no Ill
feeling among the workingmer toward the manu-
facturers the former being convinced that what-
ever reductions Of wages and loss OF time or en-
p,oyment they had suffered had resulted from the
legislation of 1894 THE manufacturers nave
done the best they could under the circum-
stances" said Mr.. Smith.
WAGES HERE AND ABROAD CoNTRASIED
w. r. Doriinger. of New-York. manufact-
urer OF cut glass. addressed the committee III
behalf Of that industry as representative Oh
the Association Of Cut Glass manufacturers
He said that they especially recommended '"e
abortion Of specific and compound rates Vi
duty. and suggested q rate of 10 cents pound
nm "blanks" and 10 cents n pound plus 90 per
cent nd yaiorem on cut, etched and engra'e'
ware Their competitors were the manuIact-
urers of England. France. Belgium ana 80
hernia. In the United States the average WAGES
of skilled labor In the industry were SlS Week.
in England IS: in Belgium, 30, ana IN boheii''"
much less than in Belgium. Most of the I'M
,or,ea cut glass was consigned by foreign
manufacturers to their resident agents In the
United States. and 1t was impossible to ascer~
tain the foreign market value. American de-
signs were obtained and copied and the product
shipped to the United States.
He exhibited a cut glass fnger-bowl which
he had procured this morning as sample 1roh'
a cut glass table service he mad seen III
the window Of a Washington store. Inc de-
sign was copied from that Of & Toledo Ohio)
manufacturer and the goods were manu-
featured in and imported from France. Inc
cost of the bowls at the Toledo factory were
sic 80 a dozen. and yet goods with the same
designs had been manufactured in France I'M
ported into the United States. paid duty Oh
40 per cent ad valorem. and been laid GOWN III
Washington at a price which enabled the mer-
chant TO sell them at So dozen. or more IMAM
81 per cent below the American manufacturers
cost Mr.. Dorf1inger insisted that the Treasury
reports did not show anything like the actual
value Of cut glass imported into the United
States"
THE WINDOWGLASS INDUSTRY.
Fl, Rodine or Philadelphia. a manufacturer
representing the manufacturers OF unpolished
cylinder windowglass next addressed the COM
r,;ttee. By the law of 1894 the duties were re-
duced on an average 40 of a cent pound. The
results had been a loss of revenue by the Gov
eminent a reduction Of wages and profits a re-
duction Of prices during The first year, with re-
duced importations. followed by an advance OF
prices amounting TO : to 10 per cent by the
American manufacturers. which in turn was 1oi'
lowed by an increase of 20 per cent in the amount
of importations The industry had become thor
ougbly demoral.zed "One-half the manu1actur
ers are bankrupt to-day. although they wouiC
not care tn admit it," asserted Mr.. Bodne witt
some vehemcnce. He gave some interesting
Facts from his own books to the committee. show
ING the proportions of skilled and unskilled iaoo
IN the production of windowglass, the total be
,,. ohout 81 per cent of the entire cost Of the
product.
txe also submitted some figures about prices
7, 1874 the price of wglass +. o. b. at Ant
...rn Was IA cents pound: in 1882 it had de
c,,ned 10 9 5000 cents: in 1875 TO 3-lo cents
In 1904. 10 40 cents. and for the hrst 'ei
months of the calendar year lo96 II mad average
o37.1OO cents. or higher than it did in lS''5' In
Belgian manufacturers, he said, made no secre
nj their determination to capture the markets.
tho United States and drive American manufac'
urers out of the business, no matter now muc'
a might cost Only one-fifth Of their export
mara To the United States against four-nlths e~
ported to other countries where they aiieauy con
;rol the markets and they sold their GOODS a
higher prices than in the United states. MI
Bodinc urged the restoration OF inc o"''eS
John Pitkin, OF Pittsburg. submitted writer
brief in behalf Of the plate glass INDUSTRY AM
did not address the committee
wAcE-EARNERs TESTIFY.
Samuel Burnes Of Pttsburg' windowsiass
.orxer smoke in behalf of his fellow craftsmen
and in favor Of the restoration of the duties o
1904 Since the enactment OF the law OF le9
The wages OF men employed in the making
w,ndowgiass had been reduced on the ayera rag
49,. o,I ner cent but the greater loss had bee
-. ~ time Under the former law they ma
work thirty nine weeks IN the year and unde
the latter only thirty-one weeks on the average
rr.at many plants had been idle all the tini'