The morning news., 1897-01-09
GLASS MAKERS GRoWLING.
THREADBARE ARGUMENTS USED IN
FAVOR OF A HIGH TARIFF.

The Existing Rates of Duty Alleged
to Have Closed Factories, Reduced
Wages and Increased the Hours of
LabOr-McNinley Rates Declared a
Necessity IL This Country Is to
Compete With 1.-The Pauper Labor
of Europe"
Washington, Jan. S.-The ways and
means committee to-day heard represent
atives of the earthenware. glassware,
marble and stone industries.
F. W. Walker of Beaver Falls, Pa, the
first speaker, advocated a change in the
section of the present law relating to tiles,
favoring a new classification, with specific
duties.
R. W. Leslie of Philadelphia advocated
the retention of the present duty on ce
ment.
L. Arlington of Alton, Ill, asked on be-
half of the glass-blowers of Illinois the
restoration of the Mckinley rates on bot
ties.
e. A. Agard of Streator, ILL.,, a glass
blower, said that the American workmen
had been driven to the wall by the present
tariff law. Works had been closed,
wages reduced and the hours of work in
creased. Under the Mckinley law the in
dustry had prospered and at the same
time the cost of bottles was reduced %
per cent. Under present conditions, it
was becoming more and more difficult for
the American glass blowers to hold their
own against the cheap labor abroad. The
old duty was simply just and fair and in
jured no one. The present duty had in no
way benefited the consumer and had al
most ruined the workmen. 1t was sim
ply taking from those who had little and
giving to those who had much.
W. L. Smith of Pittsburg spoke for the
workers in flint and lime glassware, the
most important branch of the glass indus
try, employing the greatest number of la
borers and having the largest capital. He
asked for protection on lime and flint pro
ducts in order that the industry might live
and employment be given the idle work
men. Bohemia, with the cheapest labor
in the world, was the greatest competitor.
Germany, where the wages were only
about one-third of what they were here,
came next. The industry needed stimua-
ton now more than ever before, and in
his opinion the duties given should exceed
those in the Mckinley law.
w. F. Dorfiinger of New York, repre-
senting the cut glass manufacturers as
ISOLATION, said a high tariff on cut glass
was necessary in order to compete sue
cessfully with this ware produced by
cheap foreign labor
F. L. Bodine of Philadelphia, a manu-
facturer of cylinder window glass and
green and flint bottles, said that the ef-
feet of the present law had been to reduce
wages, close factories and bankrupt most
of the domestic makers. The importation
of foreign glass was unnecessary, as the
| mills of this country were able to supply
the home demand and would do so if the
labor alone was given the requisite pro-
lection. Under these conditions he
thought it reasonable, just and neces-
sary to have rates not lower than those
fixed in the Mckinley law.
Samuel Burns, representing the window
glass makers of Pittsburg, said that
those he represented require an additional
| tariff to compete with foreigners. The ef-
| fects of the Wilson bill had been dis
| astrous to the workman and the trade
| the workmen being forced to accept re.
| duction of from p to 2S per cent.
| Representatives of the potters of New
| Jersey and East Liverpool, o., told prac-
tically the same story as the glass blow
ers, and made the same appeal for protec-
ton.
A Rutland VT, marble quarryman asked
for a duty on marble
D. NJ. Stewart of Chattanooga, Tenn, a
manufacturer of lava gas tips, advocated
a specific duty of 50 cents per gross on i'm
portations of lava tips
The committee adjourned until to-mor-
row, when those interested in iron, steel
and lead ores will be heard.