The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-01-09


glassware, marble and stone brought
fewer business men to the ways and
means committee than had the other
schedules considered this week. +. W
Walker. OF Beaver Falls, Pa, spoke on
tiles. asking for reclassihcation and
specific duties. On the tiles now paying
70 per cent ad valorem he recommended
10 cents 4 square foot or four cents Il
pound, on those now paying 40 per cent
20 cents a square foot OF six cents
pound.
There was large delegation of glass
blowers representing the workmen Of the
United States, in the committee room.
For them Louis Arlington, Of Alton, ILL.,.
announcer that they desired the re-en-
actment Of the Mckinley rates.
Edgar Agard, OF Streator, ILL.,, read a
statement describing the decentralization
OF the glass bottle blowers business
brought about by the Wilson act Under
the Mckinley act the business had in-
creased three fold, while through i'm
proved methods OF manufacturing the
prices had fallen 20 per cent. Under the
Wilson law prices of bottles mad de-
creased from II to 30 per cent and the
loss had fallen mainly on the Wurkmen
whose wages had been decreased ~ TO %
per cent and hours NJ labor increased al
most beyond human endurance. The
chief item OF cost In the production OF
hotties was labor, and with free bottles
the foreign makers could undersell
Americans even II the latter had 10 pay
no wages. He recommended that the
bottles In which wines, liquors and min
eral waters were imported should pay
the same duty levied on empty bottles,
as well "a the duties on the contents.
The manufacturers had demanded a
20 per cent reduction in wages, but
through the organization the blowers
had been able to resist the demand.
Wages IN the best times averaged 81 a
day and the mortality among the blow
eFs was great. the average age or death
being thirty-elght years. The maxi
mum wages Of blowers was so day,
hut they could not secure work through
out the year The minimum earnings
were about So week.
In response TO questions by Mr. Tur-
ner. the speaker said that questions OF
wages. hours and apprentices were ar
ranged by arbitration. The number OF
apprentices limited 70 one-thlru the
number Of jOurneymen.
FLINT Glass lleu.
The chief officer of the organization Of
flint and lime glass workers. w. j.
smith, OF Pittsburgh, asked for tariff
which would secure the manufacture OF
the American used goods by American
yvorlsn1en. The. capital invested In the
industry In the United StateS was SO
| OOO, 900, the annual production OF about
the same value and the number OF WORK
men employed 10000. In the fiscal year
1888, the American production had FALLEN
Iii do Inn "a IN
had been 3,6O5OOO articles.
The rates asked were:
on articles OF glassware OF crystal,
moulded, or cast in molds, not cut,
o,,iided or decorated, cents pound
/ 5edual to 60 per cent Hd valorem, present
rate 40 per cent?. On glassware, crystal
M. opal. blown with or without mould,
ct,t stained, engraved or otherwise or
namented, cents pound equal TO 30
per cent?. .,,..-
II. F. Dorfilnger, presented petition
| from the Cut Glass Manufacturers AS
sociatlon. They asked specihc inStead OF o,
ad valorem duties, for rate on 'Dlahks
Of 10 cents a pound and 30 per cent ad
vnIorem The factories OF the United
Sfates he said. employ 1000 and make
an annual production Of $2,0O0OOO. The
,,,nnes in the United States Is SlS week,
In Germany Ss, Belgium s.. Attention
waa called TO the evil Of agents in the
tinted States for foreign houses,
| through whom systematical underNalu-
alton was practiced, :.
i. l.. Bodine, Of Philadelphia, spoke or
manufacturers Of cylinder window glass
| and green and flint bottle glass: ne
represented that half of the manuiactur-
ora in the United States were to-day
| bankrupt, although they would not ad-
nil n. az a result Of the Wilson law.
Wlthout protection they could not con-
| tinIie TO do business with the American
rates OF wages.
How Wages were Effected.
simon Burnes, OF Pittsburgh, the
presIdept of the Window Glass
workers Association, presented the case
OF the worklngmen. Their average
wages per month under the Mckinley
law had been $40 81. under the Wilson
| Iayy SCI 90; the average weeks OF employ
r,ent seveney-elght under Mckinley
law. thirty-one under Wilson law. The
| imnOrts had increase 30 per cent Many
mills were closed and hundreds OF men
| idle. The readoptlon OF the Mckinney
| law with new rates applying 20 larBer
| sizes OF glass was recommended ~,
pntterIes were next taken up, JOhn
w Norgan. Of Trenton, n. j.. spoke TOT
| tbe workmen. who. he declared, were NOT
"a vol eItuated rs the pOtters OF IiS-
IanJ. Average wages per week under
| the Mckinley law haI bseh ", w. ai.u
under the Wilson law ~ ~ ana i'iI as
| many men been employed IN tne la.t
| ncri5d ma tho grst wages would nave
| bsan so uer cent lower. Skllled po''ers
| we're In state Of de4Atutlon' ,,
q. ]. whitehead, Of trenton, utSllr. NJ
ed that no. more than one thifd al .',G