Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-10-30

sA1ct Ou RtplSdIucI oV, dll0 al tt't1>>~ss
prices 10 to Is per cent.
The National Glass Company, the
tableware combine, is almost completed
with $4,O00000 capital. 1t will include
about IL plants with a productive ca
pacity of about 600 pots.
The Macbeth-Evans Glass Company
owns nine lamp chimney plants and
over half of the producing capacity. Is
exceptional in that it exports largely;
asks for no tariff favors but for free
raw materials.
Both the green and flint bottle man
ufacturers have organizations which fix
prices and wages.
There are smaller trusts within
these trusts and in other branches of
the industry.
THE LABOR UNIONS.
1t is not intended here to complain
of labor unions in general any more
than of trusts in general. 1t is only
intended to snow that the protective
tariff tends to make both trusts and
unions bad and to enable them, to-
gether, to lock up an industry in the
hands of few who disregard entirely
the interests of consumers and outside
laborers. The tariff invites manufac-
lures to organize to fight their en-
ployes and the consumer and almost
compels the employees to organize to
fight the manufacturers and the con-
sumers. Tariff and trusts are the two
parts of the machine for regulating
production and prices; and iron-clad
agreements, apprenticeship rules and
alien contract labor laws constitute the
workers machine for extracting a part
of the tariff Spots from the trusts.
THE WINDOW GLASS TRUST.
AS in most other branches of the
glass industry, trusts in some form have
existed in window glass for twenty
years.
The American Window Glass Manu-
facturers Association, with its price
List Committee" it's BOARD of Con-
troll" it's District" and National
Wage committees, and its Tariff
Committee" was running full blast
from about 1880 to 1888, and was de-
Gliding how many and what works
should be closed and what wages should
be paid and prices charged. 1t worked
hard to prevent the passage of the
Mills bill in 1888. In 1884, when there
was a shortage of glass, caused by a
lockout and a long fight over wage
became importers to supply the trade.
There have been since 1880, periods
of comparative competition and low
prices; but during such periods the
trust people have been playing for a
new deal and a new grip on the indus
try Since 1890 the United Glass Com
pany, corporation owning II Of the
10S plants then in existence, has formed
the backbone of the window glass trust.
From 1893 to 1895 the trust was not in
good working order and prices were
comparatively low.
THE PRESENT TRUST.
In 1895 the American Window Glass
Company, selling pool for IS per cent.
of the factories was formed. This
pool soon had prices up to the import
ing point where it held them firmly
until succeeded by the American Win
dow Glass Company, corporation
with $17,000,000 capital formed in Octo-
Der, 1899. This owns factories with
capacity of about 1900 pots, out of a
total capacity of about 1900 pots. 1t
has not lowered prices, which are about
double what they were four years ago.
The estimated value of the 48 or SO
plants absorbed is said to have been
put at $6,190,00O by one of the organ
izers.
PRICES AND PROFITS.
There are so many sizes and grades of
window glass; the schedules of prices and
discounts are so complex, and the prices
changed so often and differ 20 much in diff
ferent districts that it is difficult to COM
pare prices. In general prices for the last
three years have been nearly double what
they were for the previous three years,
and, the duty averaging nearly 100 per
cent, prices are about double what they
are in Belgium or England. The follow~
ing summary of prices is from the Com
moner and Glassworker" of October q,
1899:
From an average price of about $50
per box for single and g per box for
double strength in 1923, the value of glass
has quite, if not more than doubled.
The low prices of glass was due to a low
tariff. combined with the low cost of I'M
wrought material, and reduction in cost Of
labor, with a poor consumptive demand.
= Since the existence of the American
Glass Company, the greatest advance in
prices has taken place. This company has
managed its affairs without change prac-
tically since its formation, and has done
it so we'll as 10 not only control the prod
uct, but to fix the price at the highest
DossihIa nofrh