The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1903-04-11
WHAT WILL THE
CLASSMEN DO?
BLOWING MACHINES MAKE a
REVOLUTION IN THE TRADE.
For Receiving Big Wages They Are
Confronted by Startling Eco
nonic Conditions.

John H. Lubbers window glass blow
ing machine is the newest marvel in
the industrial affairs of this country
AS the self-binder took the place of
the cradle in the American wheat
fields, as the trolley car crowded out
the mule team, as the Mergerthaler
| linotype machine forced thousands Of
| typesetters out Of the composing rooms
| of American newspapers, so is the Lub-
bers' invention expected to take it's
place as the most important factor in
the making of window-glass in this
country.
Six or seven human glass blowers,
says the Indianapolis News, who have
| made from $3.50 to $500 a month, will
give way to one man who can operate
the machines, and who will do it for
| much less money than any one blower
has been paid. Nearly 1000 men. will
be thrown out Of employment in In
diana alone.
That the Lubbers machine is a sue
cess, is shown by the order of the AM
erican Window Glass Company to close
it's forty factories over the United
States, to turn off the blowers, and
put in the blowing contrivances. The
American Company further backs it's
faith in the invention by forming a
company with $40, 000 600 to make the
machines.
While the use of blowing machines
means the saving of much money to
the trust and possibly lower prices of
| window glass, it means a serious blow
to the human blower and to towns and
cities in Indiana where they have
made their money and where they have
spent it with liberal hands. In the fac
tories at Orestes, three miles west of
Indianapolis, forty blowers will lose
their places.
Most of the blowers are Belgians
They have large families and have
lived high from their earnings in glass
factories. They have been allowed SIS
to $40 a week for market money, and
once a month they have been paid off
in full bWfhe American Company
Many of the blowers have made from
$3.50 to $500 a month, and these men
have been indispensable to the glass
makers. For years the blowers have
| felt secure. They could not look into
| the future and see the day when a ma
chine could be made that would do the
work of human lungs. For years they
have looked upon the blowing machines
and scoffed at the idea as printers,
years ago scoffed at the idea, of lyno-
| type machine that could set type for
a. newspaper, and do it with the speed
| of half dozen men.
! It is believed that many of the blow
ers will form cooperative glass COM
panies, open factories and undertake
TO compete with the machines. While
this will give them employment at
their calling, the move is not looked
upon as a. serious menace to the bust
ness of the window glass trust.
! Just now the window glass industry
is in a most choatic state, in: which
| both independent manufacturers and
! blowers are on the anxious seat. The
conditions are affecting business in
! many lines, and it seems that the worst
is yet to come, when the thousands of
blowers will be turned lose on the labor
market to begin life over again in COM
petition with the unskilled men. The
f1atteners' and cutters ranks may be
invaded by the blowers in search Of a
position, yet it is hardly probable that
| it will be a serious menace to these
| trades, which will, in a measure, bene-
fit by the machines. They certainly
will not suffer as direct result as the
| more glass made the more must be
cut and f1attened. .