The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1907-10-19
TARIFF TAX ON A
The Price Increased Fifty Per Cent
to Protect the Combine.

The manufactures of window glass
is one of the principal interests pro
tected by the tariff, the rates varying
from rs n pound on glass not ex-
ceeding 10x15 inches, and Az cents
a pound on glass above 40x60 inches.
The tariff tax actually paid on I'M
ported glass for the fiscal year ending
June 80, 1906-the last official report
ranged from 37.17 per cent on its
value to 100.31 per cent. In spite OF
this heavy tax there was S4,O73.42e.OS
pounds of window glass imported OF
the value of S1,259.33 on which duties
were paid of $5SS, 076.50, or an aver
age tariff tax of 1880 per cent. One
would naturally think that it would
not pay the Belgium manufacturers to
export glass to the United States and
besides paying an average of over
As per cent in tariff duties, also pay
the freight, insurance and other
charges, besides allowing a proht 10
the importer and wholesaler and other
hands it may pass through before COM
ing in competition with home made
glass. That such is the fact is charge
able to the extraordinary conditions
of the manufacture of lndoW glass
In the United States brought about
by the so-called protective tarlif.
Glass blowers knowing that their a
tiers could charge enormous profits,
because of the tariff tax preventing
competition in a great measure, de-
mand very high wages, and as the
great profits eve after paying these
very high wages induced others to
enter the glass manufacturing leld,
the result has been a selling combine
to hold up the price of glass and q
labor combine to hold up the high
wages paid. Very naturally too much
glass was manufactured, and when
stocks increased beyond a safe margin
"the fires were drawn and manufac-
ture ceased. In fact in the mast IA
vorable years the factories only run
nine months, and for the past few
years the average time of the fire
has rarely exceeded six months. so
the glass blowers only get an average
amount of money for the year OF about
so per cen of the wages they are paid
when at work, and the manufacturers
only make half the amount OF glass
their plants are capable OF making.
and often have to hold part of their
stock Of manufactured glass for many
months before it can be disposed of.
Under these hot house conditions
produced by tariff protection, there
has been many failures Of glass manu-
featuring. In fact the gas regions
are strewed with idle glass plants and
many are for sale for less than cost.
There is constant friction between the
glass manufacturers and the glass
blowers about wages, n at present
every window glass factory is idle on
account of the manufacturers refusing
to pay the wages demanded by the
workmen, and the workmen demand
ing an average increase in wages or
II per cent. Such disputes are con-
stantly occurring, and in consequence
the Belgian glass is imported to the
extent above given. The American,
whether buying glass for their own
houses, or for houses to rent to oth-
ers, have to pay nearly so per cent. on
the average more than glass would be
worth without this tariff tax. NOT
only the price on what glass is inn
ported is increased by this tariff tax.
but also the price of the home prod
uct, for the manufacturer knows just
how much extra profit the tariff al
lows him to add to prevent inn
ported glass from being sold here.
The tariff on glass is but an example
of the tax on other necessities, nearly
all OF which are likewise increased IN
price by the tariff.