Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1907-10-16

The manufacture Of window glass
Is one of the principal interests pro-
tccted by the tariff, the rates varying
from 1 3-9 cents pound on glass not
exceeding 1Ox15 inches and 80 cents
a pound on glass above 40x6O inches.
The tariff tax actually paid on Import
ed glass for the fiscal year ending
June 80, 1906-the last official report
ranged from 37.17 per cent on its value
to 1O0.31 per cent. In spite Of this
heavy tax there was 34,O73, 429, OOS
pounds of window glass imported of
the value OF 81. 259, 497 ;3s3, on which du-;
ties were paid of $3.50, OT6.5O, or an av-i
erage tax of 1890 Fer cent. One
would naturally think that 1t would
not pay the Belgium manufacturers to
export glass to the United State and
besides paying an average of over 46
per cent in tariff duties also pay the
freight Insurance and other charges,
besides allowing profit to the i'm
porter and wholesaler and other hands
1t may pass through before coming in
competition with the homemade glass.
That such Is the fact is chargeable to
the extraordinary conditions Of man
uiacture Of window glass In the Unit
ed States brought about by, the So
called protective tariff. )
Glassblowers know their masters
could charge enormous profits, because
of the tariff tax preventing competiS
tion In great measure, demand very
high wages, and as the great profits;
even after paying these very high
wages induced others to enter the glass
manufacturing field, the result has
been a selling combine to hold up the!
price Of glass and n labor combine to
hold up the high wages paid Very
naturally too much glass was manu-
featured, and when stocks Increased be-
yond safe margin, .the fires" were,
drawn md Manufacture ceased. In
fact, In the most favorable years the
factories only run nine months, and
for the past six years the average time
of "the fire. has rarely exceeded Sly
months So the glass divers only get
an average amount of money for the
year Of about 80 per cent of the wages
4 they are paid when at work, and the
manufacturers only make half the
amount Of glass their plants are capa-
Bile Of making and often have to hold
part of their stock Of manufactured
glass for many months before 1t can
be disposed of. Under these .hot
house, conditions produced by tariff
protection, there has been many fail.
ures of glass manufacturing. In fact,
the fire regions" are strewn with Idle
glass plants and many are for sale for
less than cost.
4 There is constant friction between
the glass manufacturers and the glass
blowers about wages; and at present
[eyery window glass factory is idle oil
account of the manufacturers refusing
to pay the wages demanded by the
workmen, and the workmen demanding
an average increase in wages of, II
per cent. Such disputes are constant
" occurring, and in consequence the
Belgium glass is imported to the ex-
tent, above ) given; The. Americans
whether buying glass for their own
houses, or for houses to rent to others,
have to pay nearly 80 per cent on the
average more than glass would be
worth without this.tariff tax. Not only
the price on what glass is imported is
increased by this tariff tax, but also
the price of the home product, for the
manufacturer knows Just how much ex-
ira profit the tariff allows him to add
to prevent more imported glass from
being sold here. The tariff on glass
\ Is but an example Of the tax on other
necessities, nearly all of which are
4 likewise increased in price by the tar