The Pleasantville press., 1912-10-30
Eighth Article.


Jersey and throughout the west grew
up under tariff protection. Before the
Morrill, tariff was passed we got our
glassware mainly from Europe and
paid roundly for it too. Europe had
the established plants, the processes
and the cheap labor. We had the
sand, but that raw material is COM
paratively insignificant item of the
cost of production. We could not COM
pete with Europe on account of the la
hor cost
Before the protective tariff came in
to enable American capital and labor
to utilize the sand in south Jersey that
section, which is now filed with pros
porous glass factories, was mostly a
waste. There were struggling settle
ments. There were several glass fac
tories in south Jersey, but their total
product was inconsiderable. The arti-
character. and the wages paid We're
small. The population was mainly en-
gagged in tilling the soil and carrying
the produce to the Philadelphia mar
ket. There were few schools, poor
roads, no modern public improvements
and few well built private dwellings.
There were no savings banks and no
savings, no building and loan invest
ments and no prosperity for the man
who lived by days wage.
With the protective tariff prosperity
came to this section, and it came also
to sections in other parts of the coun-
try where glass factories started up.
One after another great factories were
established and gave employment to
men at wages that to them seemed
princely. The industry throve under
tariff protection, for the American fac
tory now supplied the glassware, the
window glass, the bottles and other
vitreous articles that had formerly
come from European countries.
Then began an era of home building
by workingmen. Hundreds of pretty
cottages, paid for out of their savings,
arose in the small towns where the
glass factories were located, and in
time it was a shiftless glass worker
indeed who did not own his home.
As the industry grew In size the en-
ployees organized unions for mutual
help and social purposes. The glass
working towns acquired libraries and
reading rooms and public halls. and
social life, which had been stagnant,
assumed a new and higher tone. By
union organization wages were main
tanned and raised until the pay of a
glass blower became the highest of
any workman in New Jersey.
Thomas j. Ferrell, who served both
In the state senate and in congress,
was a journeyman glass blower. He
educated himself by the help of his
wages and while working at his trade
was an active figure In south Jersey
politics Other men belonging to the
trade achieved prominence in public
life Many went into business with
the capital they had saved and became
aff1uent. Hundreds of successful bust
ness men in south Jersey and Philadel-
phia owe their start in life to the
glass factory In which they earned
their weekly wage.
There is now perfect harmony be-
tween the employer and the wage
Garner in the south Jersey glass in
dustry Every year the association of
employers meets to arrange the pro-
gram for the ensuing season. At the
same time the glass workers associa-
ton meets, and If it has any demands
1t presents them. An amicable agree
ment is reached, and the season is be-
gun with mutual good feeling.
In 1909 there were twenty three prin.
cipal glass factories in the south Jer-
sey section. They employed 6,159
hands, turned out an annual product
worth upward of 100000 and paid
So, 900 in wages.
In former years New Jersey had
third place in glass manufacture, but
the great increase in the industry in
several other states reduced her to
fifth place, although in New Jersey the
value of products increased by $1,356,-
g73. or 26.6 per cent, between 1899 and
1904 and by s510,s93, or 10 per cent.
between 1904 and 1909.
Go where you will you find the prod
ucts of the south Jersey glass factory.
In 1909 there were turned out 1,008, ,6S2
gross of prescription walls and drug
gists' wares alone, enough to stock a
thousand drug stores.
The glass factory recreated the Sec
ton in south Jersey where it was To-
Gated 1t made prosperity for the fam
Vies of thousands Of wage earners; it
made trade for the village store; 1t
gave employment to the building
trades; it started banks and building
and loan associations; it established IL
braries and reading rooms and halls
and churches; it raised the value OF
land and greatly increased the taxable
property; it was moral as well as a
material uplift for south Jersey com
munities and filed them with working
mems homesteads
The average weekly wage Of the
New Jersey glassworker and the aver
pge wage Of the English glassworker