The New York herald., 1921-05-21
GLASS And FLOORING
ROSE 400 TO 500 Pc.
Untermyer Finds Enormous
Advances for Windows and
Parquet Material.
PRODUCTION LIMITED
Expert Glass Blowers Get
$110 to $175 a Week, but
Vacations Are Long.
1920 OUTPUT $3.50, 900. 900
Counsel Expects to Go Back to
Fire Insurance Situation
Next Tuesday.
1920 OUTPUT $3.50, 900, 900

vestigation by Samuel 'Untermyer fr
yesterdays session of the Lockwood
legislative committee and the evidence
showed that the cost OF each to th<
consumer had scared somewhere be.
tween 400 and 500 per cent. since the
srmistice.
All so-called fiat glass was included
In the inquiry into the relation OF that
commodity TO the housing and building
situation, and II was shown that win
dow glass which cost the jobber A.
cents a square foot in 1918 now costs
se cents, with corresponding advance
reflected in the price charged to the
consumer. In materials employed in
psrquet flooring some jumped from s
cents foot in 1914 to "a cents in 1920
and some from IA TO 80 cents. The
largest increases were in 1919 and
1920.
The committee is hampered in It's ex-
posure Of conditions in the glass indus
try as practically all OF the large manu-
featuring plants are outside of the State
Mr.. Untermyer succeeded. however,
through two witnesses in showing that
IN addition TO what practically amounts
10 a uniform price list by the glass man.
ufacturers the industry was further con-
frolled by hard and fast Limitation
upon output through an agreement be-
tween the manufacturers which set
quotas" for each manufacturer and
fixed the length of time each manu-
facturer should operate his furnaces
This period averaged thirty weeks a
year and was established in agreement
with the labor unions.
Expert glass blowers. IL was testified
earned during this period from $40 to
SITS week. while the wages OF other
employees averaged around $3.50 and s5
day. Mr., Untermyer wanted to know
what the latter class of employees did
for the remainder of the year and Edgar
". Jac<a Of Bolbrook Brothers 50 Beck
man street. glass jobbers. caused a
laugh when he said he supposed they
went to Atlantic City
Limiting the Output of GIa.s.
Mr. Unternyer attached considerable
Importance TO the control OF the glass
Industry through the limitation or out
put The facts were established through
the Introduction OF circulars OF the Ma
tional Glass Distributors Association.
whose headquarters are In Chicago. and
through Joseph Elias of Joseph Elias,
Inc. Long Island City.
The committees statistics show the
output OF flat glass to have been about
$3.50. 100000 IN 1920 at manufacturers
prices. Mr.. Elias. one OF the largest
Jobbers in the country. was not ready
10 admit so large a figure. but thought
IL might be $3.50 O00 900.
Mr. Elias replyinr to n nue stion In.
sisted the industry should be controlled
by the manufacturers al far as produc-
tion was concerned. but admitted that
II the control extended to the point OF
creating under-production the effec,
would be very bad"
Mr.. Untermyer digressed from the
housing and building phase OF the glass
matter long enough TO get into the rec
ord the fact that glass for automobile
wind shields had trebled in price in 1920
and that in figuring prices the manufac.
turers add freight TO the cost, treble the
whole figure for their list price and sell
at a so per cent. discount
William @. Reid OF William O. Reid
Co. is West Forty seventh street and
president OF the Parquet Flooring Asso-
cistion and a member OF the Board oi
Governors OF the Building Trades En-.
ployers Association. admitted an ad
vance OF 400 per cent I'm the cost OF par.
ouet flooring 10 the builder since the
war He gave the opinion that stand
ardlzaton was largely responsible
There had been a slight reduction since
last November. after the Lockwood
committee began its investigation
Humor In Trade Minutes.
Mr.. Reid also was a member OF III,
Hardwood Flooring Association and Mr.
Untermyer introduced the minutes o
this organizations meetin OF February.
1890 for Mr.. Reid 10 identify. Hs
thought they revealed a novel method oi
concealing discussion OF prices. This 1,
what Mr.. Untermyer read
"After a discussion II took the meet
tu~ sh two hours 10 find out really
what all this fight was about, but after
good deal OF talking and sidesteppine
the real Issue the Hon. Mr. Buttle AND
Mr.. Hollander came right out and spilled
the beans. They we're helped by Mr.
Reid"
That's yourself. isn't it?" asked Mr.
Untermyer Yes" said the witness
Mr Untcrmyer continued to read
AT once YOU could see y smile al
around the room. and Mr.. Income
note the narne-"Mr. Income. who hac
been absent up to this time. appeared
and began 10 make q real noise and
show thst he was very much IN evidence
o. the real thing wanted. Mr. fncom,
~ . gentleman that Is hard to convince
You must give him figures that show re-
suits or bo vii hand you over 10 Mr.
Loss. Mr.. Income will hand you over
70 Mr. Loss 80 quickly that Il will take
you long time 70 recover. So the com
nittee Of both parties were forced {,
work at figures that we hope VIII MAKE
All Of our members good friends viii
this gentleman"
do you know what that means 2
asked Mr.. Untermyer. ut was a tall
over prices. wasn't lt?''
mo. SIR declared the witness. Il
was talk over costs
"wh0 was the author of thisT''
Jimmy Mcbride replied the witness
referring to 4 former secretary OF tn
Hardwood Flooring Association
"Hn r quite a humorist isn't he :"
Gle Is that" the witness admitted.
The hearings will be continued or
TUESDAY. when Mr. Untermyer hopes /,
finish with trade combinations ana re-
turn to the activities of tho Fire tnsur
ance Exchange " WAS learned ycster
dsy that Mr. Untermyer had sent
long letter to Attorney General Charlc
ID Newton concerning future prosecu
tons growing out of the committees ~
vcstiga ions
prfoNE your Help Wanted Ad. IN fo
punday'- bis irsue Of The Herald. Tele
xbcpp dhsis~s sooo.-Adu.