Under the operation of the act of 1897 the industry has grown and fairly prospered. In every particular the tile made (and they are of all classes and kinds, including architectural faïence) are the equal to any made, no matter where. Every reduced cost in manufacture, so far as lies in our power, has inured to the benefit of the consumer. Any reduction of the tariff, while not destructive of the industry, would imperil it, no matter from what standpoint it be viewed. The present law, so far as we can learn, is eminently satisfactory to the customs service as well as to those engaged in the tile industry. A reduction of the tariff will necessarily mean a reduction of the wages paid labor. Our request is: First, that the act of 1897, Schedule B, paragraph 88, remain undisturbed. Second, that quarries, to prevent uncertainty, be classified under Schedule B, paragraph 88. Respectfully submitted. EMIL KOHLER, A. LAWSHE, F. W. WALKER, Committee. WINDOW GLASS. A. L. FAULKNER, PRESIDENT OF THE NATIONAL WINDOW GLASS WORKERS, RECOMMENDS A SCHEDULE OF RATES. Mr. WILLIAM K. PAYNE, CLEVELAND, OHIO, December 3, 1908. Clerk Ways and Means Committee, Washington, D. C. DEAR SIR: Pursuant to my request to be permitted to submit a supplemental brief to the House Ways and Means Committee, I herewith offer the following as additional evidence in support of my claim that the present rate of duty on common window glass should be maintained and that an advance on the first two brackets is absolutely necessary for protection to American window-glass workers. To show the workings of the tariff upon window glass and its effect upon the window-glass workers, I make the following statement: When the Wilson tariff act went into effect in 1893 the windowglass workers immediately sustained a reduction of 40 per cent in wages, which remained in about that condition until the passage of the Dingley Act in 1897, at which time the workers received an advance of 50 per cent. Business remained good; work was plenty until the year 1903, when the wages were decreased owing to the advent of window-glass blowing machines and the consequent scare among the American hand manufacturers and the American jobber, the workers themselves becoming badly demoralized and unable to properly protect their own interests. In 1904 the workers reorganized and secured a slight advance in wages. In 1905 an additional advance of 10 per cent was secured. In 1906 another advance of 8 per cent was secured. In 1907, owing to the near state of perfection reached by the blowing machines, the hand workers were compelled to adopt a sliding scale to enable their employers to compete in the American market with machine-made glass, the wages of the workers being determined monthly upon the average selling price of glass for the current month. Unfortunately, business depression, together with the financial stringency that followed, both hand and machine manufacturers were compelled to sell their product at a very low, almost a ruinous, figure. Under the sliding scale above mentioned the wages of the workers were correspondingly reduced, and remained so practically throughout the year. In the year 1908 (our annual wage scale being formulated during the months of July, August, or September) the workers were again compelled, owing to the continued business depression, to readopt a sliding scale, which is still in effect. The above will show you that the tariff has been a great benefit to the window-glass workers, and without which the entire industry would no doubt be at the mercy of foreign product. The importers, in recommending a decrease in the tariff, are looking solely to their own interests-a mere matter of bargain and saleand are not considering or caring anything about the interests of others. The decrease in rates recommended by Mr. Goertner, representing the importers, if granted, will be such a calamity that would put a great many factories permanently out of business and would ultimately be the ruin of the industry. I am making this plea in the interests of American industry and American labor, and I would earnestly recommend that Schedule B, glass and glassware, No. 101, be changed as follows: Cents per pound. Unpolished cylinder, crown, and common window glass not exceeding Above that and not exceeding 16 by 24 inches square_. 13 23 Provided that unpolished cylinder, crown, and common window glass imported in boxes shall contain 50 square feet, as nearly all sizes permit, and the duty shall be computed thereon according to the actual weight of the glass. The above recommendation is made after a searching investigation and upon the advice of both manufacturers and workers, for the purpose of creating a market in this country of an additional half million boxes of window glass annually of poor sizes and qualities that is now being made abroad and dumped upon the American market, which could and should be made by American workmen. Respectfully submitted. A. L. FAULKNER, President. THE W. R. JONES GLASS COMPANY, MORGANTOWN, W. VA., RECOMMENDS A SCHEDULE OF RATES. Hon. SERENO E. PAYNE, MORGANTOWN, W. Va., November 30, 1908. Chairman Ways and Means Committee, Washington, D. C. DEAR SIR: In your favor of the 26th, a reply to my letter of the 24th, you infer that the committee would be glad if I would send them a statement showing the cost of manufacturing window glass in this country and Europe, and especially the labor cost, and also the relative freight rates. As to the actual cost of labor in Europe, we are unable to give you the exact figures. We can only give it to you as we understand and learn it from workmen that have worked in Belgium and other countries and, are now working for us. A former manufacturer, who carefully investigated the costs some years ago in Europe, informed me that the cost of raw material and fuel for the manufacture of window glass is as cheap in this country as in Europe, and in that respect foreign manufacturers have no advantage over us. But their system of manufacturing is very different from ours, and their cost of labor much less than the hand blowing in this country. We learn from intelligent Belgian workmen now employed by us the labor cost in their country, and we figure that the labor cost of the average-size 50-foot box of window glass, 24 by 30, in Belgium would be about 44 cents. The labor cost for the same size, single, at the present skilled scale now in force in this country, would be $1.06. The larger the size of glass the greater the cost in this country. As to freight rates, we are informed that window glass is used largely as ballast in ships, and can be put on the docks at New York and Boston at a lower freight rate than manufacturers in this country can do. In reference to lowering the tariff rate on common window glass, I would suggest in the reduction of the rate that is known as the Dingley " tariff-Schedule B, section 101, as follows: Sizes not to exceed 10 by 15, reduce from 13 cents per pound to 1 cent. Sizes not to exceed 16 by 24, reduce from 13 cents per pound to 14 cents. Sizes not to exceed 24 by 30, reduce from 23 cents per pound to 13 cents. Sizes not to exceed 24 by 36, reduce from 23 cents per pound to 2 cents. Sizes not to exceed 30 by 40, reduce from 33 cents per pound to 2 cents. Sizes not to exceed 40 by 60, reduce from 33 cents per pound to 3 cents. Sizes above, reduce from 4 cents to 3 cents. The duty to be computed according to the actual weight of glass; every invoice of glass to be put on the scales and weighed, and the weight of the boxes to be deducted therefrom. We find the weight of the empty boxes to be as follows: Box not to exceed 10 by 15, deduct 8 pounds. Yours, very truly, W. R. JONES GLASS COMPANY. INDEX TO TARIFF HEARINGS. (Nos. 1 to 28.) INDEX TO NAMES. A. Page. Abbott & Co., A. Theodore, cotton upholstery fabrics. 3125 Agricultural Department, Bureau of Chemistry, bottles, fortification of 155 Alexander, D. S., M. C., Buffalo, N. Y., gypsum-coal-tar colors or aniline 70, 2954 Aluminum Company of America, alumina, aluminum, bauxite_2305, 3645, 3914 2148 119 American Art News, art.. 2617 American Association of Glass Manufacturers, glass__ 1728 American Association of Woolen and Worsted Manufacturers, wool and American Cyanamid Company, calcium cyanamid or lime nitrogen_. 199 American Florists, Society of, nursery stock--roses- 803 American Free Art League, art__ 2609 American Gem and Pearl Company, pearls__. 2644 American Hard Rubber Company, vulcanized or hard rubber.. 2791 American Iron and Steel Manufacturing Company, steel bars, bolts, 1938 American Lead Pencil Company et al., lead pencils, graphite_ 2780 American Library Association, books__ 1085 American Manufacturing Company, cotton bugging. 2852 American Manufacturing Company et al., flax, hemp, and jute_ 2867 2283 American Motor Car Manufacturers' Association, automobiles, motor cars_ 2262 61318 TARIFF INDEX, NOS. 1-28---1 |