The Window Glass Trust

The window glass manufacturers have gotten together and put up prices. The fact ia thus commented upoa in the editorial coltimns of the Boston Journal of Commerce: "The efforts on the part of the window glass manufacturers to advance their product have been successfnl, and that article was advanced in price this week 15 or 20 per cent. on previous qnotations. This advance is the outcome of more or less agitation of the subject by the makers. There has for a long time been a división of opinión on the part of producers whether it was advisable, and not until recently was the question decided." The tariff, we are assured, is for the purpose of developing home competition, and thus bringing prices down; but the high tariff journal just quoted goes on to say: "It is to be hoped that an arrangement by the various makers of window glass can be formed strong enough to keep prices up, for the market has been in a terribly unsettled state the past year through rate cutting." The duty on window glass ranges f rom 1L to 3J cents per pound, according to size, the ad valorem equivalents ranging from 68 to 143 per cent. Notwithstanding the high protection which the window glass industry has enjoyed for the past thirty years, and notwithstanding the fact that the prices of nearly all commodities, both farm stad manufactured, have greatly fallen since 1860, the price of window glass has changed but sHghtly, as the following table of prices of the various grades of single strength glass in 1860 and 1890 shows: PRICE PER Y BOX OF 50 PEET. 1860. 1800. 8x10 inches, 3d quality $]Jtó $1.90 8x10 inches, 4th quality L80 1.805 10x14 inches, 2d quality 2.40 2.04 10x14 inches, 3d quality 2.10 1.90 12x18 inches, lst quality 3.00 2.75 12x18 inches, 3d quality 2.40 28 18x24 inches, 2d quality 3.60 3.13 2x38 inches, 2d quality 3.60 3.32 TotaL,8boxes $20.85 $19.125 The window glass men have been in combinations of varying dimensions and strength for some years to control prices and keep down production, but of late ;heir combination had become rather oose. Efforts to remedy this state of -hings have been made for some months, and these efforts were recently crowned with success at a meeting in Chicago, when forty-three manufacturers signed an agreement to raise prices and keep ;hem raised. More than that, it is re)orted that a f urther advance is to be made. This window glass trust is a child of e tariff. The board of general appraisers, whicli lecides tarifl controversies, seems to be ;horoughly possessed with the notioü hat it must squeeze out the highest possible dnty in every case. Most people would consider a jewsharp a toy; but as ys bear a duty of 35 per cent. in the ícKinley law, and "manufactures of netal" a dtity of 45 per cent., the jewsïarp is decided to be a manufacture of netaL On the other hand, Japanese dtes are decided to be toys at a 35 per cent. duty rather than "manuf actores of Piwer" at 25 Der cent.