Flint Glass Manufacturer's Combine

THE FLINT GLASS MANUFACTURERS' COMBINATION.

The flint glass manufacturers of the United States have been holding meetings for several weeks past with a view of entering into some kind of compact whereby better prices could be obtained, especially on tumblers and set ware. The matter had proceeded far enough to elect officers, when difficulties arose that could not be met. The original plan was to sign an agreement to adhere to a fixed selling price, with a fine for violators, to be taken out of a deposited forfeit. The ownership of the factories was not to be disturbed. But it was soon found that such agreements had been repeatedly entered into and had been broken. Some of the leading would not go into such a compact, which was at best "a rope of sand," as they claimed. And the large firms were needed to give the matter stability.

Considerable committee work and private conferring was indulged in the past two weeks, so that when the meeting was called September 26, a new plan was ready to be submitted, and after a two days' session the matter had progressed far enough that it was given out that a combination of 21 of the leading tableware and tumbler manufacturers had signed the preliminary agreement and had become members of the United Glass Manufacturers' Association, to be incorporated under the laws of New Jersey, at a capitalization of $15,000,000. This plan embodies the main features of a trust, though it does not necessarily mean the surrendering the ownership of the factories. The profits are to be divided in proportion to the pot capacity of each works. An appraisement is to be made of each works, and stock is to be issued for same in the new company. The following firms signed the preliminary papers:

Canton Glass Co., Marion, Ind.

Co-operative Flint Glass Co., Ltd., Beaver Falls, Pa.

Geo. Duncan's Sons & Co., Washington, Pa.

Dalzell, Gilmore & Leighton Co., Findlay, O.

Fostoria Glass Co., Moundsville, W. Va.

Hemingray Glass Co., Muncie, Ind.

A. H. Heisey & Co., Newark, O.

Indiana Tumbler & Goblet Co., Greentown, Ind.

McKee & Bros., Pittsburgh, Pa.

Ohio Flint Glass Co., Dunkirk, Ind.

Riverside Glass Works, Wellsburg, W. Va.

Rochester Tumbler Co., Rochester, Pa.

Tarentum Glass Co., Tarentum, Pa.

United States Glass Co., Pittsburgh, Pa.

West Virginia Glass Mfg. Co., Martin's Ferry, O.

Pittsburgh Glass Co., Pittsburgh, Pa.

Model Flint Glass Co., Albany, Ind.

Robinson Glass Co., Zanesville, O.

Central Glass Co., Wheeling, W. Va.

Beatty-Brady Glass Co., Dunkirk, Ind.

The matter of joining the Association is to be left open to all other manufacturers of pressed or blown glassware. At present, as will be seen from the above list, few manufacturers of blown tumblers or decorated lamps belong to the combine. The Rochester Tumbler Co., the United States Glass Co., and the Keystone Tumbler Co., and the Central of Wheeling, all make blown tumblers, and the Fostoria Glass Co. makes decorated lamps and globes, but some finely equipped plants, making blown tumblers and decorated lamps, have not yet joined the Association. The new organization will open a central sales agency and maintain one or more sample rooms, while the maintenance of sales and purchasing departments will, of course, be one of the features, though the organization has not progressed to that point at this time.

The following officers have been elected to which we add the firm they each represent, in order to show the strength of the Association:

President - A. Hart McKee, of McKee & Bros.

1st Vice President - H. C. Fry, of Rochester Tumbler Co.

2d Vice President - D. C. Ripley, of United States Glass Co.

Secretary - W. D. Updegraff, Pittsburgh Glass Co., (Westinghouse).

Treasurer - Jas. D. Wilson, Tarentum Glass Co.

The entire arrangement is to be regulated by the pot capacity of each works, the basis being a pot of 3,000 pounds capacity.

The yearly business that the new company should handle is estimated to exceed $7,000,000. The consolidation was agreed upon because the interests represented realize that the business was becoming unprofitable. There will now be advances in prices, but not out of reason, and the jobber will be protected. Manufacturers have been wasting strength fighting each other and there has been a constant overproduction and consequent price cutting in certain lines as a consequence. There is no jobbing of stock in the closing up of the plan, for each concern will enter the combine on its merits, regulated entirely by the pot capacity of the factories. Allotted production will, of course, be regulated by the pot capacity, and the executive committee will have power to curtail production at any time proportionately.