Glass Industry, Indiana

FLINT, WINDOW, AND BOTTLE NEWS

FROM THE HOOSIER STATE.

Many Glass Plants Are Visited by Our Staff Representative

— Latest Regarding the Different Factories in Muncie — New

Ware Conveyer Installed at Ball Bros. Plant — Satisfactory

Start Reported at the Baur Window Glass Works — Small

Tank Has Been Repaired at Chas. Boldt Glass Co.'s Muncie

Plant — Will Soon be in Shape for Operations.

LIVE NEWS CONCERNING MANY PLANTS.

By Chas. C. Mayer.

The Hemingray Glass Co., Muncie, Ind., are operating full force manufacturing insulators and some fruit jars. A very good run is reported.

The Muncie works of Ball Bros. Glass Mfg. Co. now consists of seven continuous tanks, all of which are in full operation. Fruit jars are the exclusive output on five of the tank furnaces; wide mouth machine-made bottles constitute the product on the new tank and the production in the white liner department was increased to accommodate 60 operators as against 56 last season. All pint and quart jars are now made on automatic cut-off machines, which are being gradually introduced in No. 2 factory where, according to Executive Member Martin Joyce, 36 pressers have already been replaced by the automatic device. The making of half gallon jars still requires pressers and gatherers.

An interesting new device was recently introduced in No. 1 factory to carry pint and quart jars. It receives the ware from the molds of three machines and conveys it to the lehrs accurately and with the greatest care. Thus the boy problem is gradually being solved in the jar as well as in the white liner department.

The small bottle tank in the Muncie factory of the Chas. Boldt Glass Co. was let out about two weeks ago for the purpose of rebuilding and doubling its capacity. It will again be in operation in a short time and will give employment to four shops on each shift and one stopper press shop. During the writer's visit at the works a few days ago Manager Thos. Holden was not fully decided whether amber or flint ware will be made. Two of the four bottle shops formerly employed on the little tank are now working on the large continuous tank furnace, which is equipped with six machines making cherries and milks, the latter ware in one-fourth pint, one half pint, pints and quarts. The seventh machine will very likely be put on this furnace after the completion of the bottle tank. One day during the holidays is the sum total of time lost by the workers since the beginning of the blast. — Executive Member John F. Tobin was in Toledo during the past week.

There is some talk among Dunkirk, Ind., citizens of placing the Schlosstein window plant in operation but it is not likely that the project will be consummated in time to make glass this year.

At the Baur Window Glass Co., Eaton, Ind., a very satisfactory start is reported and President E. Baur thinks he has the best set of men this fire in 16 years experience in the business. He also remarked that the "Star" brand now turned out is fully up to the standard and a fair share of good orders is reported by the management. The men have about completed the first four week's settlement. Many of them began the season elsewhere and arrived at Eaton in good trim to make full production from the start. About nine shops make double regularly; twelve shops make half and half, and the others work on single. Warren D. Gump, who for five years looked after the tank furnaces and assisted in the management at the Palmer plant, Shinglehouse, Pa., is holding a similar position at the Baur plant, where he is getting good results. B. Barry, who formerly managed Baker Bros.' Shirley Plant, is now presiding in the boss cutting stall at the Baur.

A. B. Scott, president and manager of the Model Glass Co., Summitville, Ind., reports fairly good trade conditions. The plant gives employment to 12 to 14 shops and three machines are turning out wide mouth bottles.

Richard Mann, who has been managing the Fairmont, W. Va., Window Glass Co.'s plant has been succeeded by H. E. Garling, according to C. W. Smalley, who is cashier of the Dunkirk State Bank and who holds an interest in the Fairmont institution.

The G. W. Kearns Co., bottle manufacturers, of Zanesville, O., will place their pot furnace in operation Monday, Jan. 21. All day work is the rule at this plant. Flint bottles of various lines will again be manufactured.

Vice President John A. Voll, of the G. B. B. A., went to Frankfort, Ky., the fore part of the past week to institute the new branch. Mr. Voll reports excellent conditions prevailing among the workers and the trade in general.

Many packers and other trained glass factory workers have of late affiliated themselves with the International Association of Glass House Employees, with headquarters located at Wheeling, W. Va. The organization was founded December 20, 1902 and is affiliated with the A. F. of L. Packers and furnace men everywhere are requested to apply for membership. The aim of those at the head at present is to fill up the gaps in the organization. If there are 1,000 packers and furnacemen in the country there ought to be 1,000 members in the International Association of Glass House Employees. Every man who is out of the union is a menace to himself and the organized. In every factory there ought to be at least one volunteer organizer. All correspondence will be promptly answered by the Wheeling officers all of whom are employed in factories along the Ohio Valley.

That the Kansas City correspondents in last week's issue of the Commoner and Glassworker make a needless defense for Branch 80, of that city, is the general impression among the workers visited during the past week. There are "pace" and simultaneously "place" makers not only in bottle manufacturing plants that have modern facilities but also in the window glass trade and other branches of the industry. Not infrequently is the writer presented with figures of daily or weekly production to be published for the pleasure of a few window and bottle shops several hundred miles east of Kansas City, but he has invariably declined to comply with these requests. The reason for this should be obvious to all workers.

In all the talks the writer has listened to since the publication of the editorial on "The Modern Pacemaker," not one phrase was let drop which would reflect discredit on our friends in Kansas City, nor any other branch local or preceptory. The trade knows full well that the intention was to hit the pacemaker, whether he be bottle, window, or a flint worker, and we are resolved to repeat the dose if he persists in flashing figures for publication to the detriment of the overwhelming majority of the mechanics in the American glass industry. Conferees and wage committee men are aware of the fact, especially during wage settlement periods, that it is not an unusual complaint on the part of manufacturers that "men move or shift too much." The answer is that the average worker would rather give up his place and often prefers leaving home rather than keep up with the fierce pace of a shop or two whose records on the board serve as a club over all others.