McLaughlin Glass Company, Los Angeles, CA

Glass Industry in

Southern California

Growing Rapidly

The glass industry of Southern California, all concentrated in or very close to Los Angeles, although still in its infancy, has within the last few years attained considerable importance in certain restricted lines, but there remain to be conquered many of the fields of glass production not, yet touched in this region, said the Los Angeles Times in its issue of May 8. In the manufacture of commercial containers, such as beverage bottles, milk bottles, fruit jars and prescription glassware, there are already in successful operation, enough glass plants to supply the demands in Southern California, and new glass industries will find it necessary to cultivate broader markets in order to profitably dispose of their product, according; to the views expressed by W. J. Latchford, president of the Southern Glass Co. of Los Angeles.

Inequality in freight rates, in which Los Angeles seems to be discriminated against, operate to restrict the market for glass wares, and Mr. Latchford is emphatic in his declaration that the Chamber of Commerce and other organizations working for industrial extension, can profitably concentrate their energies on rate adjustments with the railroads and steamship lines, for the removal of restrictive tariffs and a square deal in the matter of carrying charges.

An instance in point, to which Mr. Latchford calls attention, is the rate to Santa. Barbara and Bakersfield on glass bottles. The distance from Los Angeles to these southern points is approximately only 100 miles, and rate is 67 1/2 cents, while the rate from San Francisco, 400 miles distance from these points, is only 41 1/2 cents. On the steamship lines, shipments to Portland and Seattle take two local charges — the local to San Francisco and the local to the northern points added. Such discriminations, says Mr. Latchford, are indefensible, as they stand in the way of local growth and are shortsighted on the part, of the carriers because they hinder growth of tonnage instead of encouraging it.

Many Glass Plants

Notwithstanding these and other obstacles, the past few years have witnessed a steady growth in the number of' glass making factories, and in the local glass production, The addition of the new plant of the Co-Operative Glass Co. will make the finding of wider markets absolutely necessary, as production will exceed the requirements of Southern California, hence the matter of freight charges becomes of greater and more vital importance, for it will be necessary to go into active competition with other manufacturers, enjoying lower freights or having the advantage of cheaper labor.

The Southern Glass Co., of which Mr. Latchford is president, was started less than three years ago in a small shack on its present site in the 2300 block of East Twenty-fifth st. It has grown into a daily product of 25 tons of beverage bottles and packers' wares, being the present leader in the manufacture of these lines. The plant occupies a three-acre site, with unpretentious buildings, but a modern equipment; is capitalized at $100,000, but has an actual investment in plant and equipment of $175,000.

The West Coast Glass Co., located at Boyle and Slauson avenues, is supplying the creamery trade with milk bottles, and is operating under a capital of $50,000 with actual investment estimated at 50 per cent. more.

The McLaughlin Glass Co., located at Fifty-second and Alameda streets, representing an investment of about $20,000 is specializing in the large five-gallon water bottles for office drinking supply; also large acid jars, carboys and glass insulators.

The Technical Glass Co. has a successful plant at Compton avenue and Twenty-seventh street, where it is turning out laboratory tubes and instruments and has become an adjunct of the fine furniture trade with a line of crystal drawer-pulls, door knobs.and other glass specialties.

The IXL Glass Co. has a good building and with a capital of $50,000 is making headway in the manufacture of what is known to the trade as prescription wares.

The Crystal Glass Co. at. Santa Fe and Fifty-second street is the only local producer of glass table wares, in the shape of tumblers and smaller hollow wares.

The Torrance Window Glass Co. is housed in a large plant in the suburban industrial town of Torrance and is feeling the spur of reviving trade, but the Hermosa Window Glass Co. is not at present in operation.

New Lines

It is apparent from this list of glass industries, that in certain lines the field is fully occupied; and only the rapidly increasing population justifies additional investment. It will be necessary to go further afield — to the north and east by land, to the west by the harbor route — to market additional product, and the need of cutting out the freight discriminations becomes at once urgent, declares Mr. Latchford.

Encouragement of new glass industries now must look to lines of large production not represented locally at the present time, conspicuous among which are white and fancy illuminating wares and table wares in the finer grades, for all of which the West is now one of the principal consumers.

Absence of cheap raw materials in the way of silica sand capable of being used in the finer glass products, opens the way for locating the proper sands among the large deposits on the coast, or the development of a substitute through mechanical manipulation of the many silicious sands and rocks in which the Southwest abounds. This is a field to which industrial and chemical engineers are giving attention and important developments may be reported in the near future.