Events of 1930, Fred Locke passes away

Glass Industry Activities in 1930 Reviewed

The Year's Major Developments and Happenings of Interest Arranged Chronologically By Months. Production and Sales of Glass and Glass Products at Lower Levels Reflecting Industrial Trends Generally. Mergers in Flat Glass and Bottle and Container Industries. Other Happenings.

HAPPENINGS of interest and importance in the glass industry during the year 1930, as chronicled each week in the American Glass Review, are summarized below, affording in condensed form a history of the year's activities. The twelve month period just ended, as a perusal of this resume will show, has witnessed a number of changes and developments of outstanding significance in their effect on the industry in this country.

During the first half of 1930, as throughout the preeeding year, the protracted struggle over tariff revision legislation held attention of all factors in the trade. Final enactment in June of the Hawley-Smoot law, carrying a number of changes in duties on glass and glass products, ended for a time at least insofar as most branches of the industry are affected, the uncertainties incident to consideration of the tariff. Within approximately a month after the new act became effective, however, in two branches of the industry —-window glass and blown glass tableware —- investigations looking to a possible further readjustment of rates were ordered by the Tariff Commission. These inquiries, requested in Senate resolutions and conducted under the flexible tariff provisions, are now under way.

Practically throughout the year both production and ditribution of glass and glass products has been below normal, reflecting the curtailed consumption and depressed markets that harassed industry in general. In some branches of the glass industry that recession was quite pronounced, while in others it was relatively light with marketing conditions better than might be expected in a year of low industrial activity.

The greater decline during 1930 was in consumption of flat glass products, occasioned by the building slump and marked curtailment of operations in other consuming industries. For all factors in the flat glass trade the past year, as a consequence, has been unsatisfactory and a most disappointing one. Despite the difficulties encountered developments of a favorable nature were not altogether lacking, however.

Production of window glass the latter half of 1930 was below the demand and in mid-summer receded to a new modern low figure. In plate glass the output has been about in keeping with demand and the same may be said of the rough and rolled glass branch. With jobbers' stocks of these commodities probably at the lowest level in recent years, it would appear that manufacturers are in a fairly good position once a revival in building operations, automobile production, and other consuming industries gets under way. At the end of 1930 marketing conditions in the plate glass branch were entirely satisfactory, with some headway made in the movement for further stabilization of the window glass market.

Outstanding among the year's activities in the flat glass field was the merger, effective July 1, of the Libbey-Owens Glass Co. and the Edward Ford Plate Glass Co. to form the Libbcy-Owens-Ford Glass-Co.

During the year commercial standards of production were adopted by the mirror industry. This movement was sponsored by the Mirror Manufacturers' Association and is expected to result in lasting benefits to all interests concerned.

For the year as a whole, and more particularly in the first three quarters, both production and sales in the bottle and container field were well maintained. In comparison with industrial trends generally, as well as in other branches of the glass industry, the recession was relatively light. The need for improved marketing conditions was apparent virtually throughout the year, however.

In 1930 several new units started operations in the bottle and container held. Others were acquired by larger companies, and two of the leading producers on the Pacific Coast merged their interests.

The manufacturers of pressed and blown glassware, including both the operators of hand plants and of automatic machine units, experienced a rather unsatisfactory year. Notable exceptions to the downward trend were in evidence, however, and with a number of the glassware factories the volume of business was good and fairly steady the major part of last year. Particularly was this true of automatic machine plants devoted to the cheaper quality wares.

The principal events and happenings of interest during 1930, arranged chronologically by months, follow:

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APRIL

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Fred M. Locke, inventor of the porcelain insulator and oven glass, died April 13 in Victor, N. Y., aged 69 years.

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