Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1883-10-04
To the Editors Of the DAILY REPUBLICAN.
why lmpsse . tariff en Tln Platssa

4J<sC8uD0 AAOl ACAu6 oAOuNb AnSuutUs
ture them for themselves, and have su
plus for expectation.
The charcoal iron Of Tennessee, an
other parts OF the United States, !
tougher and better suited for the base
of tin plate than my iron yet made II
Great Britain. Pure tin can b.
procured from Mslacca, Australia, Eng
land, and even Mexico, at the loves
rate, and that, too, In exchange for OH
products and manufactures.
During 1882 we imported from Eng
land 4, 29l, $40 boxes Of tin plate, at al
expense of $21, ,99l $50. On the testi
m0ny of Messrs. Arthur Bird & Co., O
London, English tin plate, which ouc'
absorbed seven pounds of tin to the on
hundred (lOO) pounds Of iron, Is nov
finished and shipped with a coating 0
no, more than two and one half (2H,
pounds of tin, and often much Of tha
has an alloy Of lead"
To supply the demand Of our present
market as we'll az now supplied w
would have to import only some 5,36;
tons Of pig tin, which would cost bu
little over $500, 900 but as we need q
much better article Of tin plate than We
now import, our "pure tin would
cost some million and half yet w
would even then have f'r our laborers,
and capitalists engaged
in the business more than twenty mil
lions ($20, 900, ,000) dollars.
This year our importotions OF tinaplate
will, doubtless, exceed five million
boxes. The recent reduction of the tar
iff on foreign tinplate, and the iI-
creased demand for cheap foreign ma
terials for our rapidly increasing can
ming establishments will cause such .
rush Of cheap tins to this country as
never before known.
British manufacturers and their
American agents will do well to in
prove their present opportunity for "
soon az all the facts In reference to his
trade are known to independent meta
workers, the men,-whether in Con
gress or In tho Cabinet-who have
misc0nstrued and mis-
the enactments in reference
to tinplates, will no longer be trusted
either to make or interpret the laws.
Some of these Cabinet rulings and
high legal interpretations deserve a
passing notice. You shonld understand
that before tin metal is called in re-
QUESTION to make plates, the iron OF
steel plates must be made then these
black sheets pay duty of one and
three quarters (lA) cents per pound,
and when such plates have been galvan
lied or coated with zinc, they pay a
duty of two and one half (2H) cents
but when the very same kind of black
sheets have received the thinnest OF
Imaginable coat of tin, so AZ
to be called tin plates," they pass the
Custom House under Secretary Fessen-
den's rulings (in 1864 at one cent and
one mill Gone and one.tenth cents) per
pound duty six and one half mills less
because there had been expended on
them all the art, mystery, and labor OF
" pickeling," cleaning, dipping and
various other manipulations necessary
to change these black sheets of iron or
steel into bright tin plates besides the
addition of a valuable metal which not
only gives character to the plate, but
requires dokble the amount of skill and
labor to bring about such results. Our
last Congress, instead of making note OF
such absurd rulings, and reDuking
them, still further reduced the duty
on tin plates"
What we need and what would beue-
fit all classes in the community is a
specific duty of two or three cents per
pound on all foreign manufactured tin
plates. Fruit, oyster and meat cans
might each cost a quarter to a half a
sent more for one or two seasons, but
after that good pure tin goods would
cost less than now and the reputation
Of fruits, meats, etc, would be much
hi CHER than at present These results
have always followed when American
goods and products have been packed,
shipped and sold in packages of their
own manufacture.
There are many reasons for these re-
suits
1st. We have a very extensive and
profit able home market for all staple
commodities. What commercial and
civilized nation can reach fifty million
customers without the interve tion OF
tax, custom, or excise officers? In
such land every profitable bdsiness
must confront genius, skill and compe-
tition. No sensible man or woman can
hope to enjoy large measure of success
without aiming at superior excellence
in both goods and products. American
have gained access to all
the best markets of the word by dint
of special efforts to excel. Thus they
have gained reputation for their goods
and products among the most enlight-
eued and progressive people of the land.
End. They can and will sncceed in
every department of staple manutac-
lures ifthey are impartial.y treated by
their own Government. A wheat field,
an orchard, flock, as well as family
has its infancy and weakness, 80 has
every mechanical and manufacturing
No Government is wise
which does not protfer parental and
judicious protection t. all its needed in.
dustries, especially such as develop and
bring into benefcient use dormant and
crude material.
3rd. For the manufacture of tin plate
we have iron of the best quality, and
every variety of coal needed, and su,
perior machinery to prepare the plates to
receive the tin coating. This tin we can
obtain in unlimited quantities at a
small advance over current prices, as
before observed, in England, Malacca
Or Australia. Indeed tin from the
straits of Malacca, from Australia,
Mexico and other countries with whom
we trade can be obtained at such rates
that the manufacture of tin plates would
soon become a profitable industry.
4th. Englishmen will not migrate to
the United States and labor for the low
wages they receive in their own coun-
try and it is folly to anticipate that
American artisans will devote them
selves to the manufacture of tin plate
unless they receive q compensation
equal, If not superior, to that paid tc
other metal workers.
5th. Impose a tariff on tin Plate that
will place the American manufacturer
on an equal footing with British manu-
facturers, and within less than five
years we would not only make our OWL
tin plate and furnish abetter article than
80 ,n,r ronort hut hatter Suite1 to