The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1888-08-30
A Few Facts as to Tin Plates.

A Few Facts as to Tin Plates.
We commend o the Vindicotor, the sup
porters of the Mills bill generally, and t.
all free trade theorists, the following tarit
talk from Mr.. Z. 2. Williams. we'll
known business man of New York City
which was published in the New YorI
p. ess of re cent date:
"As an illustration OF the practical results t
Inc nation OF star 1T for revenue only the Off
elal records at Washington show that from 1876
TO 1883 the United States imported from Grea
Britain over 7,0G0,0 900 pounds OF sheet irOl
coated with tin and lead and tin. known as 'tr
plates and 'terne' or roofing plates, while prac
,1cally none have been made in the United
States, solely because the rates of duty have
been non protective. The net result to thu
VIZ:
lMPoRTATtoNs OF TIN AND TERNE PLATES TX
THE UNITED STATES FROM 1864 TO 1888.
Foreign values paid for them in
Duties paid into the United States
1leaSury,.. 7S,b36,892 u
Total ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS la 6S2 1852 q
Showing a loss of about $220, 600 600 of Amer.
Jean wealth III twenty-five years, which would
have been pit here had the duties been pro-
tectlye. 80 they have been on steel rails and
other forms of iron and steel no easier made
10 the above loss must be added the amount OF
freights paid to foreign steamship companies
and assurances paid TO foreign insurance com
panes, amounting to millions of dollars
ESTIMATED at the cost prices to American
consumers fol- these articles, the American
bust ness in British tin aud terGe plates is not
less now Than S35, coo. coo per annum. With idle
blast FURNACES and rolling mills. the work men
unemployed the United States last year gave
TO Great Britain enough business in these
timed and loaded iron sheets to nave supported
over ITO GOO American workers directly in their
production, and paid to British manufacturers
rial of Itch RI
able quality, as is testified to by American con-
sumers generally, far inferior to what they
would get with international competition as q
result of equitable protection,
Food canned In British tin is often poison
Gus; tin cups aud other household tin utensils
are notoriopsIy of miserable quality tin roofs
made of British terne plates are short lived and
need constant repairs. The American people
should demand from Congress now the enact
ment of adequate protective duties to keen
this wealth at home and shield them from con
tinued foreign Cheap John, swindling through
neatly coated tinware' and worthless tin roof
ing. Ky developing home production Satisfac-
tory quality and honest coating can be de-
manded and secured.
''Commercial treason in the Mills bill re-
moves the duty entirely and will increase the
profits of British manufacturers at the expense
OF American consumers.
The national loss was really over $500 900 000
because foreigners always add the revenue only
duty to their price (where there is no Amer
lean compettion). revenue only duties
operate practically as direct tax on American
buyers. Protective duties the contrary
cheaper foreign cost and operate as a toll on
foreign makers of competing products
And the following from the Custer, Da.
kota, Chronicle, relating to the tin de-
posits of that locality:
The Harvey Peak Tin Company disbursed a
very large amount of money on Monday in the
purchase of tin properties held under bond in
Custer and Pennington counties. Among the
properties transferred note the following
me Darwin lode IN the Tenderfoot district, five
miles northwest Of this city. This property
sold for $4,000. The Tin King lode, near Spring
creek, seven miles north of this city, owned
mainly by Custer parties, sold for $40 600.
Grizzly Bear group. owned by L. W. Mcdonald.
g. j, heel ock Thomas Blair aud w. w.
Chailis; sold for $1,000. The Campaign group,
Smith, ] I'm Higgins, L. W. Mcdonald. and
David Swanzey: sold for $4,000.
The above deals only cover the transactions
ola single day and do not embrace the deals
consun mated later in the week of which we
have report, further than as the amount dis
least 100000 This further Investment of so
large an amount Of capital in addition to the
enormous amount previously Invested, adds
great tin del which that company has for so
long been nego iating In London, and it may
deal has been made, and that the quietude pre-
vailing in the tin districts for the past three
months, resulting from the long protracted
delay in the contamination of the deal referred
such as never before has been experienced in
this locality, will dawn upon us.
And the following from the Pail Mall
Gazette of July rs:
"a RISE IN THE PRICE OF T4N.-The pass ing
by the U. s. House OF Representatives. of the
tree list, has led to sharp rise in the price of
tin. Yesterday Straits touched $50 rs Cd cash
and $50 15s three months. This is advance
Of from el4 to Els on the figures quoted recently.
Il the Senate EasseS the bill in its present form
nn VIII COMMAND higher prices than have
ruled OF late, and great impetus will be given
TO an Important branch of manufacture in this
country"
This is plain business. There is no OBJ.
security about it. The passage of the Mills
bill by one House puts up the price of tin
in England. We are to lose the revenue
on tin-but do not get plates cheaper.
This is sample fact-an object lesson.
Study it.
AS pertinent to the views the VIRGIN
IAN has expressed on the tin plate subject
we give the following from the Cardiff
Times and South Wales Weekly News
a copy of which has been sent us by some
unknown friend, with the article below
marked. The case is well stated in the
article quoted, and the pleasure exper-
fenced at the action of the Democrats in
Congress, ought to be proof convincing
that it is not for the benefit of the United
States that tin-plate is placed on the free
list. We give the caption and all as we
find it in the South Wales paper:
Our Tin-Plate Trade With America.
FUTURE IMPORTS DUTY FREE.
The South Wales TIM plate makers will re-
celve with unmixed satisfaction the news that
after protracted and somewhat embittered
debate, commenced in February last, the
United States Democratic Tariff Bill was pa ssed
on Saturday by the narrow majority of ID votes.
Henceforth very large proportion OF Amer
ioa's imports will be received duty free, the
gros sacrifice to the Golfers of the State beng
estimated at some 40.U00,000 dollars. AS has
from time to time been pointed out would
articles placed upon the free list. and as South
Wales annually exports to America alone be-
tween 2Ob00C and 900 tons of tin plates, the
effect of the new enactment will be little short
of revolutionary. By the free admission of
tin plates it is calculated that the American
revenue will be decreased by nearly six mill
lion dollars. Obviously, q tremendous i'm petuS
will be thus given to our already immense and
consequently increasing trade with our cousins
return issued a few days since, the value of
plates exported last year to America from
South Wales was 93 562.972. At the uniform
duty of one cent per pound-which is now
aboiished-the total yield in 1887 to the United
States revenue was flllS,296. For many years
past the trade has steadily increased, leaping
from ,4Ss TONS for the first six months of
1887 to ,0Is in the corresponding period of
the current year; and bearing in mind the
unrivalled facilities possessed by the Welsh
makers, it seems more than likely that under
the new condition of affairs these figures, large
as they are will soon be doubled, The pros
poets of American competition-never very
definite but occasionally assuming aggressive
proportions-are now ful ther off than ever.
Even though tin be found in paying quantities
in the Black Hills Of Dakota. the cost of tran
sit and subsequently of utilization in the man
ufacture of timed plates is 80 great, that with
Welsh plates admitted free. the shrewd manu-
facturers of the American districts will scarcely
attempt to disturb our monopoly of this par
ticular industry.
Tn Plate Industry.
MANUFACTURE DEMONSTRATE THE NECESSITY
FOR PROTECTION.