Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-10-08
WHAT A LITTLE MORE DUTY
WOULD DO.
Thousands of Men Would Find Work
and More Money Would Stay n
America

The Central Stamping Company, which
has one of its extensive factories in New
ark, uses large quantities of tin plate in
the manufacture Of tin ware, and about
one-third Of its production is exported.
the Government making rebate of the
duty on the tin plate used in all the ware
exported. While tin plate is the raw
material Of the company, it is the opin-
ion Of the company's representatives
that the duty On tin plate should be in
creased to make it protective. The pres
ent duty is / cent per pound, which is
equal to about 20 per cent. This duty Is
not protective, because labor in Wales,
where the British article is manufactured,
ia so cheap that the importer can pay the
duty and still greatly undersell American
makers. Americans pay England every
year about $4,000, 600 for tin plate and
the duties amount to about 5000, 600.
4 reporter of the y. Y. Tribune last
week asked George W. keteham. Of the
Newark Common Council, the head Of
the concern in Newark, in regard to the
duty on tin plate. Mr.. Keteham said :
I am heartily in favor of increasing the
duty from two cents per pound. and I'M
qualifiedly condemn the Mills bill for placing
this important article on the free list. You
might say that as the Mills bill would give
us our raw material cheaper, we ought to
favor it, don't look at the matter from that
auInAipf An ortiuary HOY ~
plate weighs l0S pounds. At the present
duty of one cent per pound, or 81 0s per box.
tie difference in the cost of Welsh and home
labor is not covered. Make the duty two
cents per pound and the result will be this
Every sheet of this tin plate can than be
manufactured in this country, for we have
now thNfinest sheet-iron-now protected by
duty of $40 cents pound, equal to 4f
per cent-and we also have pig-tin duty free
With the duty 40 per cent, we should see il
in few months "a 900 men set to work OF
tin plates alone and provided with employ
ment for twelve months in the year at good
wages. Fifteen million dollars that now &c
to England would be paid to American labor
TO be spent with American tradesmen, and
50 900, 900 would be paid to our sheet-iror
mills for their portion of the product
But that is not all. Mills, houses and
machinery would be needed for this new in
dustry, and thousands of artisans would have
to work to supply them. This increase OF
property would be added to the taxable valu
alton and help to Tighten the tax burden
Why, think of it With protective duty
on tin plates we could start city as big a.
Newark and keep its chimney fires ablaze
the year round. 1t would be n market fol
the farmer, which doesn't exist to-day.
And now about the price of the dinner
pail, which Mills and Breckenridge are Sc
eloquent about, without much reference t.
what goes into the dinner pail. | believe
am in a position to know whereof | speah
when | say that the cost of dinner pal
would not be increased picayune by pro
tective duty on tin plates, The dealer who
now pays 81 : a gross, or twelve cents each
would be obliged to pay just thirteen cent?
each, and he would sell at his former rate o.
twenty cents and no more. have been IA
mllar with all these facts for years and
stand by them. OF course they can have M
weight with men who are not in sympath,
with our industrial progress, and have M
real friendship for American labor, but the,
ought to have weight with the great major
ty, and particularly with all who are directly
or in lirectly interested in the country
material welfare.