St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-07-16
A TIN-PLATE MONOPOLY.
A Sample "Infant Industry" Cry
ing for Protection.


ing for Protection.
A Washington ID. c. correspondent
of the New York Times says: Under
the guise of giving employment to
American workingmen the American
Tin-Plate association is seeking
protection for an unborn .infant in
dustry." Its real purpose is to secure
for itself the most formidable monopoly
OF the century, by which every work
ingman in the United States would
suffer. During the recent debate on the
tin-plate paragraph of Mr.. Mills bill
Samuel }. Randall remarked that tin.
plate could be made in this country. He
had seen it done. Mr.. Randall might
have gone into particulars, and stated
that there have been three attempts to
make tln-plate in this country, and the
result in each case was disastrous to
the investors. The fact is that not a
single pound of the plate is made i'm
America. The tin-plate consumed
IN this country is imported from Wales,
and for the benefit of the American
Dread-Wlnners it is to be hoped that the
lmportationS will continue unintrs-
rupted. unless we can manufacture it
without adding to the cost for the con-
sumner.
A resident of the great manufacturing
city OF Pittsburg, who is conversant
with the subject, and who unhesitat-
lngly pronounces as silly this agitation
Tor protection to American tin-plate,
said to-day:
''Three factories were erected near
PlttSburg. One was situated at DENIM
Ter Station, on the Baltimore d Ohio
road; another at Wellsville, o., and the
third at Leechburg, Pa. The Leech-
burg project was the latest. 1t collapsed
fourteen years ago, since which time
nobody has had the temerity to make a
fourth attempt. These three corpOr-
atoms failed because they were com
PEELED to import their tin ore from the
mines OF Cornwall, Eng, and competi-
ton with the English manufacturers
was out OF the question. Now it is said
that ore has been found in the hills of
dakota, but this does not satisfy the
American Tin-Plate association. They
are not content with the present duty of
80 per cent on importauions, but want it
placed at much higher figure, so high
that complete monopoly of the Amer
lean trade at prices to suit the mOnopO-
lists can be secured. The result would
be that every workingman would be
compelled to pay large increase over
the present price of tinware in his
kitchen, on the tin dipper from which
he quenches his thirst, and the tin din
ner pail from which he eats his noon
day repast.
1.-The American Tin-PIate association
IS composed Of the Sheet-irOn manufact-
urerS. Sheet iron is coated with tin,
and is given the name of tin-plate. The
association, OF rather its agent, John
Jarre t, has an Otfi ce in PittSburg. jar
rett makes frequent visits to this city
during the discussion of the tariff. If
the company should secure control of
tneSe Dakota tin mines monopoly would
be too mild word to use in describing
1t. 1t would be corporation whose
power would be unrivaled even by the
Standard Oil company. Even the Stand
ard frequently finds it necessary to buy
out weak competitors. Give the Ameri-
can Iln-Plate association the high tariff
1t asks for, and give it the control of
these Dakota mines, and there would be
no limit to its power. True, a new ave-
nue. for labor would be opened. but it
would not Offset the sutferings of mill
ions OF workmen in other industries as
the result of the advance in tinWare.
Jarrett is smart little Welshman.
with limited education, believe, who
has undoubtedly made the most of his
chances. Previous to his election to
the presidency of the Amalgamated as
sociation of iron and steel workers he
was an iron worker living in one of the
small towns in Western PENNSYLVANIA.
up i'll the Shenango Valley, l believe.
Since he vacated the office of
president of the Amalgamated
association, he has been con-
nected with the American Tin
Plate association. During President Ar
thurs term he was suggested for the
office OF chief of the bureau of labor
statistics. He might have got it had he
net made a rash remark about MI.
Arthur, whom at public meeting in
Pittsburg he described as more fit to
adorn the kitchen than the parlors of
the White house. Republicans credit
Mr., Jarrett with having beaten Nor
flson, OF Illinois, for congress two
years ago, when Jarrett made canvass
of the district, and it is to be presumed,
he had his expenses paid by iron and
steel manufacturers"