News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1888-12-27
THE TIN.CAN INDUSTRY,
An Enormous Saving from Meohani.
cal Manufacture.

"No branch of tin manufacture has
undergone such radical changes within
the last few years as the manufacture oil
cans for packing and canning purposes
said a tinware manufacturer who was
questioned relative to the mechanical
| improvements of the trade ''From an
insignificant business it has grown TO be
one OF great magnitude, and one, fur.
ther, that IS increasing every year with
the increase in consumption of canned
| goods. The high cost of plate tin, cou.
pied with the popular prices at which
! packers have endeavored to put their
goods on tho market, las necessitated
the dlscontinuance of hand labor. On
the other hand, the uncertainty of crops
has centralized the business aud run out
the small scattered manufacturers.
Formerly such cans wcr1 made by
hand, and the demand Of one season was
scarcely supplied before work was begun
on stock for the next year. IT WINS found,
however, that an unexpected drought or
frost or rainy spell often spoil crop,
and at the last moment, by killing the
demand for cans, locked up thousands
of dollars worth Of manufactured goods
for twelve montls-a difficulty which is
now never experienced. The necessity
OF cheapcning food cans has resulted in
machinery which automatically does the
whole work, even to soldering and count
ing; and the Capitalization of tho can.
making business springs from the fact
that when n single conc IN, for instance,
can turn off quarter of million cans
Ill single day, packers can wait till
they know with certainty how many cans
they will need before ordering them, OF
even rcscind an order on moments no.
t1ce without mountaineering or causing
loss to the manufacturers. There is now
no need of capitals being tied up.
Rive or six boys can now easily turn
off 80, 900 day and hnvs scarcely moro
to do than watch the machines. The
plate tin is fed in at one end of n series
of connected machines. The ends and
bodies of the cans are stamped out, con-
Quoted along, put together, soldcrej,
counted, and almost put on tho cars for
shipping, without tho intervention OF
hand labor; whereas, formerly, can.
making WAS but lower class of pieccd
work, requiring the shears and soldering
iron. L don't think it an overestimate
to say that improved machinery has
Iessened tho actual cost of manufactur
ing this sort of goods fully Is per cent.
The plant required for this machine
work is, of course, pretty expensive, but
their erection pays because packers will
buy no other than machine made cans.
'The requirements made of manufac.
turers are very exacting. Ihoy have ta
pay for all cans and contents over and
above three in thousand that arc found
defective; and the amount of money
thus paid is remarkably small wien we
take into consideration the rapidty with
which tho cans arc turned Off and the
saving in material effected in each can
made. Where formerly seventy pounds
Of solder WAS required for 1000 cans the
new process of manufacture requires
but fifteen. The saving of solder, you
see, is no small item in the reduction of
cost And by tho way, this mass of SOL
Ter formerly used gave rise to that fake
about lead-poisoning by canned goods.
There isn't genuine case of such lead
poisoning on record. 1t takes months
n lead works to impregnate ones sys-
.em with poison; the mere contact of
ood with soldcred point will not do it..
The real cause of the poisoning is the
ermenting of the food. Seeing great
oils of solder in the cars containing the
inspected food, physicians have jumped
It false conclusion and needlessly
larmed the public. - Chicago Ne,os.