New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-10-18
TIN CANS IND THEIR COST.

There Is an amazing amount of sympathy
inst now for the tinpail-bearers, on the part
Of so-called tariff refOrmcrs, who fear that the
workinemen will have to pay more for their
nails and other utensils on account OF the new
tariff. But the whole question OF tnware is
90 simple that American wOrkingmen are not
in danger of being deceived about it. Before
some dealers have an opportunity to impose
mon any of them, it may be well to make the
matter clear
II the actual cost of beer to the retailer IS
Q cents Dor glass, and he sells for cents per
glass. and some new act of Congress makes the
beer cost him 2 to 3 cents per CLASHES than
half cent more-is he going to charge his
customer b.S cents per glass, or 8 1-2 cents,
or anything more than the present price?
Everybody sees at glance that he cannot. Too
many people would stop drinking too many
other saloons would continue to sell at the
old price, the increase IN cost belng only
tenth of the profit.
"a if the actual cost of cigar to the retailer
is cents, and he has for years been selling at
10 cents. but new law makes the cost six
tenths of cent more for every cigar, is the
cigar seller going to charge 10 IL cents or IL
cents, or anything more than 10 cents for the
same cigar? Obviously he cannot without
losing custom and money.
Tin cups holding one pint now cost whole
sale IS "a cents per dozen, or cent and
half each. The weight of tin plate in such
cup is 3 1-3 ounces, and the increase in cost If
the whole added duty should be added to the
cost, would be just cents per dozen, or
quarter of a cent per cup. These cups have
been selling under the old duty for cents
each does anybody imagine that the retailer
will try to get IA cents for them?
Dinner-kettles, with tray and cup, holding
four quarts, now cost 81 80 per dozen, or Is
cents each, but are sold at retail for so cents
A dinner-kettle of this description weighs .
pounds ounces, and the added duty would be
2.s cents, which If wholly added to the cost
would make it 17.s cents. Now does anybody
imagine that the retailer is going to charge
62.S cents for each dinner-pail, or anything
more than he now charges? He could better
afford to sacrifice little over one-twentieth OF
his present large profit than to have fewer
people buy Of him.
Similar full details of the cost, weight and
prices OF twenty -four articles of general use
manufactured from tin plates were given by
Senator Aldrich in his closing speech The
cost OF these twenty -four articles amounts to
| So IS ga, but they retail for So 70. The
| added duty on the whole would be less than
3S cents, or not quite One-tenth of the present
profit of the retailer. In every case it Is as
plain as it is in the cases above mentioned that
the retailer could not afford to add a pitiful
fraction to his present charge. The fact is
that the people who are protesting so much
anxiety about the added expense Of the work.
ingmen are in reality only anxious that the re-
tail sellers shall be enabled to get, as they now
do, more than twice what the articles actually
cost them II they have to part with some
portion of their profits, somewhere about a
tenth to twentieth on different articles, the
world will not cohle to an end. In any case
the workingmen will not be the sufferers.
| Senator Aldrich also added the fact that the
increase Of duty on tin cans of the three pound
size would be about four-tenths of cent each.
The retailer who has been selling cans of fruit,
vegetables, oysters, Beef or meat at round
prices which yield handsome profit %, 40,
| so or so cents a can, will find it the stupidest
of all stupid proceedings to charge for the
same goods 20 IL cents, or 4O1-2 cents or
so ID or so 12. lie will take littl less
profit, and the men who can the fruit or ,ege-
tables or meat little less, or perhaps the man
ufacturer of the cans may find his trade threat
ened by underselling and may himself take
less. But the obvious thing is that the con-
sumers are not going to bear an added b,2den
to the extent Of a single penny.