Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1890-06-19

ufacturer was quick to avail himself Of
our folly. and believing himself secure
against any competition il the United
states, and hoping and believing We had
abandoned al thought Of ever produce
ing our own tin-plate, in 1873 advanced
the price Of tin-plate to S12 q box.
Influenced by this exorbitant price Of
foreign tin-plate, our mills were again
set in motion in 1573 and continued in
operation until 1876. when the price Of
tin-rlat had fallen from SI2 to - 30
to so low point that the American max
ers could not survive and pay American
wsges; and 50. in 1876, we were forced
70 close the last American mill No
sooner had the English manufacturer
driven u out and thus destroyed all
competition. than he again advanced
tie price Of tin-plate to - and so. con-
fident that lie had absolutely secured
the American market But in 1879.
under the stimulus Of high prices. the
American mills were again opened; but
they were no sooner in full operation
than the price again began to decline
under flood Of foreign importations
and fell from $40 to 81 box.
Then it was that the foreign maru-
faeturer determined to strike final and
death blow to this industry in the United
States. and to that end agents Of the
American mills were followed By the
representatives Of the English mills, who
announced to American customers that.
NJ matter what the American product
was offered for, they would sell for %
cents cheaper, and by this method they
were enabled to utterly destroy the
American manufacture and silence the
last tin-plate mill in the United States.
Master of the situation. the foreign
manufacturer again advanced the price
Of tin-plate to - g box.
This disastrous result was accomplish
Cd under the operation of tariff for
"revenue only and demonstrates how
futile it Is for the American manufac-
turer under an inadequate duty to con-
tend against the merciless competition
1t d foreign rival
Now. see how this suicidal policy has
adyantaged our foreign rival While
our last mill has been closed, we have
been paying tribute TO the foreign man
utaeturers, and the English mills have
doubled and America has become her
most profitable market
In the last twenty-five years we have
bought of England :. $50, 50l,792 pounds
Of tin-plate. for which we have paid her
exclusive of duty and freight, the enor-
nous sum of S320,037.562
But in 1888 the National Association
Of Steel Workes made careful compu-
tation Of the direct benefits for q single |
year which wo lid follow the establish
ment and the maintenance Of this in
dusry in the United States, and on the
basis Of the importation for 1857 they [
find that to have produced in the United I
States what that year we imported
would have required an additional con
sumption Of 100000 tons of iron ore.
800. 600 tons of limestone. 100000 tons
of coal and coke, 400. coo tons of pig
iron, 5.500o0o pounds of lead 10000
600 pounds of tallow and oil, 100000
pounds Of sulphuric acid, 100000 feet
of lumber, and would have given direct
employment to $4,000 work-people, to
whom would have been paid in wages
S23, 900. 900 All this in a single year.
1t Is a most delicate matter to SO ad-
Just the duty on imports as to secure
equitable results to all. Some one has
said that i" our tariff system is like a
spider web; touch single thread Of it
and the whole fabric trembles. Our
industries are so interviewer and inter
dependent that modification of the +
rates in 4 single particular VIC ID be
felt throughout the entire system.
Here is knife of American manufacture
which can be made in this country for
60 cents q dozen and sold by the retail
merchant at 10 cents apiece. or S1.20 q |
dozen making profit Of 100 per cent.
The German knife sells at retail at
the same price; but no merchant will |
buy this American knife and content
himself with a profit Of 100 per cent
when lie can purchase the German knife |
1t 50 cents and make 500 per cent. So |
/ he home industry is destroyed
So ii viii be found in many instances
where we have increased rates on the
class Of goods used by the masses of the
people that the only effect will be to
secure the manufacture of such goods at