Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1890-08-20

the canning industries, with their depend
ent occupations, give employment to some
two millions of persons, the majority of
whom wholly rely upon such callings for a
living, and the rest derive either their
principal support or are materially aided
in the battle of life by the wages or profits
thence derived. AS against this vast mass
of human beings who are vitality interested
in cheap tinware by virtue of their very
callings in life, we have-whom? Some
few dozen of manufacturing capitalists,
who are seeking for opportunities OF multi
plying their wealth through governmental
favor; and forty thousand men whom no
man living can point out, but who will
have, to large extent, to be brought over
from Wales, and many of whom are now
doubtless engaged in other pursuits.
As to the effect of the increase on the
industries dependent upon tin-plate, Mr..
Wilson said: "The only answer, Mr.. Presi-
dent, that can be made to the argument
against this increased protective duty on
tin-p'ate is this, that this raising of the
duty from 34i to 764 per cent. ad valorem
will not seriously iDjure the business either
of the workers in tin or of those who are
engaged in canning the various food
products of the country. Why, sir, can
proposition that new and additional tax
of nearly $s,@0,000 imposed upon these
struggling industries will not harm them?
If Congress should now seriously propose
to impose an internal revenue tax of $9,-
600, 900 upon the products of iron and steel
mills of the country, rich as their owners
are, and SO long the benefciaries of the
highest governmental protection, as soon
as electricity could summon them and
lightning expresses could bring them to
this capital an army of manufacturing
capitalists and their paid lobby would be
besieging us, crying out for US to stay our
hands, or their business would be ruined;
that they could not afford to carry on their
operations, as such tax would so largely
lessen their profits, and that the enhance
ment of prices consequent upon such an in
creased taxation would SO greatly circum-
scribe their sales as to force them out of
business. But, sir, this increased duty on
tin-plate would work much more disastrous
results upon the Gamers than any such
supposed case would upon the iron and
steel men of the country. 1t would prove
to them fatal incubus upon their busi-
ness, both lessening or destroying their
profits, and seriously circumscribing their
trade. Upon no business now conducted in
Inls country WOulu tnls RESULT Oe SO sure TO
fall as upon our canning industries. In
the effort to stem the tide which has been
bearing them to destruction, the farmers of
the Eastern and Middle States and gradu-
ally those OF the West have been starting
canning establishments for their fruits and
vegetables wherever there seemed an op-
portunity to diversity their occupations
and to gain new access to markets for their
products. Possibly they may have over
done the business. At any rate, canned
goods are scarcely paying their prime cost.
The margin profit is extremely small and
in many cases does not exist. To force
these men now to pay millions of dollars
for their raw material of which, in the
course of its consumption, full ten per cent
is necessarily wasted, would surely entail
Wholesale ruin upon them in their present
condition"