Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1890-08-21
HIGGINS ON THE TIN T4RIFE.
Hc opposes IL Fax ON Tin Plate
Until After it Can be Made Here.

UntiI After it Gan be Made Here.
In the discussion OF the Tariff bill in
the UEigNd States Senate Thursday Mr..
Plumb offered the amendment of which
he had given notioe--to strike out the
CLAUSE of imposing duty of 2 2-10 cents
a pound on tin plate, reserving tue other
part OF the proposition as a bounty.
MIR. Higgins said that II Mr.. Plumb's
amendment meant that tin-plates saould
q put on the free list it was the only
consistent ground that could be taken by
those who opposed the proposition of the
finance committee. The rate of duty as
now imposed was nothing else than tax
on all who used the article in any form.
1t was not high enough TO promote
domestic production or to enable the
American manufacturer to make it, and
it Just high enough to impose upon
the people of the United States the maxi
mum tax that the article would
stand, without promoting its domestic
production. He was willing to ooncede
that if there was any class that should be
exempted from iuvidious taxation il was
the class of farmers and of working
people on which this tax fell most heavily;
but was 1t true, he asked. that tin-plate
could not be produced in this country at
as low rate as it was now sold here
He thought it was not tsue. He referred
to table of prices from 1885, to 1883,
showing, as he claimed, steadiness of
price that was not exhibited in any other
manufactured goods. Such 8 eRdiness
OF price was not without cause, and that
cause was not without significance to the
people of the United States, as we'll as TO
the people of Wales. il was because the
product had been In the hands of men who
could control it, and who had controlled 1t
and who had kept the price steady.
II the article could not be produced in
the United States and made cheaper to
the consumers than it was now 1t should
be put on the free list.
He believed profoundly in the neoeH-
sity not only of protective tariff, but
of competitive tariff; and he believed
that, until MIR. Oronemeyer or somebody
else could manufacture tin plate and put
it on the market, its price would not be
lower to the American people than it
now was.
There was no better place for the estab-
lishment of that industry than in his own
city Of Wilmington, where water and
railroad transportation came in close
proximity to the iron and coal mines.
Would 1t not be wsll, he asked, for the
farmers aud all who lived In the vicinity
60 have the industry established there !?
he respectfully submitted that it would
be. He did not believe that tho farmers
of Delaware had been injured by taeir
proximity to such manufacturing cities
rs Philadelphia, Baltimore, Chester, and
Wilmington. He spoke of the depracie-
tion Of land in GREAT Britain as the result
Of British free trade, and exprsssed the
opinion that the agricultural depression
in the United states was over and that
the next couple OF years would witness a
great improvement in that respect. He
spoke of the Democratic appeals to the
farmers against the protective principle
aS the rRnkeBs demagogism. The farmers,
he said, stood behind the Republican
party and had horne that dreadful fire
with even more steediness than Yelling
toms troops ut Waterloo. He believed
that the farmers would sustain RapubM.
can senators in their position on the
pending bill.
Mr.. Plumb withdrew his amendment
and offered another making the duty on
tin. plate l cent q pound, and providing q
bounty of cant pound on the tiu-plate
manufactured In the United States
Without proceeding further in the
matter, the Senate adjourned.