New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1890-10-15
The Tin Plate Industry.
why Not Establish the Fganufactur.
of ii In America?

1t is supposed by many that tin plat.
is made Of tin which is mined in some
other part of the world aud made ictc
tin plate or sheets and sold IN this coun.
TRY, whereas, in point Of fact, tin plate
lis nothing more or less than iron covered
with composition OF tin.
1t is admitted that the iron is mann
factured in this country and ouehJ TO be,
and no doubt many are aware that until
the tin plate industry was slaughtered
by the rulings of q former Secretary Of
the Treasury, the manufacture of tin
plate wt.s carried on extensively in this
country.
The Secretary of the Treasury alluded
to was apparently unaware that tin plate
was not made of tin, and no Secretary Of
the Treasury has seen fit since to offer tc
point out his error in regard to it.
Within the past three years there has
been discovered in the Black Hills OF
Dakota, mines of tin of sufficient abun.
dance to warrant the conclusion that
this country is able to supply all the tin
required for its consumption as advan.
tageously as can be supplied in any part
of the world.
In the first place, the Tariff act of 1864
fixed the duty on tin plate at two and a
half cents per pound, the same az gal.
vanized sheets, but this rate was changed
by Treasury decision which has rightly
been termed one Of the most inexcusabla
and costly ever made. If this rate OF
duty had been allowed to remain. we
should have had to day prosperous tin
plate industry, EN-, '3ying directly and
indirectly 100, 900 la., rers and consuln-
lng annually 10000 tons of American
pig iron, 1000, 900 tons of American iron
ore, 100000 tons of American limestone
and 900, 600 tons of American coal.
Such is the amount of raw material con-
sumed in producing the tin plate con.
sumed in this country.
To furnish this supply 100 mills and
timing works, each with over 5000 tons
annual capacity, would be needed, as the
product aggregates 3l8, 900 tons, or $780,
100000 pounds. The cost of producing
this tin plate to the country would merely
be the cost of the material consumed in
producing it, as we have capital and labor
and land on which to build the mills in
abundance. Instead of this we have
wickedly and wantonly sent this money
abroad to enrich greedy syndicate Of
English manufacturers. Since 1864 we
have sent abroad $299, $40, G55. OF in gold
to purchase tin plate, and, in addition to
this, a Revenue Tariff has been paid of
$7S. 636, S9s.sO. Here we have, without
the duties, $500, 600, 900 sent out of the
country, every dollar of which might
have gone to add to the resources of this
country and improve the condition of
American labor. The 100000 men en-
ployed directly and Indirectly in making
this tin plate in England kept that num-
Der III idleness in this country.
There is no possible reason why there
should not be Furnishing tin plate in.
dustry in this country. What workman
is there who would not echo the unselfisb
assertion: II would rather pay one cent,
If necessary, more for dinner pail and
establish an industry worth millions OF
dollars annually to this nation than con.
tinue to support 100000 Englishmen ir
making tin plate wien that number O,
Americans want employment 2"