The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1890-08-07
Duty on Tin.

boSUoH JOuTHdl.
There are few subjects concerning which the
rree-trade papers display more varied asso1t-
ment OF misinformation than the proposed in.
increase In the duty on tin-plate. Here, for in
stance, is the Manchester Union, paper more
than ordinarily well informed, discussing it as
"a question of tin," and speaking, all through
long article, Of doubling the duty on tim etc.
Now the fact is there is no duty on tin, and it is
obviously impossible to double" anything that
doesn't exist. Tin plates are simply plates of
iron covered with a thin coating of tin. Under
1he present tariff, the tin plates, after being sub
Ject 10 inns process of manufacture actually
come In alta lower rate Of duty than when i'm
ported as iron plates-a feature which is entirely
at variance with the protective theory. 1t is
not singular that under these circumstances we
have no tin plate industry. There has been no
chance for one But we have an abundance of
mills which are capable of rolling the iron for
the making Of tin plates, ana there is nothing
difficult in the dipping process. Whether the
deposits of tin in Dakota turn out to have sub
stantlal value or to be myth does not greatly
affect the question, for we can get tin enough
where the Welsh get large part of theirs, from
Malacca. Atpresent we are the chief support Of
Uhe great English and Welsh tin-plate mo-
nopoly We buy the larger part of their product
and enable some OF them to earn 20 per cent div
idends on their investment. while their work
men and workwomen-for much of the work
IS done by women miserably paid So COM
pletely are we at the mercy of this foreign source
OF supply that a temporary interruption in it
causes great inconvenience, and prolonged
interruption would handicap important indus
tries. We pay annually from $21,OOO,OOO to $23,-
600 600 for imported tin plates. every pound of
which, under favoring conditions could be
made in this country. According to the free
traders, this state of things ought to continue.
More than that, they would take off the present
duty, and thus enable the British monopoly to
advance prices and pocket the difference. 1t is
no wonder that the British trade journals APP
peal to the free traders and rely upon them as
trusted 'allies of the monopoly" The position
OF the protectionists is that the foreign monop-
Oily has controlled things long enough, and that
1T is better policy to make our own tin-plate and
TO distribute among many thousands of Ameri-
can workmen, in wages, the money which now
goes Abroad Ii there is slight increase in
price, in consequence Of this policy, experience
shows that it will be but temporary and will be
followed in the end by lower prices than those
which now prevail; and moreover, that the tenn
porary enhancement i'll price will be so diffllsed
as to be virtually unfelt. The English trade
journals candidly admit that the consequence
of the increased duty will be borne by the Brit
lsh manufacturers and not by the American
consumers. They admit also, that the effect of
the increased duty will be to build up American
factories at the expense of their own. We can
understand their disturbance of mind over
these possibilities, but why should it be shared
by any Americans unless, indeed, they are what
the London trade Journals describe as the sal
lies of the British manufacturers
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The distention of the stomach which
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