The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1890-11-24
TIN PLA7B PLANTS.
American Firms Preparing to
Embark in the Industry,
OBSTACLES TO OVERCOME.
oae afthe FACTORS tho Condition OF
Iab0r.-Skillcd Workers In This
Country to Start or tho New
Enterprises Very Soon.

PirTsDuRon, PA, Nov. 23.-There IL
no end to the amount Of coniecturing
among manufacturers over the exact ex'
tent to which the tin plate industry will
be developed in America. AL hope for
It's success, ard yet there are those who
question the ability OF American manu-.
faCturers to compete with Welsh makers,
and gives as one Of the most potent rea.
sons that the class OF skilled labor 70.
quired cannot legally, be imported, and
the difference between exports and low
wages and norices at high wages will
amount to more than the increased duty.
II is given out, however, aa au abso.
lutte certainty that no lees than five plants
will DO in operation in American in limo
to place the product in the market as
soon rs tho duty goes into elect. All OF
the contingencies are 10 be met, and the
progress will bs watched with interest
1t is known that artificial appliances
cannot be made available for tho pro.
daesion. Competent wofkmen, who are
thoroughly acquainted with the indus.
try, must be substituted.
Tho labor question must be settled by
arranging a rate Of compensation to cor.
respond with rates paid associated labor.
Before making an Investment in the in-
dustIy, manuiacturers arc likely to iu-
quire into the causes oil 60 many failures
in Wales, right in the cente. OF the Tin
plate industry, where tho markets have
all the facilities and tho advantage Of
experience at their command, and all
these stumbling blocks will naturally be
avoided, il possible.
FAILURES EVEN IL WALES.
1t is estimated that in L. years, 20 con-
Germs in Wales that were engaged exclu.
sively in the manufacture OF tin plate
have failed, and almost every effort in
all other parts Of the five Kingdoms has
been unsuccessful. It's argued by those
who doubt that the industry will he
success. that there is only one place
where it will thrive. Brussels, they say,
is the place for lace; Belfast for linen
Sheffield for cxQuisitely fine cutlery;
Pittsburgh for iron and steel, and Wales
for tin plate.
The Welsh manufacturers are indus
trious aud pay the mos. liberal rate OF
wages in Europe for the class OF people
employed; yet tin plate making has
never been q success outside OF South
Wales. 1t is possible, however, that
labor.saving devices will be introduced.
But in this respect one Of tho delegates
TO the British Iron and Steel Inetiiuta
remarked. while speaking OF the matter:
1t is hard to Imagine any short cuts in
tin plate making which have not been
tried. The difficulty 10, that you cannot
get machine that will think, feel and
see."
A Dispatch reporter had talk with
Secretary Cronnemeyer. of the Western
Tin Plate. Association, yesterday. Mr.
Croluemeyer is preparing to invest in
the industry on large ecale himself,
and, OF course, has implicit faith in the
enterprise. He furnished the names OF
the concerns in tine country that are
preparing to make tin plate. "These,"
haid he, "are Marshall Brothers, OF Phil.
adelphia, the Pottstown Iron Company,
the st. Louis Stamping Company, P. II.
Loufmun & Co., Of Apollo, and our own
firm"
NO FOREIGNERS WANTED.
"Can you tell, Mr.. Cronncmycr, il the
contract labor law will interfere with
securing competent assistance3 ~ was
asked.
"We do not want foreigners" was the
quick response. 81 have now the names
and addresses OF over fifty men in this
couasry who know the business from A
to 2, and as VIC develop tho industry We
will develop skilled workmanship"
"Will the labor orsanizationa aid in
fostering the business?"
That remains to be settled. The
Amalgamated Association has fixed
rates for tin and black plate mills at
present. and l suppose that when we be.
gin the manufacture OF tin. plate regu-
larry they will establish regular rato
for u.s."
about what amount OF capital is re.
quired to put plant in successful oper.
ation?"
"fhat depends altogether upon the
capacity desired. l do not believe
good plant could be started for less than
Sl50,00O."
The cost would depend, as Mr.. Cronne.
meyer Gays, on the size OF the estab.
lishment-Thether it included ten,
twenty or thirty mills. Most OF the
plants in South Wales have eighty. Mr..
CroInemeyer also Says that q number
Of firms, including the Charters iron
and Steel Company, Kirkpatrick & Co !,
and the Cenonsburg Iron and Steel
Company, had expressed their intention
OF going into the industry previous to
the passage OF the Mckinley bill, but
whether they would do SO now he did
not know.
q II = Fpa - q