The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-06-17
The Tin Plate Industry.

No paragraph Of the Mckinley tariff bill
has been subjected to so much adverse criti.
cism as that which imposes an additional
duty on tin plate. 1t has been contended
that the business of making tin plate could
not be successfully carried on in this coun-
try by reason, first. of the lack of tin, and
second by reason of the want of skilled la
Dor, and that therefore, the additional duty
on tin plate imported from England would
become permanent tax ON the consumer.
IL this were we'll founded, then it would be
conclusive argument, from a protectionist
standpoint, against the increase of duty, be-
cause In choosing subjects for the dutiable list.
the protective policy indicates the selection of
such as can be produced in this country. If
tin plate cannot be produced there, then it is
an improper subject for duty under a pro-
tective tariff. The propriety of the increase
of duties provided for by the Mckinley bill
depends upon the degree of probability of
the successful production on a large scale of
Tin plate In this country. II the degree is
small, then the duty ought not to be i'm
posed; If 1t is large, then the duty is not
only defensible, but meritorious.
The committee on ways and means did not
put this duty on without investigation of a
most thorough kind. 1t considered care
fully all the difficulties in the way Of estab-
fishing the tin plate industry In this country
and decided that the outlook was sufficiently
promising to justify the experiment. The
country has not been left in the dark as to
the reasons that led it to take this course
Mr.. Mckinley in his speech to the House on
the r1n0rf Of fha hill
infinitely.
In the first place Mr.. Mckinley showed very
conclusively that the idea cultivated by the
opponents Of this duty that tin plate cannot
be made In the! United States owing TO lack
OF skilled labor is erroneous. AS matter of
fact tin lplate has been made here success
fully. In the years 1873, 1874, 1875 there were
TWO factories engaged In producing 1t. In
ported tinplate was then selling at $12 per
ton. Our factories had hardly got under
way when the Welsh makers dropped their
price to $3.50 ton, and kept it there until
our factories were driven out of existence.
Then they put 1t up again. Again another
attempt was made by Americans to run tin
plate mills, and again the attempt was frus.
trated by drop in the price of the Welsh
tin' which, however, renamed only until
our mills were crushed out The Welsh
manufacturers were able to beat our con-
Germs, not because we lacked skilled labor
but because they could get their labor yery
much cheaper than our manufacturers
could as long as this advantage remains
of course the English manufacturers can
crush out onr concerns. And obviously tbIc
advantage must remain either until opr
laboring men are willing to work at English
prices or a compromising duty is put on.
The second objection urged to an increase
OF duty is that there is no considerable
amount Of tin in this country. 1t is true
that no tin mines are worked here, but that
is because there is no inducement to work
them. But tin undoubtedly is to be found in
large quantities in Dakota and Wyoming
and in Virginia, and only sufficient induce
ment is needed to enable US to produce all
the tin that is demanded. But even If tin
did not exist in this country that would not
be a conclusive argument against embarking
in.the tin plate industry. The great bulk