The daily state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 188?-1891, 1890-10-22

III &1ACl tCdn OciOd'ts
Bat let us examine aud see if it were
really the purpose of Congress to de-
velop even this insignificant industry.
Every reader knows that ali foreign i'm
ports mentioned On what is known as
the "free list" are, as the word free"
implies, not subject to taxation. Now.
the pure tin metal essential for the in.
dustry was, prior to this Congress, on
the free list and came into the United
States without custom house taxation.
But do you know that the Congress so
anxious TO make tin plate in this coun-
try lifted this metal from this list, and
placed 1t IN the tariff schedule, to be
SUBJECT to tax OF four cents per pound;
and this was done under the preteDse of
protecting mine in Dakota? Let US
examine the Dakota mine for a few
moments aud ascertain what claim it
may have to justify the as. 9rtion that it
Will yield tin IN commercial quantities. |
Pure tin metal in bar, ingot or pig, as
known IN the trade, is of greater value |
than the average reader knows. Ii is fine |
metal ana never rusts The reason a TIN |
vessel OF domestic use rusts is because
there is a wear, or abrasion of the tin,
ana the water coming IL contact with
the basis of sheet iron or steel causes
oxidization; but pure tin is as rustless
as gold or silver. day it is worth
more than $500 per ton. About two
years ago, when French syndicate held
the copper aud tin product of the world
In Its grasp, tin sustained price of $500
for several months. We import in this
country many thousand tons of this
metal. | have secured the official
receipts of the government for the first
fifteen days in September which show an
importation of several tons in excess of
1,000-more than half million dollars
worth. Hold these facts in your mind;
for they prove that tin-plate industry
is not necessary to encourage the devel-
opment of a tin mine. Corporations in
this country are growing fabulously rich
mining iron ore, which sometimes runs
less than 10 per cent pure iron, and have
been selling the product in the form of
pig iron on an average of less than three
fourths of cent per pound; and now
! it is claimed that we have tin Il inc in
the Black Hills, the ipgots Of which are
worth more than twenty five cents per
! pound and have been as high as forty
cents; and that it has awaited develop
men, because 1t was unprotected by the
tariff TIE industrial arts 10 many in
stances are essentially based on its use
1t is the alloy of many articles, and the
predOmnatiug metal in britannia; enters
largely into pewter; one Of the factors
ia both gun and bell metals, the
basis of solder, is laminated and
wrought into sO-called silver
lace; a plating for iron spoons,
maleable iron keys, bride BITS, coffin
trim innings; and, wli!e furnishing many
other articles of the American factory,
1t becomes the subservielt thing Of fine
art, pouring its stream OF lustre into the
stately gloom of bronze Now | ask,
considering the price of bar tin, was II
ne cesS&ry TO protect it by tariff duty
to open the Dakota niue; or, res speccng
the demand which induces large impor-
tations, was tin-plate factory necessary
to encourage the further development;
of the famed tin-spoils of the BLACK
Hills? Certainly lot. To explain this
reveals one Of the darkest but most sue
, cessful conspiracies ever known in oul
legislative annals.
Representatives from the markets O
sheet iron have for years beseiged Con
gress to so increase the tariff on sheet
tin that its competition, with their IN
dustry would be less felt, stating tha
, the price of tin was such that their profit
were leSsened aud that their product O
/, iron roofing, consisting of galvanized
+ corrugated and PLAIN iron, also what !
t known as metal shingles, did not shar
so largely OF patronage as would b
o inevitable were the tariff on tin plate 5
y high that the option of the builder, fG
pecuniary reasons, would be favorable t
i their product. A Democratic House {
4 Representatives would not listen to th
a. argument of greed, aud the Republica
v Senate saw il the uncOnCeaied purpO>
= a demand too aWk ward for polillcs, an
i withheld an approval of the design, unit
4 presented in more covert and cuunlE
70 dress The scheme was being thong
n out in Pittsburg, and early in this ye'
e. there came into existence the America
e. Tin Plate Association, of Plttsbur
ir Pennsylvania. 1t had no plant f
or making tin plate, nor had it purchase
er site; nor had it employed ma
This ass ociation, which, since the pa
~ sage of the bill has apparently pass
to from existence, was composed OF M
as who represented the iron interests whi
IN had formerly appealed in vain for
or more exorbtant tariff on tin sheet
it 1t issued an address to the Amerc
Ter public, stating that it would manuff
he ture tin plate if the tariff could be rails
ay to the point of protection against t
of foreign product; and, forgetting th
ry. our great canned goods industry rsquii
oe the lightest and cheapest sheets, 1t 9
to nounced that it would make nothi
is but the fine grade, and thus prevent
ice the annoyance of the commoner forei
le brands.
,l. To each dealer and boss timer in
lge United States there was mailed one
nix these addresses asking that certain S
i'll which was enclosed be at once return
IKE with negation or affirmation of the
riff sociation's propositi )n expressed.
purchaser for domestic use pays
the tariff in the additional price, but the
er list of no county was used for names a
ne mailing addresses. At the assembl
la of Congress, these sheet iron makers,
i'm pretended tin-plate makers, establish
Nth headquarters in Washington, and 500