New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-06-01
rREErRADE ANXIETY ABOUT TIN PLATE.

AMUSED By THE ANTICS OF THE PEOPLE WHO
ONCE scoRNED THE sTEELrRAIL INDUSTRY.
TO the Editor Of The rribune'
Sir: 1t is with much interest and some amusement
that have watched the futile efforts Of the Demo
cratic press TO hinder and stop, II they could, the
manufacture Of timed plates In this country. Tia
similarity of the growth and development Of the
steel rail industry TO that Of the Timed plate in
dustry is striking, and, these same Democratic
papers secuted the idea Of American steel rails, 50
they are now fighting the probability Of American
timed plates but the development Of the latter VII
be as sure and complete that Of the former "Ths
New-York Tines in its issue OF May Fl, devofes
column to "Tin Plate Farce-Comedy,' and selects
Utica and the enterprise of q Utica tobber as subjects
Of its whitening n sarcasm "The Times" apparently
wants nothing manufactured here which can be Oh
tanned from abroad and stl In the face OF THIS ~
Ientess warfare, manufactures Increase. our ex-
ports increasing, our national credit Is ana
all this in spite of that devastating pesence canen
protective tariff" But TO return TO timed plate
In the column In which The Tines SCOTS 81
the idea Of American tinplate 1t publishes notice
OF the meeting In Pttsburg Of twenty concerns
"who contemplate its manufacture Any one with
knowledge of the iron and steel manufacturers Of this
country will see at glance that these twenty seven
concerns include the representative men In this
country In their business. Does any sane man sup
pose that these men, part OF whom are now operating
tln-plaUe Mills OtherS DuldlDs plants LOT ltS
ufacture and the rest proposing TO do sO-have come
together for the purpose of killing time, or making
"bluf' either Of which occupations would naturally be
and improbable 10 them' There are now In
operation tin plate mills in this country with ca
pacy Of 10000 tons per year. and other mills in course
of construction that will double this output
That these concerns should meet and advise together
at the outset Of undertaking is both wise and
necessary. "The Times, answers that a shed or
barn, melting pot, and old man and boy q two
all the outfit required for the business as at present
conducted In this country" while IL prints in the same
issue meeting Of twenty seven prominent mill
Either Timess" knowledge OF this particular
industry Is limited, else purposey in Its blind ador
ton of free trade, 1t msleads its readers, in useless
attempt TO hinder what will soon rival the steel rail
industry IN magnitude.
Assuming that the manufacture OF tin-plate will
progress favorably that OF steel rails tin patos
will be cheaper in five years than they were before
the duty them doubled, as 1t will be after
July l. by the Mckinley bill. For two three years
the United has taken nearly thefourhs OF tho
entire product Of Great Britain With the immediate
prospect Of large production of tin plates IN this country
the continued production abroad, II Is evident that
prices must decline. The foreigner must reduce his
price to meet the competition Of this side, and our
home manufacturers must necessarily meet foreign
prices In order to sell at all and thus with increasing
home production cause lower prices and our money
remains at home instead Of going 10 England q pay
imported tin-plates. We have all the raw material
at home necessary TO make 10, and why should we
send for it, when only labor IS required u pro-
the earth and 1t has always the fostering OF home
industry Of its roads to independence and xreat
ness a fAlh ShOW'"
syracuse, N. Y, May %, 1901.