The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-08-29

A great deal is constantly being said in tho
| Republican press about tin-plate, and tue ne
| cessity Of such a nurture Of that infant IN
| dustry" as il furnished by the Mckinley tarih'
| We also hear a great deal about what has al
| ready been done in the way Of that tariffs en-
| couraging t~in-plate manufacture ana ABOUT
| the number of plants which. on account OF H.
| have been established or are contemplated.
Among these are alleged 'in-plato WORKS IN
Philadelphia. and the Record of mat city
| punctures the bubble very emphaticany. IL
| declares that there is nc tin-piatc MIL III
Philadelphia. There are some concerns winch
tin the black plates that are already roileu'
and which merely buy these plates and dip
them in q terne mixture composed OF lead ana
tin. This Is a very simple process ana mas
been in use in this country for years past,
long before tho Mckinley monstrosity was
ever conceived. All that is required Is a dip-
ping pot and a few hands to handle the black
sheets--a very cheap process, entirely differ
ent from rolling mill, which requires costly
appurtenances and appliances.
The truth is that up to the present time
there has been found no American iron or
steel suitable for making tin plates, or Anerl-
can pig tin in sufficient quantity to constitute
a commercial factor in the tin-plate trade.
The supply OF bright plate for canning, or Oh
terne plate for roofing must come, as hereto
fore, largely from importations. Inc only
difference is that the price to consumers mas
been advanced one and two-tenths cents q
pound, that being the increase IN the duty
imposed by the Mckinley law.
Ii is further stated that careful investiga-
ton by experts show that TO establish a genu-
inc tin-plate mill in this country would in
volve a years time in the erection and con-
struction Of buildings, furnaces and ma
chinery and an expenditure of from $780, 900 TO
500, 900 before q single plate could be pre-
pared for dipping. Such a mill would be
large enough TO make tin-plate in CONNER
cial quantities, and if the product should
compare favorably in quality and in
price with the imported plate 1t
would find q ready market" Dealers
in tin-plate. however, are ignorant Of the
existence of inny such plant in the United
States. and so far the construction Of one has
not been seriously considered. All talk OF
tin-plate mill building il INDUCED in either
for advertising purposes or for political effect.
The truth is that thu main result of the Nc
Kinley duty on t~in-plate has been to make a
fortune for Ed. Niedringhaus, of Missouri. ex-
Republican member of the Fifty-frst Con-
gress, who. with An eye TO the main chance,
voted for the present tariff bill. After the bill
becamelaw he, before the Mckinley duty went
into effect, imported all the tin-plate he could
buy under the old rate, and nows enjoys a
considerable and profitable monopoly III tax
ing his victims the large difference of over a
cent apound between what lie paid and what
the Mckinley law makes it now obligatory on
users of tin to pay. This tin-plate tariff tax
alone should be sufficient TO forever and tee
totally condemn McKinleyism in the minds
of the American people. for under the pre-
tense of protecting an industry which does
not exist, it places at the mercy Of one or two
men the whole American people.