St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-12-29
A HARD TASK.

The persistence with which the Nc
KINLEY organs have insisted that the
anticipated results are being reached,
as the sequence of the duty that has
cost the consumers ten millions or more
the past year, has led to some accept
ance of the claims. The tin plate con-
sumers' organization comprises most of
the larger n-plate-cOnSuming concerns
III the country, nearly all the heavy
canning establishments. and is purely
business affair, with no politics at all in
1t. Its chief object is to watch the de-
velOpment Of the tin plate industry in
this country. securing reliable informa-
ton in regard to it. A recent circular
issued by the association to those inter-
ested in the trade comprises the facts
as to the present condition of the indus
try. The association is DESTROYS to have
ali the tin plate used in the country
manufactured in it, can it be done with
out damaging increase of cost to them
in their specialities. On this point they
say:
If the industry can be transferred to our
country within a reasonable time and with
out damage to our business and the hun
dre5s of thousands of American workmen
employed in our factories. giving us as cheap
raw material as we obtained before the in
creased tax was levied on it, we realize we
will be the greatest benefciaries and, there
fore, naturally most anxious for its success.
Our desire is if possible, to transfer the
question from one of politics to one of bust
ness. 1t is matter of business that since
the MCKINLEY bill was passed we have had
to pay over 900 more for the tin plates
we use in our factories and workshops, and
that the present duty Will add every year over
SIS 100000 to the cost of our raw material.
AS to what they have been able to
find has been accomplished, the circular
has this:
1t is a matter of business and not of poll
ties that up TO the present moment not one
sheet of coke tin, which constitutes over
half our entire requirements, has yet been
put on the market by The American manu-
facturers. and that the present output of all
kinds does not constitute 1 per cent of the
entire consumption of tin plate in America
Again. it is a matter of business that the
email lots produced have only been obtain
able at prices considerably above what the
same quality can be i'm ported at even under
the increased duty. We consider and all
will agree with us, that the whole question is
amost serious one TO our interests and the
Interests of the entire country. and open to
the closest scrutiny and careful business
Watchfulness.
Possibly the association has not real
ICED that so far the tin plate mills have
had all they could do to produce the po-
litical tin needed for campaign badges
and to send about to newspapers for adj
vertiSing purposes. Great anticipatiOns
u no 10, go 70
has been officially decided that Ameri-
can tin can be produced from foreign
plate, with foreign tin ore and imported
workmen to do the dipping. But these
people who use the larger part of the
TIN plate in the United States have been
unfortunate as yet in looking for Amer
lean tinware. incidentally the state
ment is made that the duty has added
about three cents each to the price of
beef and fruit cans. The Gamers and
packers do not lose this Ivy any means.
The secretary says sail of it comes out
of the pockets of the consumers
Of canned goods, who are labor
ing people largely" 1t is probable
that the unusual abundance of some
kinds Of fruit this year may have offset
partially the increased cost of tin plate.
but the consumers are deprived of the
benefit of the lower prices they would
otherwise have obtained, and are pay
ing the duty all the same. On the
whole, the task of the McKinlevlte to
explain to the consumer of canned goods
how he is being benefited by the ten
millions last year and fifteen this year,
taken out of the pockets of the people to
establish tin plate manufacture. is not
being made easy.