The Globe-republican. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1889-1910, 1891-06-24
THE TIN PLATE SITUATION.

THE TIN PLATE SITUATION.
Elsvs. Mills Now Under way-Many More
| Ready to Start ~ Soon ~ the Duty Goes
Into Eject July 1.-The ssTin Plate Liars"
Near the End OF Their Rope.
The attitude Of the free trade press
was concisely and accurately described
by the Rochester Post-Express in its is.
sue of May II. 1t said:
Papers like the Evening Post, the New York
Times and the Buffalo Courier maintain stoutly
that there Is no tin plate made in this country;
that tin plats cannot be made hero; that every
specimen exhibited Is made in the United
States Is bogus, and that the men who profess
to make IL are imposters.
The Evening Post indorses this pre-
seEtation of the case as accurate, at
least so far as its own position is con-
cerned, by printing the editorial from
which the above extract was taken, and
adding this brief comment:
We also are anxious to have the controversy
settled, and for that reason are trying to ind q
factory. One medium sized factory. working
openly and selling its goods at profit. would
close our mouths
Ever since the new tariff law was
drafted, the free traders have main
tanned the position described by the
POst-Express. During the last few
weeks their attacks upon the new in
dustry have broken out with renewed
virulence. A few calm words on the
controversy will not be amiss.
To manufacture tin plate on a large
scale requires the erection of extensive
and costly plants. So soon as the new
tariff bill passed, preparations were
promptly made for the establishment of
tin plate mills in all parts of the coun-
try. There are at least eleven of these
now under way. OF course, none of
them at any time expected to begin
manufacturing on q large scale until
the new duty took effect On the con-
trary, it was because Of the confessed
impossibility of manufacturing them
under the present duty of one cent q
pound that the higher rate was pro-
vided for. That higher rate does not
take effect for more than q month yet
Aside from the question of duty,
there has not been time since the pas
sage of the law to locate, establish and
get under way extensive plants. The
men who intended to embark upon this
new American industry naturally
wished, before risking their capital, to
acquire some experience in the business.
So. many of them erected temporary
plants and began to manufacture on a
small scale, pending the building and
equipment of their larger works, few
of which were expected to start before
the new tariff rate should take effect
Now, the temporary mills are what the
free trade reporters have dishonesty
been describing as the great tin plate
ing by the new tariff. They shut their
eyes to the projected permanent estab-
ments and have persisted in their course
of denying that any such enterprises are
under way.
The new tin plate industry has full
filled the expectations of its friends.
Although it was not expected that tin
plates would be made on a commercial
scale before next July, yet as matter
of fact they are now so being made.
The Evening Post satisfied itself on this
point when it sent reporter to the
office of H. 4. De Milt & Co., of 23S
Water street, New York, who are
agents for p. H. Laufman & Co., Apollo.
Pa. The Apollo works have been man.
ufacturing and placing tin plates on the
market for some ti,.le, and if we are to
credit them with ordinary common
sense, they must be doing so at profit.
The friends of the tin plate industry
need have no misgivings about its fu-
ture. 1t is it's substantial progress
which so excites it's enemies 1t takes
time to build even hen coop; to trans
plant a great industry from Wales to
America requires time, too When the
work is accomplished, back numbers of
the free trade papers will furnish inter-
eSting reading.