Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-06-25
THE TRUTH ABOUT TIN PLATE.

In the current issue Of BrGdStreetS,
an entirely non-partisan business jour
nal, it is noted that there is difference
of opinion on the question Gas to
whether any American tin plate at all
is being made for legitimate industrial
consumption in the home market" and it
cites the fact that offers for home made
tin plate, publicly made by responsible
parties, have not been accepted by any
of the firms reported to be members of
the american Tin Plate Manufacture
ers' Association of the United States. !"
This part of the subject is summed up
by Bradstreet'S as follows:
We know of no responsible journal or
person who claims to-day that American
tin plate factories are supplying, or are at
this time capable of supplying, the Amer
lean demand for tin plates, either of Amer
lean rolled plates dipped in American tin,
OF American plates dipped in imported tin,
or Of foreign tin plates redipped in either
American or foreign tin. If any such
claims are being made, II would be Of in
terest to know who is making them.
There remains the further question OF
when it will be possible for American
manufacturers to supply the home mar
ket with tin-plate for industrial con-
sumption. Mr.. MCKINLEY, it will be
remembered, fourteen months ago, said
in support of the outrageous Republican
tariff bill then before Congress:
We have now four mills which can be at
once adapted TO making tin-plate. They can
produce about 4, 010 tons year. | want TO
read letter which / will print in my re-
marks, with the statement of more than a
dozen leading men, representing capital to
the amount of thirty, forty or fifty mil
lions. who say that if this duty is put upon
tln-plate they will at once embark IN the
manufacture.
BradStreet'S admits the possibility that
we may be able, "some day." to supply
ourselves with tin plate, but says that
"there was and is no necessity Of declar-
ing (aS some ill-adviSed friends OF the
project have done) that we would be
able to accomplish this within a period
in which, as intelligent people must all
know, the thing is manifest impossi-
bility." The estimate of BrddStrcet'S is
given in the following conservative
terms:
The inference is that the supplying of
America with tin plate from American
k.,,
There are elements Of uncertainty which
confront would-be tin-plate makers in this
country, the most striking being the pos
SiOle modification or repeal of the duty 10
be imposed on the article on July l next.
The plants necessary to make So, 900, 900 of
plates cannot be created even in one or two
or possibly three years.
What this means may be seen with
sufficient clearneSS by a few figures
The United States imports from Wales
rather more than 100000 tons, or 6OO,-
900, 900 pounds Of tin plate each year.
The Republican tariff tax on this, at 22
cents per pound, is $4,000, 900 year.
1t has been estimated as likely to reach
SIS, 900, 900. But, taking the lower fig
ureS, and Br0dStrcCt'S estimate of the
time necessary to create the American
industry, it is seen that the people of
this country will have to pay tribute
approaching $4,000, 900 to the "Ameri
can Tin-plate Manufacturers ASsocia-
ton" Is this worth while even grant
-u9 ei.~y -----IA- ~ns 800 - 49,
pay the tribute to the American manu-
iacturer?