The Big Stone post. (Big Stone Gap, Va.) 1890-1892, 1891-01-16
AMERICAS TIN pnaTE.
What the wefcl, Manufacturers Had co
Say When they got Home.
gloaaon Iron and Steel 1rsies Journal. !,

{iondon Iron and Steel Trsdes Journal
Mr.J. H. Rogers of the South Wales
Tin Plate Works, at Llanelly, and the
Cwmbwra Works, Swansea, arrived home
from his American trip late on Thursday
night last week, and at once insimated to
the employees of the South Wales Works
them the result of his observations on the
other side. The tin plate manufacturers
who have recently visited America seem
to have been sngularly reticient as to the
opinion they have formed of the ultimate
effect Of the Mckinley bill on the Welsh
tin plate trade.
Mr.. Rogers has brought home good
news for the Welsh tin plate work
men, and he took the very earliest oppor-
tunity of breaking it to his men. Mr.
Rogers first alluded to the fact that the
long dreaded tariff bill had become q law,
but hardly had the blow been struck, by
the ultra-p rotectioDists of America,
when, 1T the elections following, it re-
bounded, and the Mckinley party were de-
feated at the polls, foreshadowing a re-
versal of the tactics of the party now in
office at no very distant date. This turn
Of events, Mr. Rogers says, has frighten-
ed the manufacturers on the other side OF
the Atlantic from proceeding to carry out
their extensive schemes OF tin plate MAX
| ing. Some Of these schemes included the
erection OF works containing twenty,
thirty and even forty mills, but so far as
he understood, these schemes were given
up as soon as it was seen that the people
were not in favor of the Mckinley bill.
Mr.. Rogers said he had very little doubt
that if the election had not resulted in
such an overwh elming Democratic major
ity they would be sending very few tin
plates from their country TO America.
When the results Of the election were
made known here it was we'll understood
that the new majority would be powerlcss
to alter the policy of the country for a
| long time 10 come; but the elections had
all immediate influence on the conduct OF
those who were ready to push into the
tin plate trude. Mr. Rogers speaks plainly
when he saws that but for those election
results there would soon be very few tin
plates sent from Wales to America. If
American iron and steel manufacturers
had the assurance Of continuance OF
this prodigious protective tariff, they were
ready to put down any number OF mills
forthwith; but their hopes were shattered
by the elections, and they hesitate to build
works dependent for their profits on so
unstable foundation as the Mckinley
bill. Tariff or no tariff, Mr.. Rogers be-
lieves that in time America will provide
her own supplies Of tin plates.
The rise Of industries in the States has
always been gradual, viz, button making,
sheet iron, steel rails and pig iron. In no
case had an industry taken root and rap
idly expanded. Each commenced in a
small way aud grew gradually, and Mr..
Rogers gave expression to the belief that
it would he the same with tin plates. Two
works of four mills each, one at Pitts
burgh and the other at St. Louis, were
now being erected, and in few months
hence these would he making tin plates.
The trade would, however. grow but slowly,
and it would probably be ten, twenty or
even thirty years before the Americans
would make all they would need.
Mr.. Rogers had an interview with
President Harrison, and also saw Sen
ator Sherman at his house, and was
given three reasons why the increased
duty was placed on TIN plates, ana ne con-
sidcred them the three best ones he had
heard The first one was: Supposing
there was an European war, and suppos-
ing Russia and France joined together
agains, Germany and England, and Rus
STA and France got command OF the sea,
and thus prevented England from ship
ping tin plates to America; such condi-
ton of things would mean the absolute
ruin Of the canncries, and almost ruin OF
the farmers who raised fruit and those who
raised cattle. Those industries would be
at standstiil until the war would be
over. Again, supposing there was gen
eral strike or lockout in the trade here,
or if the Golfers struck or were locked
out, the American canncries would come
to standstill "Ihesc were the reas-
ons,'' said Senator Sherman, (Which
made us decide through thick or thin to
give our country an opportunity to make
her own tin plates" 1t is seldom that
even the immediate future of an industry
can be forecast but We may be sure that
for the next six months the tin plate trade
will be exceedingly active.
BrSands in Bristol.