St. Paul daily globe., 1891-01-15
THE TIN SNAP.

The Milwaukee Wisconsin, which
stood by the MCKINLEY bill with hardly
a grinace, now eXultS in the conceit
that 1.-The new tariff law is beginning to
work out its own vindication." The
evidence it adduces of this is that ''tin
plate mills are being established, and
American tin plate is already in the
Market Most Of the protection organs
were furnished New Years cards made
OF American tin. 1t was cheap mode
Of advertising. and visible argument
to confound those political people who
have been denouncing the duties on tin
plate as useless tax and imposition
upon the people. The tin is made in
Chicago, and it is wonder that there
are not similar establishments all over
the country, and the consumption sup
piled without importing. No doubt
this will be the case when the
inducement afforded by the tariff is
fully realized. The processes of the
manufacture in Chicago have been de-
tailed. The black plates, or sheet iron,
are prepared in Wales and shipped
over. There is no duty on them. They
have the free right of way through the
custom houses. Then the tin metal
comes in free also, the duty not apply
ing at present. The Chicago parties
then take the Welsh plate and dip it
into the melted foreign ore-not very
complicated or difficult process-and
they have American tin. The protec-
tion in the MCKINLEY tariff is vindica-
faA Ind 1t, inn +arl
employing a number of men and boys. If
they dipped the plate into the melted till
on the other side of the water and bring
it over they would have to pay duty
of about 20 per cent. By doing the
dipping on this side, they can sell
their tin at the same prices and put the
20 per cent in their own pockets. these
parties claim that the provisional duty
of four cents per pound on the ore will
not be imposed, for the reason that none
to speak of will be produced in this
country. The effect of the tin plate
duties will be, when in full operation,
to charge the consumers Of tin plate
$15,000,000 year for the benefit of the
manufacturers of tinware, who dip the
plate on this side of the custom house
III place of the other. 1t is one of the
big snaps with which the MCKINLEY
tariff is padded The great thing in the
manufacture of tinWare is the produc-
ton of the thin iron plate that is to be
coated with the ore. There have been
attempts to produce this in this coun-
try. but ii there were any to be had, the
Chicago advertisers would have pro-
cured 1t for their samples, as they would
American ore if there were any fitfor the
work. The manufacture of this thin
iron plate is an art. It is like pie max
ing, not matter of recipe and pre-
cept, but knack. In Wales it is a
hereditary adeptness that has not been
attained in any other country. 1t may
be local instinct. The least deviation
will make the tin plate liable to crack
and be worthless. Much of the work is
done by children, and the wages are
but moderate. The families have fol-
lowed the same work for generations,
and rarely can be induced to leave it or
to migrate. 1t is not probable that the
basis of the tinware will be made in
this country, but it can be shipped
here and called American tin, and the
people burdened with an increased
price of 20 per cent or more. 1t is pro-
lection to American industry, but
rough on those who are not in the snap.