The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1891-06-24
TIN PLATE AND BANANAS.
The Niedringhaus System Of Fostering
Infant Industries.

TIN PLATE AND BANANAS.
The Niedringhaus system of Fostering
Infant Industries.
Democratic newspapers do not con-
tend, as is asserted by advocates OF
high taxes that tin plate cannot be
made in the United States. On the
contrary, democrats know and state
on every occasion when it is pertinent,
that tin plate can be made in America
and that the American market can be
supplied with American tin plate.
Americans can do anything that any
body else can do. We can raise bananas
right here in st. Louis and supply the
market with them, and give employ
ment to at least one hundred thousand
workmen in doing it; and, what is
more, we can do it at a profit. There
is no question about it at all 1t has
been done by wealthy men like MIR.
Niedringhaus, who did it for amuse-
ment in an experimental way, as MIR.
Niedringhaus is now making tin plate.
They made no money out OF 1t, nor Is
Mr.. Nedringhaus making money out
of tin plate, but we stake The Repub-
lies reputation that money can be
made out of raising bananas and pro-
ducing tin plate in st. Louis, if the dl-
rections are followed.
The first requisite for the banana
experiment would be to forbid anyone
from eating any but St. Louis bananas.
If Mr.. Niedringhaus and his republic
an friends will touch that button we
VIII do the rest to build up big
banana industry in st. Louis
Right around ST: Louis there are at
leaat one hundred Thousand acres of
land that can be put under glass and
heated by steam to temperature OF
eighty-fve degrees the year round.
This will give employment to more
men at the start than will ever be en-
ployed in the tin-plate industry. Then
thousands of others would be employed
at good wages in keeping up the fires,
tending the thermometers, picking and
marketing the fruit. If no one were
allowed to buy any but st. Louis ba-
nanas, we could find ready market
for the entire st. Louis product at fifty
cents apiece. And it would be very
profitable to everybody engaged in the
industry.
The only objections to this plan are,
first that it would be grossly oppres-
sive and destructive of liberty; and sec
ond that it would increase the price of
bananas and decrease the consump-
ton.
Both these objections apply to tin
plate with as much force as to bananas.
We get bananas cheap now, because
about all they cost, except freight and
handlers profits is to have one of the
cheap South Americans, who wear
nothing much except shirt, and not
always that-one of the cheap South
Americans, we say, with whom Mr..
Blaine is willing to let New England
have free trade-climb the tree and
pull them off for us. So we get them
six for nickel, after freight and hand
ler's fees are paid.
But the trouble is that Mr.. Niedring
haus is not making any money ont of
it. 1t is too small business for man
of his large IDEAS. AS long as Ameri-
cans are free in the matter of bananas,
he is too great man to have anything
to do with six-for-a-n nickel business.
He agrees with Mr.. Harrison that cheap
bananas make cheap men.
We were getting cheap tin plate when
we were free in the matter of tin plate.
1t was made in Wales, where the tin is
and the cheap Welshmen are. Now
when the law forbids us to buy ex-
ccpt from Neldringhaus; when we are
fined two dollars and twenty cents on
every hundred pounds of foreign tin we
use, Mr.. Neidringhaus will consent to
bring the tin from Wales and the cheap
Welshmen to melt it and dip the plates
in it, If he can't do it and do it at a
profit it is only because he and his
party have not yet taken enough free
dom from the rest of us to make it
profitable. Put the tariff fines on the
use of foreign bananas or foreign tin
plate high enough and st. Louis can
produce bananas and tin plate at an
exorbitant profit. But it would be far
cheaper to buy Mr. Neidringhaus off
than to have him go into either tin
plate or bananas under this plan of
fostering infant industries. st.
Louis Republic,