The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-08-10
s,an c.,lr,.sn;on n. bt6tad.lahla 49,.

LIVERPOOL, July 26.-The tin plate
manufacturers of Great Britain have
beenwatching with no little interest the
speculatsons In the American and
English newspapers concerning the
future Of the tin plate industry. To
state the case in Q few words / may say
that the English tin plate manufacturers
do not expect, under the new tariff, to
abandon the American market. On
the contrary they have planned adeep
laid scheme to hold it, which may or
may not prove success. The stopping
OF the works for this month was part
of that plan. The way it has been car
rted out shows how we'll organized is
the Tin Plate Makers Union.
Mr.. D.. R. jenkins, of Llaneamlet,
Wales, who Is d manufacturer OF forty
years experience, is my authority for
the statement that there are eighty
firms, employing $1,000 men, women,
and children, making tin and teFRe
plates from the bar iron andsteel. What
i quote from him L lave over his own
signature. He says that there'are only
$40 shareholders in the entire eighty
firms. The London Mining Journal,
which Is equally good authority, says
that "the active control of the ninety
tin plate works in Wales Is vested IN
scarcely more than fifty individuals.H
This will give some idea OF the ease
with which the order to close the works
for month was carried out, aud II will
also explain howedsily prices are mahip.
inlated, When the ordinary grade OF
Tin plates was selling in the
United States for Sl2 box
about fifteen years ago, q number Of
Americans began their manufacture.
Mills were started in Wellsvtlle, o.,
Pittsburgh and elsewhere. Vhe English
manufacturers undertook to kill off the
infant industry by reducing the price to
point where 1t would afford no profit
to the American manufacturer. This
was done SO etIectnally that the selling
price Of the ordinary grade ot'tin plates
was reduced from $l2 to $3.50. The
Americans went out otlthe business and
tin plates afterward went up to 81 a
box. Since that time the fifty indi-
viduals controlling the mills in Wales
have kept prices just low enough to
keep Americans, from engaging, III the
business. The Mckinley tariff has
made this difficult, II not impossible,
but have it from more than one man
uiacturer that they still-expect to re-
duce the price go as to prevent Ameri-
cans from successfully competing with
them. This they hope TODD by reduc-
. ing the cost of production, which Is to
be done by reducing wages all along the
line. And the stopping of the mills in
July was one step in that direction.
WHY THE WORKS WE'RE CLOSED.
Tie employees in this industry have
been receiving starvation wages, and an
attempt to reduce the pay in the face Of
thedividends paid recently by some OF
the millswopld have created q stormlof
indignation. But by closing the works
for a month, the employees will be
brought to condition where twill not
sbe difficult toforce them to'accept still
lower pay. That is the true explanation
because the demand for tin plates did
not suddenly cease by any means. The
workers were not fooled by the plea OF
the manufacturers that they stopped
the mills to reduce stock, because the
quantity on hand was much below that
ofprevious years. The London Times,
OF June 20, stated the truth in these
words: 'fAmongst the mems union
there is the opinion that the adoption
OF continuous months stoppage, in
spite of the mems protest, Is only the
first step toward reduction in wages
and a battle with the union" 1t may
be added that it is the intention OF the
manufacturers not to resume With all,
their mills until the men are starved
into submissive frame OF mind. The
next thing is to reduce the cost OF raw
material, and the preliminary steps
have already been taken to bring that
about.
So much is said about tin in connee-
ton with tin plates that the general
public has been led to believe that tin
forms the chief item in the cost OF the
plates. But this is.a very-gFeat mistake.
Only 8 per cent Of the material In a
pound Of tin plate is tin. The other 81
per cent is composed OF iron or steel.
Hence the, great thing is to reduce the
cost OF this iron and steel. The steel
bar mills have also ceased work and
notice has been given OF d reduction in
wages OF from 10 toS0 percent. The
next great item Of cost is the coal. Last
year over 100000 tons Of coke were
used In the manufacture Of tin. The
coal workers arc now. operating under q
sliding scale agreement, which has reg
ulatcd wages since Jan. Is 1880 &C.
cotding to this agreement six months
notice must be given tuterminate 1t.
On July !, notices were posted up at the
eoiliors throughout the South Wales
and Monmouthshire coal fields, stating
that the masters would terminate the
sliding scale agreement on December 81.
Az an excuse Tor this the masters de-
clarcd TINT the wages were 90 per cent
above tho original standard, and that
they would be reduced accordingly.
This order will affect $4,000 workmen.
About 800, 600 tons OF limestone are also
used in the manufacture OF tin plate,
and the workers engaged inthis trade
are also to suffer production OF wages.
TAXING IT OUT OF THE woRKINGMEN.
This will disclose the entire scheme,
which is to make the English workmen
pay the increase. of duty in the United
States, in order that tho manufacturers
can retain their profits, and still'sell
tin plate in America so that it will not
cost tho American consumer any more
under the new tariff than it did before.
1t 'ishoped in this way to break down
American competition. Mr.. jenkins,
the manufacturer whom have already
nnoEed avs that II will succeed. He