The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-05-15
THE CANNING INDUSTRY.

Congressman Bunting of New York re-
Gently addressed the Association of Manu-
facturers Of Canned Goods, and argued at
length against the increased duties on tin
plate. Mr.. bunting says: The increase
in the cost Of cans owing to the duty, it is
claimed, is so incOnsiderable as to beof 10 eff
feCtin the commercial conduct Of the business.
II the effect claimed is ineonsiderabIe, then
the protection afforded is also iDconsidera-
BILE" This does not follow. The percent
age of protection is by no means limited to
the percentage of increase in cost of canned
goods in consequence of duties. Canned
corn, for example, can be sold at profit at
81 dozen cans. The duty on a dozen cans
is cents The increased cost Of cans on
account Of duty is therefore but per cent
of the entire cost. If there were no duty
and no foreign corner on tin plate dozen
cans, which now sell at profit at ST. might
be afforded for 81 cents. The duty on tin
plate is specific, and consequently rises in
percentage with the variation in prices.
The higher the price of tin plate the lower
the percentage a specific rate of duty i'm
poses. But the percentage rate on the
average cost is more than 100 per cent The
specific rate was raised last year from 1 cent
a pound to % cents to encourage capital to
invest itself in tin-plate plants. Mr. Bunting
makes point against the tin-plate outlook
in the United States in the fact that impor-
tatiOns this year have been greatly in excess
of impOrtations for the cores onding period
last year He admits, however. that
much Of this excessive importation is
due TO the haste of importers to get
the article in the country in advance of the
date for the increased duty. The normal
price Of tin is given by Mr.. Bunting at 81 30
box, without duty. The duty under the
new tariff is 81 81 a box. His own figures
show that the protection afforded is up
ward of 100 per cent, while the increased
cost of cans is only per cent An in
creased cost thereioresthat is not vital to
the canning industry is vital to the tin-pate
industry. OF course if it could be known
that the increased duties OH tin plate would
not result in establishing an important
home industry there would be no excuse
for adding even 8 per cent to the cost of
cans. But there is better ground for the
hope that the tariff will transfer the indus
try, so far as our own wants are concerned,
TO this country than there was in 1870 for
the hope that hundred per cent duty on
steel rails would transfer the steel-rail in
dustry to this country. From January 1st
to April Goth there were impor ted $50 191
boxes Of plate. The importation last year
for the corresponding period was 991, 5S7
boxes. The annual import according to
these figures would not vary much from
2,2j0,000 boxes. At 81 50 a can the value of
the industry would be $40, rs. 900. But the
canning industry should not be sacrificed to
the tin-plate industry. There are 2O0O can
ming concerns in the United States, which
pay over S2O00O,000 a year for produce
Their aggregate output is about 200, DOC, 600
cans. 1t is a larger and more valuable in
dustry than tin plate, but the two are bet
ter than either one. The Mckinley tariff
provides that if the establishment of tin
plate factories does not follow in reasonable
proportion to the whole in reasonable time
the duties shall be taken off.