Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-03-08
OF THE M'KINLEY TARIFF.
John Bulls Manufacturers Will Put
Up the Extra S24 a Ton.
A PROOF OF THE PROFITS IN TIN.
Ex-Congressman Niedringhaus Talks On
American Tin-Plate.
A NOVEL BANQUET At CHATTANOOGA
CORRESPONDENCE OF THE DrsPAroB.I

tatlVe NleorlngnauS, OF missouri, one OF the
retiring members of the Fifty-frst Congress,
told me recently fact connected with the
production of American tin plate which
will interest the people of the q nited States
and particularly those of Pittsburg besides
all students OF tariff literature.
II have received letters from the E nglish
manufacturers of tin plate recently" said
Mr.. Niedringhaus, Saying that after July
1, when the duty on tin plate takes effect,
they will sell their product here at the price
at which it now sells, duty paid-that is,
that the English manufacturer OF tin plate
will pay TO the American Government the
S24 ton additional duty, and that the
American consumer will pay no more for
the English plate than be paid before thu
duty was placed on it. This is what Nj
Mckinley predicted when the tariff bill was
under discussion"
He Was Opposed to the Duty.
Mr.. Niedringhaus was the first American
manufacturer to turn out timed plate. He
is making it regularly at his mills in st.
Louis, and he has in course of construction
another mill which will be devoted exclu-
sively to this work. His retirement from
Congress is due largely to this and to other
business demands upon his time and his at
tention. Mr.. NiedrInghaus opposed the
imposition OF duty on timed plate because
he believed that it was not in accord with
sound party policy at the time, but now
that the law has been enacted he IS taking
advantage OF it in his business.
I asked him if this act of the English
manufacturer indicated that this S24 ton
had been included in the manufacturers
profit heretofore, or if he thought that the
Englishmen wished to hold the market
against American competition, with the
hope that the next Congress would amend
the tariff law and remove the duty on timed
plate.
England Has Plenty of Margin.
at means, in the first place, that the En-
glish manufacturer pays S24 ton on all his
timed plate to the American Government
and that the American consumer pays no
more for il than he pays now," said Mr..
Niedringhaus. This represents only q
part of the English profit. At existing
prices we could enter into competition with
the English manufacturer without the inter-
position of protective tariff; but, believing
that much more than legitimate profit was
involved, we could not afford to engage in
this competi ion on the margin which has
existed, because the chances were that the
English manufacturer would cut his prices
to figure at which we would be driven out
of the market and still make good profit on
his product.
'"There is not a large margin of profit in
the business now for the American manu-
facturer. In my opinion there will be no
change in the tariff on timed plate. / am
increasing my capacity for manufacturing il
on this assurance, though, to be sure, can
use my new rolling mills for other purposes
if necessary.
What John Bull Thinks About It
"But 1t Is not impossible that the English
man is acting on the assumption that there
is to be a change. The general impression
among English manufacturers is that there
is to be a change in our tariff laws, resulting
from the recent elections. Forming their
ideas on the English system, they believe
that the new law was overthrOWn in the last
election and that it will be repealed. If it
was not for that election 1 believe we would
q
in this country with English capital.
"There were % English manufacturersoYer
here examining the field after the passage Of
the new law, but they all went back belieY-
ing that the law would be changed. One Of
them-Mr. Rogers-was in st. Louis, and I
showed him the advantages which that city
possessed for the establishment of rolling
mill. l showed him that he could get his
fuel there at oue-third the price which he
pays for it in South Wales; but, after look
ing around for a time, he said he thought
the Democratic party would take care OF
him, and be went back to England without
making any investments"
What America Can Produce.
asked Mr.. Niedringhaus what propor-
tion of the amount of timed plate consumed
in this country was now being made by
American manufacturers and what propor-
ton would be made by them in the near
future.
eve make very small proportion now,"
said Mr.. Niedringhaus. There are only
two establishments in the country making
purely American timed plate. They are
my establishment and the one at McKees-
port, Pa. Each of us turns out about per
cent of the product required by the United
States. The Illinois Steel Company and
several Pennsylvania concerns are talking
of entering OH the manufacture of timed
plate. The Illinois Steel Company can
make its capacity what it pleases. 1t is
about to increase its capital to $50, ,000,-
000 OF course it will take time to
get factories started, but within two years
we may be making 40 or 30 per cent OF the
amount of the tin plate consumed in the
United States. We will not be making
more than 10 per cent, probably. at the close
of this year. 1t is not necessary, though,
for American manufacturers to turn out
more than rs per cent of the total amount
consumed, for 25 per cent of it goes out Of
this country in the form Of cans, and as the
importer gets a rebate of 80 per cent of the
duty paid on all goods manufactured and re-
the English manufacturer is very
likely to supply the demands of al our can
The Employment It Furnishes.
Iasked Mr.. Niedringhaus how many men
be would employ in the manufacture Of
Timed plate.
From 600 to 500" he said. "The entire
labor investment to be represented by the
manu- acture of timed plate in this country
is $40, ,OOO, ,OOO."
"Do you think the tin mines Of America
will IN time supply the block tin which you
use, SO that your timed plate will be an en-
.irely American product?'
'My company received some block tins
L. RIaoG uil1a raoautlv % saiI NJ