Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-02-05
1INPLATE FACTORY A co.
Ante-Election Myths" Turns Out
to be Realities Of a Most
Vivid Kind.
Tinplate Factories Starting up in
Many Parts Of the Country.
Manufactures Express Great Con-
fdence IN the Future Of the
New Industry.

Before the late election every device to
deceive was adopted by the free-trade press
in it desperate efforts to create prejudice
against the bill and to win votes for the
free-trade democracy. To this end free
trade papers constantly kept before their
readers elaborate demonstrations of the
futility of attempting to establish tin plate
works in this country, and asserted with
out reservation that the reported projects
for such establishments were "myths"
which would never materialize. We sub
NIT the following extracts from the
Manufacturer Record of January 10 for
their consideration:
The letters below given are from firms
and corporations that have begun to make
tinplate or that are preparing to do so.
From Messrs. Somers Bros. of Brooklyn
n. Y: I'VE have had the matter under
contemplation for some time, and have
decided to make tinplate used In our bust
ness, also surplus which we shall place
for sale on the market. The published re-
ports which we have noticed in the papers
are In the main correct, as we propose
erecting a four-mill plant of about 1900
boxes per week capacity. We have in
vestigated all the latest and recent pro-
cesses of mechanism for the purpose, both
in England and here, and propose to have
the best and most modern mill.
From Norton Bros, manufactures of tin
cans and special machinery Chicago, ILL.,. +:
I'VE have commenced the manufacture of
tinplate on commercial scale and intend
to push the business unless the duty is re-
pealed. We are building and have nearly
completed Siemens steel furnace and
rolling mill for producing the sheets for
timing. Our engines, boilers and ma
chinery are now on the ground and being
placed as rapidly as possible. We hope to
have the rolling mill in operation within
a month. Last week we made our first
are fully equal to the best we ever i'm
ported, so far as the timing is concern
ed"
From G. r. Britton of the Britton
Rolling Mill company, of Cleveland, Ohio
I'm regard to our own works. we have two
mills about ready to start on making the
black sheets, and intend erecting more in
the early spring, and hope to be ready to
put our own tinplate upon the market by
July lst next. We have COAL iron, oil,
acids and tin ore, and scarcely no true
American will admit that we have not the
brains to bring these materials into tin
plate of as good a quality as is made by
our English friends. Give the new tariff
law fair trial, and the United States will
be the greatest producer of tin and tin
plate, as it Is now the greatest consumer,
of any country in the whole world
From United States Iron and T.nplate
company of Demmler, Pa, by w. C.
Cronemeypr, chairman: We, here, and
good many more manufacturers, are MAX
ing extensive arrangements to erect tin
plate plants, and have already expended
large sums Of money in that direction, it
would therefore certainly be a great
wrong to us if the bill should be repealed
before it has gone into effect. We expect
to be manufacturing tin plates on large
scale by the beginning of the new year,
and will soon after put our American made
plates on the market. And from the sue
cess which we have had with the plates
which we have made in a small way, we
feel confident that American plates will
receive the preference of the imported
ones ="
From Lewis Brothers & Co., builders Of
open~hearth furnaces basic and siemens;
designers of tinplate mills and galvenizing
plants at Pittsburg, Pa: I'VE are more
or less connected with concerns gong to
erect works for producing TO- 600 boxes per
week, that will in all probability be in
operation by the time the new duty comes
In force, or very soon after. We are of
the opinion the tinplate industry in the
United States can soon be made lndepen-
nent of tariff, provided it is protected for
year or so and works are located in dis
tricts where fuel and raw material can be
provided at low cost. y"
Il o. NJ ~
turers of tin plate, sheet iron, copper and
metals at Pittsburg, Pa: "Prospecive
manufacturers of tinplates In the United
States can count upon the duties remaining
at the new rates at least until the congress
of 1891 demonstrates its disposition and
its ability to carry a reduction against
possible presidential veto. 1t is fact that
the recent political results are being urged
by many, as the evidence of the feeling of
the country against the late tariff egisla
ton, but the new tariff will certainly be
tried, and it remains to be seen whether
the comparatively short time between the
present moment and the session of a pre-
sumaby hostile congress will have been
sufficient to demonstrate the propriety of
continuing the new rates, or whether the
manufacturer will be relegated TO an I'M.
certain future
Mr.. Edward B. Brown, New York
manager of the st. Louis Stamp Co., ST.
Louis, Mo-. forwarded an interview with
Mr.. T. G. NieGringhaus president of that
company, from which the following is an
abstract: This company will construct
four miles of daily capacity of 500 boxes
in St. Louis. The machinery, co,ting
100000. has been ordered, and we shall
be ready to operate next June. The COM
Yany is now making . few tinplates, but
cot many. as it requires most of its black
plates for other uses. We have offered to
take stock in the United States Iron and
Tinplate Co., at McKeesport, but none
can be had.
"A large number of foreign tin plate
makers recently visited Pittsburg and
other points south and north, with the
view of locating here. In considering our
scale of wages, which is at from double to
three times that paid by them, they claim
ed that tin plates could be manufactured
in the United States at less than cents
per pound duty, but with natural gas
cheap coal, cheap lumber, cheap protected
nails and perhaps cheaper talow for tin
ming purposes. the American manufac-
turers are perfectly willing TO carry on the
industry with protection of 2-5 cents
per pound. This protection will, however,
come into play only if the English manu-
facturers, who now have a monopoly of
the business, should sell plate at or below
cost with a view of crushing out the
American industry. | hold here in my
hand clipping from the last Chicago
Journal of Commerce giving the present
price of tin and roofing plate under the old
duty on tinpiate. If the American manu-
facturers were ready to turn out tinpates