New-York tribune., 1891-08-30
TIN PLATE AT BALTIMORE.
IMPORTANT WORKS SOON TO BE IN OPERA
TON.
TWO OR THREE MILLS TO BE srARrEp-PRoBA-
BILIrY or OBTAINING TIE ORE FROM

AMERICAN MINES.
baltimore, Aug. 29.-This city is 70 have tin plate
mandatory in operation within three months The
projectors OF this new entei prise are Coates 81 Co..
iron and steel manufacturers at Locust Point A
member OF The Manufacturers Records stat called
upon DR.. L. f. Coates. the head NJ the firm. and
asked for particulars OF this new undertaking. Dr..
Coates snid: at is true tat we are about 10 add
to our plant two, and probably three tln-pate mills.
We have been carefully investigating tho tin plate
business Tor long umo' and have concluded to add
1t to that In whoh we arc now engaged. We arc
faborably crcumstanced to do this because our present
plant really suitable foundation for the additions
we propose to make. In one sense we begin a new
industry; In another we simply enlarge that which
we already conducting. From all that we have
been able to learn, we have reached the conclusion
that tin plate can be made cheapIy in the United
States In Wales, in France, In Germany or in any
ether part OF the world and this country consumes
more OF that article than all the outside world does,
there every why American capital ingenuity
and labor should be employed lin producing IT, It is
no longer O theory. but a weestabllshed fact that
we can make the metallic plates at least as cheaply
In the United States as can a0y Of our foreign COM
petit0rs The sole question that remains open TO
proof is can they be timed here at price equally low
admit that this is open question simply because
there are many who maintain the negative. In
dvidually, and far as our firm is concerned. we
look upon this rs absurd. DO you know that tho
Welsh tnplate manufacturers use foreign tin brought
from far distant points. instead Of that obtained from
their own country's miDes1 1t will not cost us a
fraction more than they pay to get supply from the
source.
"But have a well-founded belief that this country
will not much longer depend on foreign mines for
adequate supply Of tin. Aside from tie great tin
ore deposits Of South Dakota and California which
under development a large scale there are other
deposits In the Blue Ridge mountains ard foothills
that will eventually be uneartled Some twelve years
since was connected with the geological survey Of
North Georgia and Western North Carolina. / have
now in my cabinet speciment Of tin stone picked up
near the dividing line between Fannin County Georgia,
and Cherokee County, North Carolina, where 1
1t occurring as outcrop in such quantities as to
create the conviction that there must be large deposits
OF it within easy reach of the experienced propector
There are also places in Virginia where TIN ore can
be found in paying quantities. When practical
biologists shall hunt for tin as assduousy and as In
telllgently as they have for ores of other metals.
believe that they will find il in many places where
It's existence Is not now suspected.
"Our building for our three mills will be planned
for an extension sufficient for the accommodation OF
twenty mills should initial experiment be successful.
While our firm has undertaken this enterprise on It's
own capital and responsibility, 1t has tho assurance
OF some of the most solid and conservative capitalists
of Baltimore that should it succeed in making tin plate
at profit money enough Will be furnished 10 enlarge
the plant to the capacity of at least twenty mills
Il was at Ptsburg a few days since, and while
there saw tin-pate mills In various stages OF con-
stucton that when finished will have cost an aggre
gate for this part Of tho machinery alone OF about
81 OOO These have been ordered by some thirty
firms or corporations that making preparing
to make tin plate. This 81 100000 Of machinery, Of
course does not include the full machinery equipment,
but only the tn-plate mills. From this you will see
that there others besides firm who believe that
this is destined at an early day to be tplate manu-
featuring country.
"It is a singular and somewhat significant fact that
the entire tin plate industry of England and Europe Is
controlled by five men, three Enghshmen one Ger
man and one Frenchman. These magnates dine TO
gcther regularly and there determine all matters con-
cernng this business. Their orders are impneitT
obeyed by every foreign manufactures OF tin plates.
"There is anothe. fact worthy Of note. Foreign
tin plate can be bought for less money today than IL
could before the Mckinley tariff bill went into effect.
while the great increase in the prices OF articles made
from it, which was predicted, has not occurred ana
will not and when all the mills preparing 10 go hpo
operation shall get into full blast tin plate Will be
cheaper than ii ever has been in this country;
:" In Wales and the Continent the methods en-
ployed in timing the plates have been e3ceeaingy
and reducing the cost Of production do not seem TO have
been studied and what few have been suggested have
bee so vigorously objected TO by employees that they
have seldom been adopted In this respect American
mills will have a great advantage. We shall have III
onr establishment some important improvements that
will 90 long way toward reducing the cost Of produc-
ton. We expect also TO be able, IN some OF our
processes, to give employment to quito number OF
women .,,o..,o, ..o. r,rs. ,, ,o,,,.d hr sv.
pertinent. Most Of the foreign mills use palm oil In
the process OF timing while some use tallow, The
latter is Objectionable because IL gives yellow tint TO
the plate 1t may he proven that cottonseed OIL can
Very large demand would arise for that product OF
Southern agriculture