The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1891-06-12
BANANAS AND TIN PLATE.
The NIsdrInghAus system OF Fostering
Infant Industries


Infant Industries.
Democratic newspapers do not con-
tend. as is asserted by advocates of
high taxes, that tin plate cannot be
made in the United States On the
contrary, democrats know and state
on every occasion when it is pertinent,
that tin plate can be made in America
and that the American market can be
supplied with American tin plate
Americans can do anything that any
body else can do. We can raise bananas
right here in St Louis and supply the
market with them, and give employ
ment to atleast one hundred thousand
VvOrlzmen in doing it; and, what is
more. we can do il at a profit There
is no question about it at all. It has
been done by wealthy men like Mr..
N2edringhaus, who did il for amUse-
ment in an experimental way, as Mr..
Niedringhaus is now making tin plate.
They made no money out of it, nor is
air. Niedringhaus making money cut
of tin plate, but we stake The Repub-
lies reputation that money can be
made out of raising bananas and pro-
ducing tin plate in St. Louis, if the de
rectiOns are followed.
The first requisite for the banana
experiment would be to forbid anyone
from eating any but st. Louis bananas.
If Mr.. Niedringhaus and his republic
will do the rest to build up . big
banana industry in St Louis.
Right around St Louis there are At
Ieaa5 one hundred thousand acres OF
land that can be put under glass and
heated by steam to a temperature of
eighty-five degrees the year round
This will give employment to more
men at the start than will ever be en-
ployed in the tin-plate industry. Then
thousands of others would be employed
at good wages in keeping up the fires,
tending the Thermometers, picking and
marketing the fruit. If no one were
allowed to buy any but St Louis ba-
nanas, we could find a ready market
for the entire st. Louis product at fifty
cents apiece. And it would be very
profitable to everybody engaged in the
| industry.
| The only objections to this plan are,
| first that it would be grossly Oppres-
| sive and destructive of liberty; and sec
ond that it would increase the price OF
bans nas and decrease the cOnsumP-
| ton.
| Both these objections apply to tin
| plate with as much force as to bananas.
| We get bananas cheap now, because
| about ali they cost, except freight and
! handlers profits, is to have one of the
/ cheap South Americans, who wear
| nothing much except a shirt, and not
| Americans, we say, with whom Mr..
! Blaine is willing to let New England
have free trade-climb the tree and
! pull them off for us. So we get them
six for a nickel, after freight and hand
| ler's fees are paid.
But the trouble is that Mr.. Niedring-
| haus is not making any money out OF
| it. 1t is too small business for a man
! of his large ideas. AS long as Ameri-
cans are free in the matter of bananas,
| he is too great man to have anything
| to do with a siX-fOr-a-niclSel business.
He agrees with Mr.. Harrison that cheap
| bananas make cheap men.
We were getting cheap tin plate when
we were free in the matter OF tin plate,
1t was made in Wales, where the tin Is
and the cheap Welshmen are. Now
when the law fOrbids us to buy ex
| cept from Neldringhaus; when we are
fined two dollars and twenty cents OF
every hundred pounds of foreign tin We
| use, Mr.. Neidringhaus will consent K
| bring the tin from Wales and the oheaI
| We1shmen to melt it and dip the plates
| in it. If he can't do it and do it at
profit il is only because he and hi
party have not yet taken enough free
dom from the rest of us to make /
| profitable. Put the tariff fines on thu
use of foreign bananas or foreign tiI
! plate high enough and St. Louis car
produce bananas and tin plate at al
eXorbitant profit. But it would be fal
cheaper to buy Mr.. NeidriDghaus of
than to have him go into either til
plate or bananas under this plan o
fostering infant Industries st
Louis Republic.
THE TREASURY SITUATION.