New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-06-29
popIILAR OBSERVATIONS.
TN PLATE Is ALL RIGHT.
v,cE THE MAIN IsSuE-PRICEs ARTI'
bpf -. .,, -.,,,, xvrI.cu Na~opOry

nrTT
r,.11Y MADE BY THE WELSH MONOPOLY.
-, Edttor Of The Tribune.
TO Tho New. York Tines and The Evening
sn s certain other Free-Trade papers are trying to
Tvs =, annear that have contiadicted The Tribune
"n p,h imulatcral points as whether the tn-pia'e
uP. &c or Is not an infant" and also as TO the
nu"s- ices of tn-pate. All have to say in reply
.' Comments is that whenever shall engage The
70 SUI, SUI, 1,Atune In a tariff discussion 1t viii be
Ne" orsv both sides OF which will be we'll inside the
w. ~ protection and therefore no comfort whatever
10 the Free Irt"Vi - , -. A., Al, ,..o d,s
lon aditorally in its issue of June 10. Referring
~ mo nersonally. il says: He Mr Nimmo draws the
~, "a Federal Officer In reply declare that
s =, a Federal officer and that am not drawing
on ssI,rv Of a Federal officer. Again. "The Times
-" me az follows 1.-THE price of tin to producers
~ not advanced and is not likely TO advance That
,s inst what did say. But Immediately The Times
,ounts "a controvert this statement as follows: All
'tcnIscnt persons who have ordinary information on
,,, suh,ect know that the price OF tnplate has ad-
nood about IS per cent since the Mckinley bill was
sssd in the House." beg 10 remind The lines
.n.. lin is one tang and tin-plste another Il ing Tn
a, free OF duty and remains free under the Mckinley
az, mill July I, 1893. when duty Of cents pound
,mposed. with the provision that tin shall again
,.ooue free on July l. 1895. unless it shall then APP
var that the product of American tin mines shall
have exceeded 5000 tons In one year. Tin plates,
4 . steel or iron plates coated with tin, are now
sutabe at the rate of cent pound but after July
will be dutiable under the Mckinley act at the rate
Of 22IO cents per pound. l commend to THE
Times" closer reading of my statements OF TACT winch
it may do the honor to discuss.
But why this FreeT ade TRADE all along the line
about the tin plate industry unborn child OF Pro-
lection. It's parturition Is appointed for July lien
DAYS hence Is II proposed to kill this child OF Pro-
lection in embryo to it to come into the world
fright? That cannot be DONE Does any man in his
senses suppose that an industry which owes It's exist
ence to Protection is going to be launched lato mn
vgor upon the stormy tides of competition before that
protection begns7 There symptoms of hystera IN
this whole attack by the Free-Trade press upon this
unborn tin plate industry Suppose they give the cmid
a chance for its hfe-say year. The second summer
IS generally trying to infants But there is
evidence Of fear that the child Will exhibit
such stawat energies even In 1892 as to bid dehahce
TO its enemies both in the United states and In
Great Britain.
have not the slightest desire to evade the question
as TO the present prices of tin plates The Whole in
dustry has been for many years and stil IS, almost
entirely in the hands of combination OF Welsh manu-
facturers, who can put prices up and put ;nem down
inst as they please II will IN all probability be sew
eral months before the American tn-platng enterprise
will be able b cope with this foreign power possessed
of enormous capital and the advantages acquired 10y
control OF the markets Of the world for many years.
In all such matters to prices have, as Governments
officer and as private citizen, in the last fifteen years.
had recourse to James NJ. Swank, general manager OF
the American Iron and steel Association, OF Phadei'
pha. Mr.. swank is gentleman whose character
business opportunities and levelheaded work con-
stitute him an authority In such matters through
out the country, among Democrats and Republicans
alike. In reply to my inquiries he informs me- under
date OF June is, follows: Tin is little cheaper
now than II last fall The steel plates
.Ilnl Y1o fDl
are cheaper now than they were last year. and the
wages Of labor in the tn-plsting nfustry have not
hsan advanced. Tin plates However have been adj
vsnced in price since last September. This increase
"a purely arbitrary the part Of tue Prsh un-plate
makers. The monopoly enjoyed by the BRUSH TN
plate manufacturers enables them, at the present me
10 fix the price TO suit themselves They did advance
the price Of tin plates, not % per cent as stated by
GThe Times but about Ii per cent.
But Mr. Swank gives me later news. telegram
from London 10 The New-YOrk Iron Age dated June
H. says "Tinplate prices have been further reduced
during the last week, and they are now lower than
before the Mckinley bill passed" THIS shows the
inter absurdlty of the entire controversy which the
-. Papers the uniteu states nave tried 20
get up over tn-pate prices. The forty'thrce com
bined Welsh tinpa.e works had the power TO suspend
work for whole Month in order to advance prices
but now they are alarmed at the signs Of American
competition, and down prices go again.
This whole attempt to prove that the American TIN
Mat, industry viii be failure is evidently gotten
up tc distract attention from the rising storm of in
dirnaon which threatens the whole Free Trade position
The catastrophe OF last fall in sense the re
suit Of tariff discussion but Of senselesS cry raised
by merchants and their clerks" You'd better buy
now for things are going up In consequence of the
Mckinley BILL More than half million retail
traders Republicans and Democrats alike, set up
this cry to work of their fall stock of goods. 1t
struck the pocket nerve of the whole country, and
demOralzed political campaign was the result. The
which that election carried creates strong
reaction in favor Of the policy of protection. The
country awakes TO the important fact that the Me-
kney bin increased the free list from "a TO 80 per cent
6f our total imports, and that is blessing 10 the
farmer and TO the whole country. The fact that the
Republican party has by a gradual plan Of tariff
per cent of imports in 1865 to so per cent Of our
imports In 1891 demonstrates clearly TO the country
that the reduction Of duties IS Just as much part of
the protective policy the Imposition Of duties. Pro
lection is the true policy of commercial and in
dustrisI freedom. 1t frees people from taxes
things WHICH they do not produce, and 1t frees Amer
labor from the degrading effects OF foreign cOmpet
ton upon things which we do produce Under Pro
lection during the thirty from 1860 10 1890 The
value Of manufactures increased 400 per cent. our
foreign imports increased from r2S0, 100000 to S1S9
100000, our foreign exports from S2l9,0OO,OOO 10
Se57 900 000 and we increased our agricultural prod
act 20 tlree-fold its magnitude In 1860 all Of which,
except about per cent exported, found home mar
ket In which the American standard OF prices was
maintained
that the FreeTade newspapers of the country Try
ing In vain TO get up incOnsequenta and antenaa
discussion about the tin plate Industry. If American
manufacturers could capture entire home market
finger OF iron industry. aud IL wond fall
far below the woollcn industry the cotton industry
and several other sawar sons Ct Pr%eG2p ID
Washington. June o. 1891.