The Dickinson press., 1892-09-17

'.' W. . W. StO L SltSu
declared that the object of the Mckinley
bill was to multiply and diversity indus
tries; that it had done SO, despite the adj
verse effect of the elections of 1870, and
c~Ontinued):
The men who were active in presenting
the case in behalf of the tin plate industry
to the committees of congress and who
have been the pioneers in its establishment
have been subjected to undescrved villifca
ton and abuse. 1t would appear that in
the eyes of u tariff refOrmcr to suggest the
Inauguration of IL new ihlu stry in the
United States Is Il misdcnreanor, and to
achieve even partial success in such IN en-
tcrprise is n crime for which no punish.
ment is too severe.
Notwithstanding all the clalnOr and
plain downright lying that have been i'll.
dmlged in by the men who are putting
every obstacle in the way of success in the
establishment of this great industry of the
United States, the work of building it up
has gone steadily forward. The number
of pounds of tin and ternc plate manufac-
tured in each of the quarters of Tie fiscal
1902, was as follows:
Quarter ending
September 30, 1881. ...... 8:.G .aaao
December 81, 1891. l,4G,,S1al
| March 81, 1872. S,MiNH7
June ~, lS0S 8,Ss.5,6al
OF the 8,2o5,G9l pounds produced in the
last quarter over 100000 pounds were
made from black plates produced in the
United States. The competent special
agent of the treasury department who has
the collection of statistics in regard to tin
plates in charge estimates in n letter
which l submit and will have printed in
The Record that the production for the
current fiscal year will be ut least 100000
GOO pounds, and that by the close of the
year the production will be at the annual
rate Of 1000 0 600 pounds.
The special agent has also prepared for
me IL list of the twenty-siX firms and cor.
p%orations who have produced tin or tcrre
plates in the last quarter, with the amount
produced by each. Seven of these names
appear i'll the list of producers for the first
time, and Mr.. Aver reports that some
eight or ten additional firms expect to be.
gin the manufacture within the present
quarter. Many of the names included in
the list represent the strongest firms in the
country, several of whom were among the
most ardent opponents of the imposition
Of the additional duties.
| have requested n gentleman who is
SboiOuSAAy iNiiiIlittl WILL COItllUlOIlS OIL
both sides of the Atlantic to furnish me a
statement of the.relative cost of producing
tin plates at the present time. This state.
ment, which ] submit and will have
printed in The Record, shows the details
of cost in the wv countries. These figures
show that the cost of making &c coke plate
today in the United States is 1885, lcr box.
and i'll Wales $500 per box.
A close analysis of this table will show
that the difference in cost is really IL differ
ence i'll the wages paid in the two countries.
To substantive this more fully. submit
and will have printed in The I;cc:rd atabIe
showing the wages actually pad ;cr box
in tin and black plate mills. in W.,lcs and
i'll the United States.
In order to show how completely the
Welsh manufacturers control the price of
tin plates II how tscy have been accus-
toned to manipulate the market for their
own benefit, usually at the expense of con-
sulners in the United States, l submit here
with u statement which shows the relative
price of &c coke plates and of I3essemer tin
plate bars and tin at London and Liverpool
at the dates named:
First week in
Sis MBm.' M lss}r. ' ,sS.
~ SNNS Val lhoAS III " S"'A w." Srso
Bcssemcr tin plate bars
Tin per ton..."........ 457.+5 l44.G7 4Sa.s5
by this table it appears that while the
price of &c coke tin advanced between
September, 1890, and May, 1891, G5 cents q
box, the price of Besscnicr bars declined
Sl.S2 per ton and the price of pig tin lc-
clincd sl2.7s per ton.
With the DECLINE which tnok placp in
bars alone between September and May,
other things being equal, the price Of tin
plate should havc declined II cents per
box. Instead of this there was an ad-
vance of G5 cents per box, made possible
by the condition Of affairs In America,
the American tin plate duties going into
effect July l. 1891, and the profits of the
Welsh manufacturers wero increased g
cents per box in 1901 rs compared with
1870.
The price of coal also declined IN this
costs undoubtedly remained substantially
unchanged, us thowagcs paid (union p~riccs)
in tin plate works In Wales have not
changed for fifteen years.
An equally striking exhibition Is made
in the comparison between May, 1891. and
July, 1892. In this period the price of bars
further declined $l.90 per ton, aud the re-
duction in n box of tin plates based upon
this decline should have been IL cents Il
box, other things remaining equal. In
stead OF this, the actual decline vas $1.03
per box, or n reduction in this case Of the
profits of the Welsh manufactures of 81
cents per box.
1t is evident from these statements that
the Welsh prices are put up and down in
response to existing exigencics- in the
United States. When the prophecies of
their allies on this side of tho water In re-
gard to high prices were to be verified
prices were put up 10 cents per box in tho
face of q sharp decline In materials; but
when American manufacturers arc to DO
discouraged and, II possible, driven out Of
the market on the eve Of an election, the
price is put down s1.03 per box.
Thu tin plate industry of the United
States is now III accomplished fact. But
one thing is necessary for its triumphant
success, and that is the maintenance Of
the protective duties.
The exports from Great Britain to the
United States for the last four years have
TONS:
tssS. s $s5.sis i issas...," s ss5,sl
The exports of the last twelve months
being 23S, 1865 tons less than for the preyi.
Gus year, ao,277 tons less than in 1870 and
127, 732 tons less than in 1859.
OF the amount imported about C7,O0C
tons are made into cans which arc again
exported, and n drawback is paid on them
equal to the duties paid. The larger part
of the amount used ut home will he pro
duccd in the United States within .wc
years if the protection is maintained. II
we assume the home consumption last
Year to be net $50, {. 1000 pounds, 2 pei
cent. of it was of American production
THE following list of prices Of 'gailvanizel
sheet iron. No. 81 gauge, for each Of tht
years from 1888 to 1892, inclusive, has beer
furnished mi by tho MCDANIEL & Harvey
company. one of tho largest mann!ac
turers Of galvanized sheet iron In the coun
fry.