The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1892-06-24
as To TIN PLATE


1t is an impressive circumstance that
on the very day on which the Demo
Gratis in Congress began their movement
to remove the tin plate clause of the
Mckinley tariff, force of men began to
erect in Norristown, Penn, one of the
largest tin plate factories on the planet
the fruit of the beneficent legislation
which the free traders are seeking to an
initiate.
The tin plate bill of the Democratic
Representatives reduces the duty on the
article one-half, to take effect next Octo-
Der, and removes it wholly in October,
1894. Up to the enactment of the Nc
Kinley tariff the tin plate duty was one
cent per pound. The rate was INSULT
cient to cover the difference in the cost
of WEIGH and American labor, and no
tin plate was made here. 1t was all i'm
ported from abroad. The tin plate pro-
duction of Wales was controlled by a
strong trust which used its power re-
lentlessly both to force down the wages
of its WEIGH workmen and to force up
the cost of tin plate to American con-
sumers. 1t was for the purpose of free
ing our country from an annual tribute
of $40, 100000 to this merciless WEIGH
monopoly that the tin plate duty was
raised by the Mckinley tariff to % cents
perpound.
At that figure the duty was protective.
1t gave the industry a foot-hold in
America, and enabled the manufactur-
ers to pay the higher wages expected by
American workmen. Slowly but surely
factories were growing up here which
in time promise to give us domestic
rim plate supply at lower prices and of a
better quality than the foreign article,
and to relieve us forever from the gall
ing exactions of the WEIGH monopolists.
The progress of this industry has been
carefully Investigated by the Treasury
Department and described in a special
report. On March 31st, 1892, there wei
10 tin plate factories in operation, with
a product in tin plate of 1,099, 656 and in
terne plates of 1901, 431 pounds. Other
plants were in active process OF con
struction, which would bring the whole
number up to AZ, of which 10 would
make their own block plates in their
own establishments. The Mckinley
tariff provided that the duty should not
be continued if in one of the six years
ending Oct. LIST, 1897, at least 50,000,O 900
pounds of tin and terne plates were not
manufactured in this country. The
Treasury Department states that as the
basis of existing conditions, the Ameri-
can product will reach 200, 900, 900 pounds
before the close OF the fiscal year, or
100000 pounds in excess of the laws
requirements.
The new industry, therefore, is devel-
oping at rate far beyond the expecta-
tions of the trainers of the Mckinley
tariff. But its extraordinary success
only intensifies the hatred with which it
is regarded by our tariff-smashing Bour-
bons. They are determined to throttle
American competition and to restore the
greedy Welsh combine" its coveted
monopoly of the American market.
Hence this bill reducing the new protec-
tive duty to purely revenue figure, and
eventually abolishing it.
1t is an ignorant and vicious attack
upon American interest, which, If it
could succeed, would benefit nobody ex-
cept the foreign ringsters who have
grown rich out of the exorbitant profits
which they have filched from the peck
cts of American consumers. But the
scheme will not succeed as long as Re-
publican Senate and Republican Presi-
dent sit in Washington. Between now
and next November this tin plate matter
will be thoroughly ventilated, and if the
people of this country do not indorse
the Republican position, it will be be-
cause they are willing to pay the cor
sairs of Wales the tribute they denied
the corsairs of NATURALIZATION Journal.