St. Paul daily globe., 1892-09-21

and only about one-fOurth of this pro-
uuction, according to the official report,
was of tin plates. The other three
fourths were terne plates, which are
coated with lead and tin. and used for
roohng purposes only. But
This Meager OutputI
uf less than ? per cent OF the amount re-
quired for consumption in this country
Is not altogether an American prOduc-
uon. The manufacture of tin plates
consists. first, of the production of steel
sheets. The manufacture of the black
sneetS requires an expensive plant aud
skilled labor. After being produced
they are dipped in molten tin, or tin and
lead mixed. Those dipped in pure TIN
are called tin plates; those in tin and
lead are called terne plates.
The importation of black sheets before
the passage of the Mckinley bill was,
for the year 1889, only 6.S46 pounds, and
for the year 1890 only 2.29S pounds. The
Importation of these plates began to in
crease and has continued to increase
from quarter to quarter. the in
creased Importation correspond
ing almost exactly with the
Increased production of tin and terne
plates. For the quarter ended March
81, 1892. the production of tin and terne
plates was 100000 pounds. The i'm
portation of black plates for the same
period was 3,600,000 pounds.
Iii is claimed by the agent of the treas
ury department that for the last quar-
ter of the fiscal year 100000 pounds of
black plates were made in the United
States: but where made or whether
used in the manufacture of tin and
terne plates for that quarter it does not
appear. But it does appear that the inn
portationS for that quarter were over
100000 pounds. From this it is appar-
ent that the greater amount of tin and
terne plate produced in the United
States was made by using
Imported Black Plates.
AS stated by Mr.. Shlvely, of Indiana.
i'll his speech in the house of repre-
sentatatlves on the 18th of June last,
"Ihe great bulk OF the production of tin
plates reported to the government agent
consists of these;black plates which were
pot-rolled. picked, annealed and cold
rolled in Wales, imported to this eoun-
try, dipped in imported tin in an i'm
ported tuning pot by imported Welch-
man." The product thus brought forth
is held by the treasury department to
be tin plate produced in the United
States. The part performed in Amer
ia uiClC ulppllS pIOCGSSs uG Ild-
terials are mostly imported.
The thinning process is very sim Pile.
1t is stated In circular recently iss ued
by the N. & e. Taylor company that by
the latest Welch Timing pot two boys
can dip seventy boxes daily. If this be
true (and the company making this
statement is interested in the man u
facture of tin plate) twelve boys, by
working the entire year, could have
dipped the
Entire American Product
of tin plate for the fiscal year end ing
June so last, and at the same ratio it
would only require 642 boys to dip the
entire amount required in the United
States for consumption.
vi course other labOrerS are required
Ill the handling and boxing of the plates
produced; but these are not skilled la
bOrerS, nor are the boys who do the dip
ping; they are hired at the lowest rate
paid for such unSkilled services. But
however many persons may have been
engaged in the industry in this country
during the past year, it is evident that
the American people who have been
subjected to the tax of 100000 year
for the building up of the tin plate in
dustry nave paid very dear for the lux
ury of having such tin plates made in
this country.
The spectacle presented at Elwood,
Ind, last week, when Gov. Mckinley
and Gov. Chase, of indiana, appeared
as sponsors Tor new tin plant, and
actually by their presence doomed
private enterprise for the sake of and
with the declared object of securing
votes for the Republican party, was
humiliating in the extreme. 1t is evil
IDENTITY not intended to build up bona
tide tin plate industry i'll this country.
The
Increased Rate of Taxes
on tin plate was lobbied through con-
gress largely by what is known as the
American Corrugated Roofing COM
pany. That company desired to place
so heavy tax upon tin plates, thus in
creasing their costs to American
consumers, that a tin roof would
cost more than one made of
corrugated iron. The tin roof
was competing product. They desired
to tax it out of existence in order that
they might have the field without a
rival. They succeeded, and that is the
industry that is flourishing, while the
manufacture of tin plate, after twenty
one months trial, does not equal per