Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1892-04-20

amount those of the last six months of
the year were go much below the Gus
tOmary figures that the imports for 1891
were actually less than 1890, though 1880
was the year Of the failure of the fruit
crop Of this country. 1t is but fair to
remember, however, that imports of
tin plate in the closing six months of
1890 were also in excess Of the normal
rate. While imports are increasing III
1892 as compared with the last six
monts Of 1891 they are not yet up to the
rate Of 1890, nor indeed up to that of
1889, the imports Of January, 1889, be-
ing rs, 76l net tons, and for February of
the same year 29,934. The imports of
January and February for each year of
the last four years is as follows:
IMPORTS OF TIN PLATE FOR JANUARY AND FEB
RUARY 1889 TO 1892, TONS 1000 POUNDS.
So 26t9o
1e9O 81, 436
Io9d. 5S,7I3
l09A &c, 475
The imports for these months for 1892
are nearly 40 per cent. less than the
average for the same period during
each of the three previous years.
In view Of these facts it is no wonder
that a number of the mills of South
Wales and Monmouthshire are idle,
and that, in the language of the Iron
and Steel Trades Journal, at will
probably be a long time before the
works are again IN full work"
To what is this due? First, no doubt,
to the excessive mportatiOns of the last
SIX months Of 1890 and the first six
months Of 1891, though the total imports
for each of the years 1890 and 1891 did
not equal 1889. Second, to the fact that
great deal Of sheet iron untinned,
made IN this country, has taken the
place OF imported tin and terne plates.
For example, sheet iron roofing, paint
ed, has been substituted for terne plates,
and untinneu sheets for stamping in
place of thinly timed sheets. Glass Jars
have been substituted for tin cans, and
with the prices that have been put up
on tin by the holders old tinware is used
little longer and the sale of new tin
goods decreased. To say that Welsh
tin-makers are sorely disappointed is to
put 1t mildly: They will be more so in
the future. x
AS to the building of American tin
plate works. 1t is useless for those op-
posed to the tariff on tin plate to DENY
longer that American tin plate works that
will both make the black plate and tin
it are IN course of construction, and
some are in operation. There are also
others that only tin black plates. Some
of these make tin plates, some terne,
but the law covers not only tin, but
terne plates as well, and our imports all
along have been both tin and terne
plates. And if it is asserted, as it often
is, with an air Of "now-you-are-c caught"
that we are making terne plate, isn't
Wales doing it also? But we are MAX
ing tin plate, too, and before snow flies
the croakers will be surprised at what
is being done. A rolling mill to make
black plates is not built in day, but
several mills are in course of construc-
ton. AS we stated in our Tin Plate
Supplement, works with a weekly
capacity of $4,000 boxes are built or
building, and others contemplated, that
will probably be built in the near
future, will bring the total up to $1,000
boxes. The tin plate industry is devel-
oping much faster than the steel rail in
dustrY did.