Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1892-09-22
DenOcFatic-N Northwest.
THE TIN PLATE TAX.
HOW THE DUTY ON TIN PLATE
INJURIES THE FARMER.

INJOhE0 lnG FHnmGhs
Millions Lost and Labor Wasted to Build
Up an Infant Industry-A Burden on
the Canning Business, As Shown by
Prominent Gamer.
Congressman Bunting, q prominent
Gamer, in his recent speech in congress
depicted the burden imposed upon agri.
culture by the tin plate duty as followsi
The canning industry, which consumes
over one-half of all the tin plate i'm
ported, becomes the principal victim,
because it has no alternative but to pay
the increased tax or go out of the busi-
ness. This wonderful industry ema-
mates from the farm, and its profit is in
preserving perishable farm products and
the surplus of glutted markets.
There are 1900 canning concerns in
the United States, scattered over the
productive fields of twenty-five differ
ent states. Adding to these the meat,
fish and oyster packers, we have an in
dustry of 1000 concerns affected by
this legistion, of growers, pickers, stock
raisers, ranchmen, oystermen, fisher
men, Gamers, packers, laborers, box and
label manufacturers, canmakers and
shippers, which stands for the support
and sustenance of 2,00O,0 900 of our people.
On bdsis of tin consumed by Gamers
during the season of 1891 there were
1,260,O00,000 cans used. Computing the
amount, to be safe, at round 900, ,00O,-
600, and assuming that two-thirds were
2-pound cans and one-third 3-pound,
which is the usual proportion, we have
a duty cost in the cans used of 81, ,S0S, ,000.
At the prices ruling in 1891 this vast
sum represents the cost to consumers of
3,500,000 cases of corn. To pack this
amount of corn would require the prod
uct of from 10000 to 10000 acres of
land, and would pay the farmer and his
1aborers $2,500,00 The total labor en-
ployed in growing, picking, canning,
packing, canmaking, labelling and bog
ing this amount of canned goods would
not fall short of 10000 people during
the canning season, or half of that num-
Der during the whole year. Here then
is tariff tax which would pension off
10000 on living wages now deprived of
a chance to earn their living.
A bushel of tomatoes in New York
will fill on an average fifteen cans. A
ton of tomatoes therefore fills 500 cans.
Five tons of tomatoes to the acre is a
good average. The duty cost in cans
per ton therefore is $3.50, and per acre
it is $22.50. The price paid the farmer
in most states is six dollars per ton;
hence the farmer has this sublime sum-
mary of protection presented for his
practical consideration. In the absence
of any duty on plates the Gamer could
pay him $52 so instead of thirty dollars
per acre for his tomatoes, an increase of
20 per cent. This is loss to the farmer
of 1872 cents per bushel. We have known
farmers, irrespective of politics, to enter
into a justifiable combination and strike
for an advance of ~ cents per bushel.
The average yield of corn per acre is
three tons, which, at six dollars per ton,
nets the farmer eighteen dollars; the
duty cost on the cans to put up an acre
of corn is $11.61. In the absence of a
tariff on tin plates the farmer could re-
ceive GA per cent. more for his crop and
the Gamer still be able to sell his goods
at the same price.
With free tin plates business revo-
luton among the canneries would take
place; the farmer would get 25 per cent.
of this tariff tax added to the price of
his tomatoes and other products; the Ia
borer could get 25 per cent. of this tariff
tax added to his labor; consumers would
get 80 per cent. of the tax through re-
duction in the cost of canned food.
This reduction in prices would increase
their consumption 25 per cent, which
means larger home market and more
acreage of products for the farmer.
Again, the senate committees report
on their measure says, "The trainers
have not hesitated to erect or maintain
defensive barriers which will carry con-
fidence and comfort into American
homes" Yet we have here the specta-
Gle presented of the value of 10000 car
loads of canned tomatoes or 1000 car
loads of canned corn thus added by law
to the cost of the cans, which would
only go TO swell the dump heap where
the goods are served, while men by thou
sands ask in vain for days work, and
while mothers, tortured by the pleading
of starving children, beg for bread.