Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-09-21
SPRINGER on TIN PLATE.
The Ways and Means Chairman Attempts to
Reply to Mckinley.

Reply to Mckinley.
NATION, ILL.,, Sept 20-Hon. William NJ
Springer, Chairman of the House Ways and
Means Committee, spoke here to-day on
"The Tariff on Tinplate and the Tinplate In
dustry." His subject had been previously
announced, and large crowd gathered to
hear the reply to Major McKinley's speech
made at Eiwood, Ind, last week. During
his speech Mr. Springer said:
"Prior to the passage of the Mckinley act,
October ], 1890, the tariff on tin plates was /
cent a pound. By the provisions OF that act
the tariff was increased to % cents pound,
but the increase was not to take effect until
the first day OF July, 1891. During this inter-
val of nine months between the passage of
the act ana the taking effect of the increased
rate there was an enormous increase in the
them into this country under the old rate
and sell them as IL they had paid the in
creased rate. The price of tinpfate was i'm
mediaseiy: me increased ont on the passage of the
largely increased prices, while the Govern
ment received only the old rate
"The importations for the year ending
June 80, l89l, amounted to l,036 4S7, ,O74 pounds,
while ior the succeeding year, ending June
30, 1892, they were only Ais, l76, 202 pounds
The average Tor each year was 722. 3s2. 2Oa
pounds, which is substantially the amount
required every year for consumption. Ii
the Mckinley bill had taken effect as to tin
plates Immediately on its passage. as it
should have done, the Government would
have received in duties on tin plates for the
nine months of that fiscal year. and for the
next fiscal year, 2l months in all. the sum of
$2S, ,029,8 805. But the amount actually received,
being at the rate of / cent pound on the
importations for the remaining nine months
of that fiscal year, and 2 cents pound on
the importations of the year ending June so,
1892, was only $l7,75S,9 ,934, or l0,270,S7l less
than the Government should have received.
n9OnlA
to pay wholesale prices for the tin plate
purchased for consumption, the same as if
they had actually paid duties n @ at the rate Of
% cents q pound, as SIC, 600, 600 in excess Of
the amount the Government actually re-
ceived. This amount of $40 900 was the
net profits of the tin plate importers and
jobbers without taking any RISKS whatever,
which theywere enabled to realize by reason
of the postponement for nine months of the
time for the taking effect of the increased
tax on tin plates.
lion pounds of tin plate which were i'm
ported during the fiscal year ending June 81,
1891, the mills in Wales were worked to their
utmost capacity, and after the close of that
fiscal year in July, 1891, the mills which had
been overwOrked in order to meet the i'm
mense demand from the United States, were
obliged to shut down tor a time in order that
the consumption should catch up with the
production. But Republican newspapers
and politicians Immediately set up the claim
that the Mckinley bill had caused the tin
plate mills In WaleS TO De smut uOWn. anu
that the industry was being transferred to
this country. Thus history and facts are
being perverted in order to deceive our peo-
Pile and to commend to popular favor the
political party which is responsible for this
wicked legislation.
"a Government agent has been appointed
by the Secretary of the Treasury to look
after and to report all facts relating to this
infant, this poor foundling which Governor
Mckinley has placed on the doorsteps of the
Treasury Department.. AS the Government
must support this infant 1t was necessary
to appoint q guardian for it. and one Ira
Aver got the job. He has submitted his re-
port for the fiscal year ending June 81,
1892. and it shows an output or tin and terne
plates for that year in tine United States of
Il, ,24O 539 pounds. This is less than 2 per cent
of the amount consumed during the same
period of time and only about one-fourth of
this productien, according to the official re-
port, was of tin plate. The other three
Iourths were terhe plates, which are coated
with lead and tin and used for roofing pur-
poses only"