The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-08-27
INTERESTING TlN-PLXTE FACTS.
Former Stakeholder in the Elw0oa Plant
Says 1t will Soon Double Its Output
snec,., TO the 1uaiananol,. Jouru.,.

Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
BRAZIL. ND, Aug. 26.-l. l.. Morris man.
ager of the Corning Steel Company, of Chi
cago. and for some time connected with and
q stakeholder in tho Elwood tin-plate mill,
yesterday on the TIN plate industry in tho
United States. Mr.. Morris said he had q
wide experience in the manufacture of tin
plate having organized the first company
for its manufacture In America, at Wells
vile. o.. in 1872, when tin-plate was sell
ing az $1250 per box, and not cent of
tariff on 1t. English capitalists were ship
ping it to America free. receiving enormous
profits and paying very small wages to
their employees.
rs doesn't cost 10 per cent more to
manufacture the same plate nowvthan
IL did then" said Mr.. Morris. land
with the duty now imposed it has been
reduced to 1918 er box. As soon
of tin-plats. in 1872" continued Mr.. Morris.
foreign manufacturers reduced the price
to 81 per box, thus disabling American
mills. as 1t was impossible for us TO pay
American wages and compete with En-
gland when We were paying our employees
500 per cent. moreithan was being paid for
the same labor in Wales; 90 in the panic of
1875 our mills were closed. But the present
TARIFF ITO cents per p0und-enables Us to
produce n-plate In the United States and
pay good wages TO our wOrkmen.
''Since the passage OF the Mckinley bill
several extensive n-plato plants have
been erected in the United States. and are
running every day, dong an extensive
business One-half only of the Elwood
mill is being worked at present and it's
output is 1, zoo boxes per week. but inside
OF ten days 1t will be running at full Ca
pacity, turning out from z, 500 TO ), 600 boxes
per week. The demand is great for Amer
lean tin-plate. This country consumes 80
per cent Of all the tin-plate manufactured
In the world. The product of our factories
.is superior to that which 10 imported
from Wales. The American steel from
which tin-plate Is made Is better
than the material used in the old coun-
try. 1t is mere malleable. the plate is
better, and il coated with heavier metal.
We are right on the same floor with the
consumer, and If We could not produce
equal or better material than the imported
plate our product would be condemned at
once. The tin-plate industry of America
has only commenced. In the near future IL
will be one of the leading industries in this
country. America will soon man ufacture
all the tin-plate 1t consumes at lower
figure than it can be got in Wales or any
other country on the globe. Our mode Of
manufacturing tin-plate 10 modern and
differs greatly from foreign systems We
have new and improved machinery and
can turn out much larger sheet
than can be made at the mills in
England. The Corning Steel Company
il erecting large mill at Hammond, tor
the manufacture of sheet-iron, galvanized
iron and tin-plate. turning out one hun
dred tons per day."
In answer to q question regarding the
scarcity of block tin in this country Mr..
Morris said:
I'VE have plenty of it that is far superior
to any block tin or tin ore elsew here In the
world. English and Welsh tin-plato mills
import "a per cent. of their block tin.
Cornwall produces only per cent. of the
factories. They get their block tin In the
East Indies and Australia. We buy bloc x
tin in New York " cent cheaper than they
can get it in Liverpool. We only use two
to three pounds of block tin to 1l2 poun ca
of iron"