Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1892-03-02
THE DUTY ON TIN PLATE.
a British Authority Thinks That IL Pro.
tccts Dur Wages.


British Authority Thinks That IL Pro-
tects our Wages.
IL Is worthy OF note that English free
traders. however much they strive by
voice aud pen to help ON the cause of
their friends in America. are often
found adducing facts in proof of their
theory which are stoutly denied by their
strong siding champions on this side
OF the Atlantic
The cornerstone of the tariff contro-
sersy IN this country is as 10 whether
our higher labor cost makes tariff on
competing foreign products necessary
to the life OF the American industry
concerned The protectionist's plat
form has always been that we should
manufacture for ourselves whatever
nature has fitted the country TO manu-
facture as well as other countries are
fitted But we may be unable to make
the things nature has equipped MS tn
make because of the low wages prevail
ing in other countries The products Of
this cheap labor may come into this
country at so low n price as to prevent
the production of similar goods by
American high-priced labor
IL. for instance. an English manu-
facturer pays fifty cents yard for the
labor in "A yard of cloth. and the Ameri-
can manufacturer is forced to pay 81 a
yard for making. similar cloth. il is
plain that the Englishman can under
sell the American, close his American
factory ana throw his American high
priced labor out OF work Ia such a
case the protcctionist insists that a
tariff OF at least City cents yard must
be charged on that cloth when it enters
this country, SO that the American cloth
factory may live.
Now, the American free trade "re-
former" denies that there is any need
of tariff for this purpose, that labor
cost Is as low or lower in this country.
and that the tariff only helps the Amcri.
can manufacturer 70 raise his price.
These opposite views present the fun
damental difference on the tariff ques-
ton between the two great parties in
this country.
The protectionist holds that tin plate
Is exactly analogous to the supposed
case OF cloth given above. We have all
facilities for it's manufacture. and are.
in fact, che greatest producer OF iron
and steel in the world, and should make
known as tin plates Since the labor
cost OF producing them here is much
greater than in Wales, we need the
present tariff on them. The American
Cobdenite opposes this view Mt every
point The British Cobdenito agrees
TO n dot with the protectionist Hear
him speak through the columns
of the Iron and Steel Trades
Journal. OF London, January 3:
There are many difficulties to be successfully
COPIED with before they (the Americans) can
manufacture tin plates with commercial success
in competition with this country, even with the
help OF the present import duty which IS equal
20 "A bounty OF from 40 20 90 per cent. on the
price OF the manufactured article in the country
OF production. Tho question OF labor IN the
United States is the most dinicult 10 be dealt
with successfully. In Wales the adult work
people have been engaged In tho trade from
childhood, and their children, as soon as capa.
BILE, assist IN the mills. IL IL, indeed not an un
common occurrence 90 find whole families work
ing together. The making OF tin plates as the
children grow 10 men and women becomes a
habit and they acquire great dcNterity, saving
much time and labor, and the wages OF the fe.
male laborcrs and children are but 1.-THE OF
what American skilled worlSmen would demand
II whole American families were
forced by poverty % work side by side
in the dirty. lnborious empl oyment of
tin plate making, we might make tin
plates in successful competition with
the Welsh. 1t is because the spirit of
our institutions and the social instincts
of our people demand that the mother
and children be kept at home and in
school, and that the father receive suf-
ficient pay To support them decently
and in comfort, that tariff Is kept on
tin plates Make them we should, but
American womanhood must not be de
graded nor American childhood dwarfed
20 enable US 70 do so