Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1892-09-15


In 1890, when the Mckinley bill,
placing duty Of and tenths
cents per pound on all steel sheets
coated with tin-to 60 into effect
July 1, 1891, pound of tin
plate was being produced in the
United States. Now, let us see
what the Welshman has made out
of us in this tin-plate business
during the last twenty-five years.
We quote from Mr.. BURROWS
speech in the House May 8, 1890:
In 1864 England sold us only - ,206, 1854
pounds of tin-plate, for which we paid
only 81, 1917 ,706, while in 1889 she sold us
AZ, 1876, $40 pounds, for which we paid
the princely sum of 81 ,726,7O7. To-day
we consume more tin-plate than all the
rest of the world.
In 1887 Great Britain exported
6 ,207 1888 boxes, 4 ,526, 1867 of which were
sold III the American market to the
American people.
In the last twenty-five years we have
bought of England ,S35, sol 1872 pounds
Of tin-plate, for which we have paid her,
exclusive of duty and freight, the enor-
nous sum of $500 OBJ 1862.
This has been the bitter fruit of a
tariff for revenue only" and it is to
aperpetual feast of this kind the free
trade democracy invites us.
Every DOupd of this fin rlafa mich +
have been produced in the United
States, every dollar of those three
hundred and twenty millions might
have been retained among our own
people instead of sending them abroad
to support English labor and reward
English capital.
Mr.. MCKINLEY, when intro
ducing the bill said:
eve have now four mills which can
be at once adapted to making tin-plate.
They can produce about 1000 tons a
year. 1t would require ninety mills of
the Dimensions of those now here to
make the tin-plate used in this country,
and this would require over $4,000 men
to be employed directly in this industry.
But the benefits would not stop here.
The additional labor in mining the coal
and ores, in producing the pig metal,
the lead, the tin, the lumber for boxing,
and the sulphuric acid, would furnish
labor to $4,000 workmen and bring
support to 200,0 900 people The capital
required would be about 10000, 600"
Mr. LAFoLLETTE in his speech
May 10, 1890, elaborated this idea:
what will a protective duty on
tin-plate accomplish? 1t will en-
able us to make from twenty to
twenty-five million dollars worth
of tin-plate in this country annu-
ally. What does that mean? It
means that to produce the
100000 tons Of additional
iron ore, the 100000 tons of
additional coke and coal, the
10000 tons of additional pig-iron,
the quarrying of 100000 tons of
additional limestone, the $1,000
tons of Dakota block tin, the 5000
tons of additional lead, the $500
tons of additional tallow and oil,
the 10000 tons of additional
sulphuric acid, the 100000 feet
of additional box lumber, to turn
the pig-iron in to Sheet-iron. to make
the machinery and keep it in repair,
and to freight the materials will give
constant and remunerative en-
ployment to 10000 men with
their families, making a population
of 100000 directly dependent on
this great industry, which will
build up quickly in this country
under this bill. To these added
wage-workers will be paid, annual
ly, S2I, 100000 in wages, to be in
large part expended among the
farmers and merchants of this
country. This is what this in
creased duty will do more; it will
give us very soon tin-plate at a
cheaper rate than we pay to-day,
give us steady and reliable mar
ket which will respond to the
gradual cheapening cost of pro-
duction and the controlling laws
of domestic competition"
Let us see how these predictions
have been carried out. Special
Treasury Agent Aver reports to
the Secretary of Treasury as
follows:
The production of tin and terne
plates, by quarters, for the fiscal
year ended June so, 1892, is shown
in the abstracts appended hereto,
marked Exhibits l, 2, 8, and 4.
These abstracts furnish the names
and location of manufacturing
firms or companies, and are not
open to further revision, for the
reason, as before stated, that they
now include the sworn statements
of manufacturers for each quarter
of the year complete Summary
statements of production are also
appended, Exhibits 5 and 6.
From Exhibit 6 it is seen that
the total production Of tin and
terne plates proper for the year, by
nuar terS uaS &c follon-s.