Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1892-04-09
TIN PLATE PRICES.
Misrepresentation Made by Mr.. Crone-
meyer and The American EconOmi,t-Ti1
Plate Prices in 1890 aud Now.

Misrepresentation Made by MIR. Crone
meyer and the American EconOmi,t-Ti'
Plate Prices in 1890 and Now.
!. The Western Packers Canned Good:
association recently held a convention
at the sherman house, Chicago, AID
the Chicago Grocer published a full
report of its proceedings. 1t is there
reported that at the afternoon session
of the convention on February 10 the
president announced that he was in
receipt of IAN important and interest
ing letter from Mr. Crouemeycr, presi'
dent of the United States Iron AMI Tin
Plate Manufacturing Co" which letter
was then read to the convention.
From this letter, dated Demmler,
Pa, F~-1ary $, 1892, we quote as fol-
lows: Present indications do not show
that the interests of the canning indus
try have been seriously jeopardized by
the additional duty, The prices OF tin
plate in this country to-day are only n
rery little higher than what they were
eighteen months ago, while export
prices in England have been reduced
% per cent in order to overcome our
import duty. Two years ago the duty
was only one cen per pound, or SL.0S
per box, and a box of coke tin plate
cost in New York 81. 70; to-dag the duty
is . 2-l0 cents per pound, or S3S7 per
box, and the price of coke in New York
is SaS IS per box; increase the duty $50
per box, increase the price only Il
cents per box. Does this not show very
clearly that the consumers in this coun-
try have paid IN immense profit to
foreign manufacturers for many
years"
What Mr., Cronemeyer's object could
have been in so grossly misrepreSent.
ing the facts of the case, and on his
false statements deducing his conclu-
sions, it is hard to conceive. Possibly
he thought that in addressing q body
OF men wis fl the most part, bay
their tin plates in the form OF ready.
made ans from firms who make can
making their sole business. his false
statements might pass unchallenCed.
The convention appears from the re.
port to have listened patiently to the
reading of the letter and then passed
to the consideration of its regular bust
ness
Knowing the above statement of the
cost Of coke tin plates in New York
City two years ago" to be false, we
obtained access to the invoice book of
a buyer OF such plates and found there
the following prices of coke plates
14X20 !. c.: February 8, 1890, S457]{;
February IS, 1890, 81 80; March I, 1890. !
81 IS; March %, 1890, 81. 40. In April
purchases were made at 81 3T5, and in
May, 1890, at 81 IS and 81. 40.
1t will be remembered that of these
cost prices, as Mr.. C~ronemeyer kindly
explains, sl.0s was in the form of duty
paid, at that time, to the United States
government, and leaves the actual SELL
ing price OF the tin plates of the kinds
in which canned goods packers are in.
terested, less duty, ranging from So. %
TO S3.49}5 per box. 1t is from these
values that the immense profits to
foreign manufacturers" have been paid,
if paid at all.
Quotations given by the Iron Age at
New York City for same period are as
follows:
PeHlan Grade. LB. Grade.
February 10, liS20, / C.
coke. ....-... .......aN aIs5 sle04O
March Il, liS20, l. c.
Coke. ......... ....... As Gl5 465alM
April 10, liT9 / c Coke 40 CTS 45ya46l
May s liXDL C. Coke. 432HII35 OTIS
1t was for the American Economist
to discover a use for such unfounded
statements. In its issue for February
90, 1892, appears an editorial headed
IAN Example for the Tin Plate Con-
sumers,' which begins as follows.
THE Western Packers Canned Goods
association, who use perhaps more
bright tin plate than any other manu-
facturerS in the United States, held
their annual convention at Chicago,
Wednesday, February II. These gem
tlemen may be assumed to know pref
ty well the price of tin plate since the
enactment of the new tariff law; and.
as they do not seem TO have any special
regard for foreign tin plate manufact-
urers, except in so far as they need
their product, we may rely on the
trustworthiness Of their opinion. As
expressed at this meeting it was as fol.
lows:
Present indications do not show that
the interests of the canning industry.
etc, etc." down to increase in price
only Is cents a box" Exactly word
for word the passage quoted above from
the letter of Mr.. Cronemeyer, president
OF the United States Iron and Tin Plate
Manufacturing Co., and addressed by
him to the convention.
Nothing can be addedtc this statement
which can make more clear the duplic-
ity ami which characterize
the position taken by the American
Economist. on the whole subject of
American tin plate. On the same page
of the paper with the article above
quoted from is another article headed,
None So Blind, etc" And it takes as
a text this from Proverbs, xvii. %:
Though thou shouldst bray a fool in n
mortar with a pestle, yet will not his
foolishness depart from him." The
editor of the American Economist
should paste this in his hat and for Mr..
Cronemeyer we would recommend the
fifth article of the decalogue. National
Provisioner.