The record-union., 1892-09-21
TIN PLATE MANUFACTURE.
SPRINGER REPLIES TO A SPEECH
OF MCKINLEY.
The People Compelled TO Buy at In.
creased Prices Since the Tariff
Bill Took Effect.
Special to the REcoRD-UNrox.

Special to the RECoRD-UNIoN.
NATION Qll.), Sept. 20.-Hon William
NJ. Springer addressed large audience
here to-day. His speech was principally
in reply to that delivered by Mckinley at
Elwood last week. He said: During
an interval of nine months before start
ing the increased rate provided in the
Mckinley bill, there was an enormous in
crease in the importation Of plates to get
them into the country under the old rates,
and sell them at increased rates. If the
Mckinley bill had taken effect on tin
plates Immediately on it's passage as it
should have done, the Government would
have received over ten millions more rev.
enue than it did from these importations
The people were compelled to buy at sup
posed Increased price, however, and this
$40, 100000 was a net profit to the tin plate
importers and jobbers.
After working to the utmost capacity
for a time to meet the enormous demand
from the United States, the Welsh mills
after June, 1891, were obliged to shut
down for a time in order that the con-
sumption might catch up with the pro-
duction. The Republicans Immediately
set up the claim that the Mckinley bill
caused the Welsh mills to shut down, and
the industry would be transferred to this
country. Thus history and facts are per-
verted to deceive our people,"
Congressman Springer further said that
the manufacture OF tin plates in this
country was conceded by all to be All UNI
profitable industry, which cannot exist
without Government bounty or high
protective tariff. "Either the Govern
ment or the consumers of tin plates must
pay Sl6,000,000 every year more than
otherwise required, in order to have our
annual supply OF tin plates made here.
The report OF the Governments agent for the
fiscal year ended last shows the output of
tin and terne plates in this country that
year to be -, 2i0,S30 pounds. This is less
than per cent. Of the amount consumed
! in the same period.
''We We're told when the Mckinley bill
was pending that within one year from
! its passage we would make here all the
plates we could consume. According to
the official report, only about quarter
of the amount produced here was tin
plates. The other three-fourths were
terne plates, which were coated with lead
and tin and used for roofing purposes
only; and even this meager output of less
that per cent. was not altogether Amer
lean production"
Springer went on to state that the inn
portation of steel sheets, or "black
plates" used in the manufacture of tin
plates, since the passage of the Mckinley
bill began to increase almost correspond
| ingly with the increased production of
tin and terne plates. ''An agent of the
Treasury department had claimed for
the last quarter OF the last fiscal year that
100000 pounds of black plates were
made in the United States, but where
made and whether used in the manu-
tacture of tin plates does not appear; but
it does appear that the importations for
that quarter were over 100000 pounds,
and from this apparent greater amount
tin and terne plates produced in the
United States were made by using inn
ported black plates. The part performed
in America in large measure was
| dipping process. The metals were mostly
| imported.
1T was stated in q circular recently
| issued by the Taylor Company of Phila-
| delphia that by using the latest improved
! Welsh dipping-pot two boys can dip
| seventy boxes of tin daily. If this is
| true, twelve boys, by working the entire
| year, could have dipped the entire Ameri-
/ can product of the fiscal year, and at the
! same ratio it would only require 642 boys
| In dip the entire amount required in the
! United States. Neither the dipping bows
| nor men who box the plates are skilled
| laborers, and are hired at the lowest
! prices for unskilled labor. But no matter
| how many persons were engaged in the
| industry here the past year, it is evident
that the American people, who were sub
! jected to a tax of Sl6,000,000 a year for
building up the tin plate industry, paid
very dear for the luxury"
| Springer asserted that it was not in
| tended to build up bona fide tin plate
industry in this country. The increased
| rate was largely lobbied through by the
American Corrugated Roofing Company.
which wished to drive tin-roofers out Of
the field, and has succeeded. The Demo-
cratic party, if clothed with power by the
people, will speedily put an end to this
political partnership with private enter
prise. and restore the duty on tin plate to
one cent per pound or put it on the free
list.