The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-07-27

steel or iron and 5 per cent or less tn
We have the ore. the pig iron, the blooms,
the sheets and the tin, and if We have not
tin enough We can do as England does,
buy il Of Malaysia.
This was the argument urged for trying
through protection TO build up the TIN
plate industry in America We have the
machinery, the labor. the capital; why
not be independent of Great Britain and
make our own tin plate as We have be-
come independent of England in the mat
ter of steel rails.
II is but year ago the 1st inst that the
new tin plate tariff went into effect. The
treasury department announced recently
the reception OF a special report from Spe-
cial Agent Ira Aver, in which he says that
the production Of tin and terne plates for
the quarter ending June 30, 1892. IS shown
by the sworn statements of manufacturers,
was over 10000 pounds, as against
3,ooi,0s7 pounds during the previous quar-
ter. and about $40, 90 pounds for the pre-
vious nine months, the total production
for the whole year being 13, 30. $50 pounds.
OF the 5000. go pounds produced during
the last quarter, over ZOO 60 pounds were
made from American black plates. In ad-
dirion 20 the foregoing, the production of
American sheet iron or steel into articles
and wares timed or terne-coated during
the fiscal year ending June -, 1892, as
shown by the sworn statements Of manu-
facturers, was more than 1000 900 pounds,
the returns being as yet incomplete.
Colonel Aver also reports, referring 70
recent press dispatches 10 the effect that
the Temescal tin mines of California have
failed, that he has received despatch
from ". W. Stewart & Co., selling agents
Of the mine at San Diego; as follows:
Have just visited the tin mines, which
are 100 miles north Of here. There is a
large amount of machinery and costly
works being erected. The mine is low
working 10 miners, arl shipped l62, 600
pounds Of pig tin the last six months,
and will continue"
There is no sound reason why the tin
plate industry may not in time prove as
striking and valuable an object lesson of
the benefcence of the policy Of protection
as the multiplication OF the spindles of
New England, the iron furnaces and FORCES
OF Pennsylvania and Ohio. and the growth
OF the American carpet industry.
Prior to 1870 we had no steel industry,
but were wholly dependent upon Eng
land for our supply. She then charged US
$50 gold per ton for steel rails. Congress
put on tariff duty OF SIS ton. We now
produce more steel rails per annum than
England, and the cost is nearly the same
in New York as in London. A year ago
the cost was less in New York than in
London. Under the shelter Of our pro-
tectiye policy We have our rails as cheap
as Englishmen have theirs; We can die
tate our own prices and maintain that in
dependence of foreign producers that JEFF
ferson so earnestly advocated.
The salt industry is another illustration
where protection has by internal competi-
ton vastly reduced the price Of salt TO the
consumer. Cotton ties and linseed oil
are also cases in point, and the returns
of the tin plate industry for the first
year of the new tin tariff give excellent
promise that shall within five years have
added tin plate to the list of the great
manufacturing industries of the country
that have been created by wise and
liberal application and enforcement
of The American policy of protection.