The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-08-27

1 have requested a gentleman who 1s
| thoroughly familiar with conditions on
both sides of the Atlantic to furnish me a
statement of the relative cost of producing
| tin plates at the present time. This state
ment, which I submit and will have
| printed in The Record, shows the details
of cost in the two countries. These figures
show that the cost of making &c coke plate
| today in the United States is $5.35 per box,
| and in Wales $500 per box.
A close analysis of this table will show.
| that the difference in cost is really differ
ence in the wages paid in the two countries. =
70 substantiate this more fully, submit
and will have printed in The Record table ]
| showing the wages actually paid per box
In tin and black plate mills in Wales and
In the United States.
In order to show how completely the
Welsh manufacturers control the price of
tin plates and how they have been ACCUSE
TONED to panipuaate the market for their
own benefit, usually at the expense of con-,
sumers in the United States, submithare-
with statement which shows the relative
brice of &c coke plates and of Bessemer tin
,IaJe parS and tin at London and Llvorpool
at the dates named: {
First week in-~
l-y2sT<sssaasse- 49,. ~ sept, May, Jufys
&c coke tin plate per box 1914 s40e $500
Bessemer tin plate bars
per ton.........ls...... 268 A:e4 1884
Tin per ton. az. 457A5 44.67 1885
By this table it appears that while the
price of &c coke tin advanced between
September, 1890, and May, 1891, IS centsla
box, the price of Bessemer bars declined
$182 per ton and, the price of pig tin de-
clined S12.7S per ton.
With the decline which took place in
bars alone between September ana;AAy,
other things being equat;it the price ofsshin
plate should ,haves declined .1fs centssper
box. Instead .of this thsrs WAS angad-
vance of 60 cents3per box, made possible
by the condition. Of affairs in America,
the American tin plate duties goingsinto
effect July I, 1881 ,sande,the sprofts8of thu
Welsh manufacturers were increased g6
cents per box in 1891 as comparedSwith
1890. !
The price of coal also declined in this
period SO cents per ton. Wages and other
costs undoubtedly remained substantially
unchanged, as the wages paid lunionp prices
in tin plate works 9sin Wales have not
changed for fifteen years.
An equally striking exhibition, Is made
in the comparison between May, 1881, and
July, 1892. In this period the price of bars
further declined $1.90 per ton, and. the re-
duction in abox of tin plates based upon
this decline should, have been 12scents6a
box, other things remaining equal. In
stead of this, the actual decline was aS1.03
per box, or reduction in this case Of the
profits of the Welsh manufacturer Of 81
cents per box.
It is evident from these statements that
the Welsh prices are put up and down in
response to existing exigencies in. the
United States. When the prophecies of
their allies on this side of the water in re-
gard to high prices were to- be verified
prices were put up 80 cents per box in the
face of sharp decline in materials; but
when American manufacturers are to be
discouraged and,:if possible, driven out of
the market on the eve of an election, the
price is put down $1.03 per box.
The tintplate industry of the United
States issnow an accomplished fact But
one thingsis necessary for its triumphant
success, and that is the maintenance of
the protective duties.
The exports from Great Britain to the
United States for the last four years have
been as follows, amounts stated in gross
tons:
Ass
1880 29Gs2lS 1882. ............ 2O8,9A
The exports of the last twelve months
being 2Ss,365 tons less than for the preyi-
GUS year, 92,277 tons less than in 1890 and
127, 732 tons less thanin 1885,
OF the amount imported about 81, 600
tons are made into cans which sare again
exported, and q drawback is paid ionthem
equal to the duties paid. The ,largert part
Of the amount used at home swill s5beSprp-
duced in the United States. withinstwo ;.
years if the projections issmaip tained. If
we assume the mesconsumptionaa last
year to be net /. $50, 600 900 pounds, 7sper
cent of it was of American production.
The followinglistof prices Of galvanized
sheet iron. No. "a gauge, for each%of the
years from 1883 to 1892, inclusive, hassbeen
furnished me by the Mcdaniel & Harvey
company, one of the largest manufac-
turers of galvanized sheet iron in the coun--
try.
AVERAGE PRICE OF GALVANIZED SHEET
FROM NO. "A GAUGE
y List price Net price
Cents. Discount. Gents.
1888 ............ ID IS and 5 per cent..... 48e5l
1889. .......... ID 6715 and per cent. 4.1s
1seo............ Is 6714 per cent........ 42s1S
1891. 10. 6716 and per cent. s4olls
1892 tup to Julyl1k.. Toand 10 per cent. S.7s
The same proportion holds good for all other
gauges.
Cotton ties are now made at home and
supplied at lewer cost to the consumer.
Similarly the. tariff has transferred the
manufacture OF lace window curtains, silk
and mohair pushes, pearl buttons and
many other industries to the United States.
Many industries dull and lifefess for a con-
siderable period before the act of 1890 are