The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1892-05-28
COSTLY TIN PLATE.
FORCING AN UNNECESSARY INDUS
TRY AT PUBLIC EXPENSE.

Reducing Wages, Throwing Men Out
of Work and Raising Prices of Canned
Goods-And the Idiots Rejoice.
The New FORK Tribune ana other high
tax papers are going into ecstacies over
the report of Ira Aver, special agent of
the treasury department, on the tin
plate industry. This report shows that
during the quarter ending March 81,
1892, nineteen manufacturers produced
about 5000, 900 pounds of tin and terne
plates, about two-thirds of which were
terne plates, and that the production
for the past fiscal year has been 4,Jo7.-
$50 pounds, of which 1885. O6S pounds
We're tin plate. As our annual con-
sumption of lin plate is about 400, 900, 900
pounds, our last years product would
supply us for about three days. and is
equal TO about l per cent. of our total
needs.
To attain this magnificent standing
among the tin plate manufacturing M
tons of the earth we are now taxing
ourselves at the rate of ten or twelve
million dollars per annum, and have ex-
pended during the last thirty years per-
haps Slot. OOO, 600 for the same purpose.
This expense. however, as great AS it is.
does not begin to equal the indirect cost
to Us, due to the injury done to other in
dustrir5 by high priced tin plate. An
idea of this indirect expense and injury
can be gained by reports from various
large consumers of tin plate, made in
The National Provisioncr of April 81,
1892. The National Provisioner is the
''orsan of the provision and meat indus
tries of the United States" 1t advocates
the interests Of its subscribers and is
| not biased III favor Of any theory. The
following extracts are from this number
of The National PrOvisioner:
In view of the fact that the bill of
the Hon. I. l.. Bunting providing for
the reduction Of the duties of tin and
terne plates, ii copy Of which was pub
lisll"d III Il recent number of this journal.
has been introduced in congress and will
come up for discussion III Il week or two,
the directors of the Tin Plate Consumers
association have endeaVOrcd to ascertain
what the effect of the increased duty has
hcen upon the business of the consumers
- ga '''' ''i''o ''''b Nv 'bithilIl.
They have therefore Sent ont a circular
asking CONSUMERS Of tin plates what the
effect Of the tariff has been on their bust
ness, and i'll response have received an
sWcrs from most Of the large nSum
For want of space not all of these an.
swer5 can be published, but II selection
IS made which constitutes a fair average
OF their general tone, which shows pretty
plainly what the effect of the increased
tariff has been upon the people who cut
up in their business four-tiftls of the en-
tire quantity of tin plate used in the
United States.
FairpOit. y. y: I'VE used / 800 boxes
last year. Payment Of Mckinley Gr:v
required additional capital. In some
branches increased cost of our good,
compelled us to cut down wages of la
borers to meet popular prices. In
making baking powder cans increased
cost of article and unwillingncss on the
part of our customers to pay increased
price caused us to lose the business of
some Of our best customers. After TWO
or three months of experimenting with
others they returned TO US, having learn
ed that we were not trying to rob them,
but were, like others, only asking II fair
price on the basis of the government
making MS pay heavier taxes for tho
privilege of doing business. We have
been heavy exporters Of canned goods,
but we fear that we will have to give
up or greatly reduce our export trade.
In the English and Scotch markets, es-
rua.i,l1,. f',,,,J, /, .aJI;,,. "a, ,, A..
goods cost us. Canada pays no duty.
Rebate does not place us on an equality.
On fifty cases of pears rebate would not
pay expenses Of obtaining it. We pay
duty on Il full sheet of tin. The rebate
does not cover waste in cutting round
blanks. We have substituted galvanized
iron FOR Tin i'll consequence of the IN
creased cost of the latter"
Adrian, Mich: ITO increase the cost
of No. 3 cans, the size most used by us.
an average of sixty cents per hundred,
and other sizes in proportion. We are
not extensive packers, but the cam used
by us last season cost over - 900 more
than the same quantity would have cost
in 1899. This loss must be borne by us
or by the producers of fruits and vege-
tables, or both. The canning industries
have been greatly crippled by the i'll
crease of duty on tin plate. We have
used the same help as before, but paid
less wages per day"
indianapolis: ITO reduce our profits
to such IL narrow margin as to cause
the desire to have our capital invested
III some other enterprise or abandon
the present business altogether"
From IA Boston packing house:
Packed in our East Boston factory in
1890, $4,000 cases; in 1891, 35,3i5; falling
Off, 2O,655; decrease of help, 25 weekly
hands,
Gutterpipe, etc, etc, Cambridgeport,
Mass: 'TO increase the cost one dol
lar "A box, instead of a natural de-
crease OF some thirty cents u box.
This has prevented those engaged in
our line from making such a drop in
prices as has occurred in almost every
other line Of business. Prices have