Los Angeles herald., 1892-09-21
SPRINGER ON THE STUMP.
A Reply to McKinley's Speech
of Last Week.
The Fallacy of the Tin Plate
Tariff Exposed.
Welsh Mills Closed Down Because OF
Over-production.
The Industry a Failure in America-The
People Robbed of Millions of Dol
lars by the Present Rate
of Duty.
By the,Associated press.l

By the, Associated Press.l
NATION, ILL.,, Sept. 20.-Hon. Will
lam M. Springer addressed large au-
dience here today. His speech was
principally a reply to that delivered by
Mckinley at Elwood, last week. He
said during the interval of nine months
before the starting of the increased rate
provided in the Mckinley bill, there was
an enormous increase in the importa-
tions OF tin plates to get them into the
country under the old rates and sell
them at increased rates. Ii the Nc
Kinley bill had taken effect on tin
plates Immediately on it's passage, as it
should have done, the government
would have received over $l0,000.0O0
more revenue than it did from these i'm
portations. The people were compelled
to buy at the supposed increased
price, however, and this $40 900, 900 was
net profit to the tin plate importers
and jobbers. After working to the ut
most 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 consumption might
catch up with production. The Repub-
licans Immediately set up the claim that
the Mckinley bill had caused the Welsh
mills to shut down and the industry to
be transferred to this country. Thus
history and facts were perverted to de-
ceive the people.
Congressman Springer further said
1.-THE manufacture of tin plates in this
country is conceded by all to be an un-
profitable industry. which cannot exist
without a government bounty or high
protective tariff. Either the govern
ment or the consumers of tin plates
must pay $4,000, 900 every year more
than otherwise required, in order to-
have our annual supply of tin plates
made here. The report Of the government
| agent for the fiscal year ended June
Both. last, shows that the output of tin
| and terne plates in this country that
year was 13, ,240, $3.50 pounds. This is less
than 2 per cent Of the amount consumed
In the same period. We were 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 re-
port, only about ona-quarter of the
amount produced here was tin plates
the other three e-fourths terne plates,
which are coated with lead and tin, and
used for roofing purposes only, and even
this meager output of less than 2 per
cent ia not altogether OF American pro-
| duction."
Springer went on to state that the
importation of steel sheets or "black
plates" used in the manufacture of tin
| plates since the passage of the McKin-
ley bill, began to increase almost cor
respondingly with the increased produc-
tion of tin and terne plates. San agent
of the treasury department, said he,
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 manufacture of tin plalee,
| does not appear; but it does appear
| that the importations for that quarter
were over 100000 pounds; and from
this it is apparent that the greater
emount of tin and terne plates produced
in the United States, is made by using
imported black plates. The part per-
formed in America is in large measure
mere dipping process; the metals are
mostly imported.
1t was stated in a circular recently
issued by the Taylor company, of Phila.
NOiPhto, bhoUs Ov ucAuS Guo ldUe6b ILL
proved Welsh dipping pot, two boys can
dip 70 boxes of tin daily. If this is
true, IL boye, by working an entire
year, could have dipped the entile
American production for the fiscal year
and, at the same ratio, it would only
require 642 boys to dip the entire
amount required in the United States.
Neither the dipping boys nor the 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 in
dustry here the past year, it is evident
that the American people, who are SUBJ
lected to tax of SIG, 100000 a year for
building up the tin plate industry, pay
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 Democratic party, if
clothed with power by the people, will
speedily put an end to this political
partnership with private enterprise,
and restore the duty on tin plate to
cent per pound, or put it on the free
list"