The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-07-07

THOMAS L. BUNTING has recently ex-
posed the hollow ness OF the MCKINLEY
swindle known as the protection" of
American labor that was to be engaged in
the production of American tin.
The average price Of timed plates from
1855 to June, 1890, five years, was 81. IS per
box. The tariff was then increased from
to 2-10 cents per pound. The average
price In New York for the nine mouths
from the passage of the measure, Oct. 6,
1890, to the taking effect of the timed plate
clause, July !, 1891, was S5.45. This ad
vance Of Sl07 per box was made on all the
tin plate imported during this nine months
before the tariff went into effect Is, 7S6, 422
boxes), the total extortion from American
consumers being over SC, OO0, 900, not one
dollar Of which went into the treasury.
Since 1883, $45, SOC, 600 mad been paid in
duty on imported timed plato. BY the
MCKINLEY law this tax was doubled, in
order TO provide work for the American
people. AS result, there is in existence q
small Industry" which consists in coat
ing imported steel sheets with imported
tin, by imported labor.
Mr.. ALLISON said in the Senate, Jan. 49,
1889: There are quite number of estab-
lishments which could Immediately enter
upon the production of these tin plates,
probably within thirty days. And we have
assurances and believe from examination
and investigation, that within the time
fixed for the taking effect of this bill-less
49, iii H.. IA
try sufficient plant to manufacture all the
tin plate that we USE" McK1NLET added
that s'we have in the Dakotas pig tin in
sufficient quantities for making ali the tin
required for this Market To the protests
of the National Canned Goods association
he replied that the increased duty would
Immediately ''depress the price of tin plate
to consumers.
Up to July l, 1891. not 8 single sheet of
timed plate had been made here by any
concern pretending to be on a commercial
basis: yet this was the date set for our
manufacturers to supply our whole con-
sumption. Then the treasury department
ruled in addition to black or untinned
plates being counted as timed plates, that
imported plates If dipped here, though in
imported tin land. we may add. by i'm
ported labor), might be counted as Amer
ican' timed plate. and here is the showing
The government summaries published
for the nine months ending March 81, show
that ), 24O, $50 pounds of timed and terne
plates had been thus ''produced'' here.
The same report gives our average yearly
consumption OF timed and terne plates at
67S, O0O, 600 pounds. Hence the domestic
manufacturers are now supplying less than
per cent OF the consumption, and the
whole output for the nine months would
last American consumers just twenty-five
hours.
In Wales, according to the estimate of
Consul JONES, the whole labor cost of
everything in timed plates, from the ore
up to the completed product, is just SO
cents per box. Thus 100000 boxes, our
present yearly supply, represent IS, O00, 0OC
in labor. At $500 q year, the average
wages paid such help in this country, we
ind that Il. 500 people could thus be fur
nished employment, on the hypothesis that
the whole manufacture Of timed plates
could be done in this country. But merely
to finish the steel plates by timing, wash.
ing, greasing, rubbing and busting them,
which is all the industry is expected to &C
complish in this country, costs in Wales %
cents per box. On this basis the entire
labor cost in the amount of plates con-
sumed here, minus those re-exported in
manufactured form, would be $l,20O, 900,
and would give employment 20 just 8 coo
persons at $500 year. One county in the
state OF Maryland in the canning industry.
which ia being destroyed by the tax on tin,
employs four times this number Of hands
and at better wages.
In other words, the MCKINLEY tariff OF
timed plate. consumes the wages of twelve
men to give employment 20 one man.
The sixth annual report of the depart.
ment of labor shows that the whole amount
Of the labor cost in the whole supply of tir
and plates and raw material for American
consumption is IS, 10000 But the tax or
the same amount Of plates is Sll, $50, 0O0
Consumers Of timed plates, therefore
could afford to pay for all these raw ma
teriRls-and leave them IN the gronnd-anc
pay all the labor to stand idle all the time
and yet save So, 700 900 each year, if they
could only buy timed plate without payins
the tariff tax on it.
The duty on box Q00 pouuds) of stee
plates ready for timing is Sl.65, or IS cent,
less than on box of timed plate. A
modern Welsh timing pot with q Welsh
man and boy viii tin fifty boxes per day
Three more helpers (boysj are necessar,
to complete this sample industry il
which the total labor cost is % cents pei
box. Hence, the Welsh manufacturer, b,
putting on Is cents worth Of work in hil
American finishing shop. instead of havinr
it done ut Swansea. reaps the tariff advant
age OF So cents per hundred. And this ii
just what he is doing. We could pension
81. 800 American laborers at $500 each Del
year out Of what we are now paying il
taxes on tin to invite $500 Welshmen /,