New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-02-27
THE TINPLATE INDUSTRY.
ITS STEADY AND REMARKABLE GROWTH.
REPORT OF SPECIAL AGENT AYER-FACTs FOB
FREETRADERs TO PoNDER-REPEAL OF
THE DUTY on TIN SUGGESTED
Try TELEGRAPH TO Tile TRIRUNE.l

| lBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE.J
Washington, Feb 26.-The report OF special Agent
Aver, OF the Treasury Department the production
of tin and plates In the United during tho
| three months ended December 81 1892. l. document
Of unusual interest and significance II contains In.
duhabe evidence that under the Of tho
Tariff act OF 1880, and the stimulus OF domestic com.
| petition. the tniplae industry Is being rapidly
tablished in this country sound and stable basis.
which be overturned only by radical legislation Of
hostile nature. So rapid has been the development
that 1t Is altogether probable that the wisdom OF the
trainers OF the existing tariff will be fully vindlcated,
and the conditions prescribed by the law be fulfilled
within the current fiscal year. The act OF 1880
qulres that American manufacturers shall produce dur.
ing one OF the fiscal years prior to that ending June
30, 1897. amount OF tin and plate equal to
cnehird Of the total net mporations OF those articles
| during the same period, and the indications now
that this requirement will be met In the year ending
June 30, 1893. Moreover, If the progress made dur.
ing the last year shall continue the rateas 1t
promises to 20, II there shall b. adverse legislation
| by Congress-thc amount Of tin and tcrne plates
ufaclurcd in the United states during the fiscal year
ending June 3d. 1897. will be greatly in OF the
net impoItaonS during the same year and the cost
| Of those articles will naturally decrease.
Agent Ayers report IL should be remembered, Is
based on the sworn returns OF manufacturers TO tho
Treasury Department, and the accuracy Of his figures,
| therefore, cannot be questioned II appears that
during the quarter ended December 81 1a02. thirty.
two concerns were engaged in the manufacture Of tin
and terne plates proper and that be total output
was 10756.401 pounds, against I0,053756 pounds
produced in the quarter ended september 80, 1892,
being an Increase Of more than 50 per cent. or the
production Of the quarter ended December 81 about
onehird consisted Of bright tin plates about e6 per
cent of which weighed less than siAty-thee pounds
to 100 square feet, while OF the plates
than 03 per cent belonged To the class, that
nearly 81 per cent of the entire product consisted OF
the lighter class OF plates. The amount OF American
| sheet iron and steel made into articles and wares
! timed terne-coaed during the quarter 2,2i5-
800 pounds, against So5,233 pounds in the previous
quartcr-making the total production within the
meaning OF the law, 220ol ,037 pounds. against H.
H50956 pounds during the quarter ended september
| 80. 1892.
These figures show total production during the
i SIX months ended December 81. 1592. including the
products from American sheet iron and steel timed,
| Of 33852.955 pounds. The production Of tin and
| t>rne plates proper during the first six months
| Of the current fiscal year amounted 30. 100 2l6
pounds, against 2,236743 pounds for the first six
months Of the fiscal year ended June 80, 1892. being
an Increase of nearly 14OO per cent-and the total
production OF the latter year 13,646.71o pounds
considerably less than onehalf the production
during the first six months of the current fiscal
year.
Many Of the Welsh manufacturers last year found
some degree Of consolation for the establishment Of
consequent falling of and threatened loss of their
export trade in the belief that they would still retain
undisputcd control OF the American market for black
plates. Agent Ayers report will tend materially TO
weaken this belief. II shows that OF the 10 756, ,49t
pounds Of tin and erne plates produced in the quarter
ended December 81, 1892 S043.44O pounds o moro
tnan 40 per cent, were made from American black
plates. against 5.020O52 pounds during the previous
quarter. The consumption Of American black plates
in the manufacture Of tin and terne plates during the
first six months OF the fiscal year. therefore,
amounted To 1896. .j3l pounds. 316,6l2 pounds
more than the entire production Of tin and terne plates
proper during first year after the ex ting tariff
law became operative. During the first six months
OF the fiscal year ended June 80, 1902 only 19O6.203
pounds Of American plates used in the manufac-
ture OF tin and tcrne plates-abOut Oneseventh as
much during the corresponding period Of the current
fiscal ycar-and the total consumption ~ American
plates including articles made from sheet iron steel
and timed during the first tX months OF the current
fiscal year Il, T,lO121O pounds, against 4,E4,1o5
pounds in the corresponding period OF last year,
nearly four times As much. OF the thirty-two firms
which submitted sworn returns for the last quarter.
rinc. nearly all OF which among the largest pro-
duccrs. made and used their black plates
clusivcly: five other firms used American plates only
eight used both American and foreign plates, and ten
used only foreign plates. The manufacturers generally
prefer American plates.
The report shows that the total imports OF tin and
amounted to 800 550.702 pounds. and the exports Of
the same In articles with benefit Of draw
back to 137 I'D 1872 pounds The net importations of
tin and terne plates lighter than % pounds 10 100
square feet amounted to 237 023.'l pounds, onehird
of which would 30 ,307 $3.50 pOundsan amount which
in all probability will be- exceeded by the domestic pro-
ducon of the current fiscal year This statement Is
fully justified by the facts relating TO the present con-
dion and prospects OF the industry. During the quar-
ter ended December 81 three new concerns began the
manufacture Of tin and terne plates, ana TWO nimS
which made return, for the quarter ended September
30 were not producing during the latter quarter owing
TO temporary causes, The works of other company
were DESTROYED by fire. and probably will not be rebuilt
4 baltimore company about January l. 1893. began
working three Tin sets with capacity Of Loco boxes
week. and will have two more sets In operation
The Britton Rolling Mil OF Cleveland Ohio. has most
Of the machinery hand for T. tinplate department.,
but NAV not begin operations until something definite
+, known I'm regard to the action OF Congress. The
Cannon,burg cnn) Iron and steel Company has added
two tin mills its plant during the last year. and has
present capacity for stamping black plates OF about
5000 tons a year, of which probably not more than
one fourth will be used ordinary black plates Tor
timing Part Of the rest will be used for stamped
ware much OF which Is timed, ana
some for polished work and other par'
poses which does not require timing, aI'honsn
the finish is the for inplates. The corning
steel Company of Chicago finds the demand lof COM
mon black plates heavy that II has not ui'u "
make any regular black plates. and II has therefore,
h.on dropped from th''liSt Of manufacturers The
Cumberland tMd) steel aud Tin Ilatc Company began
ope-tons on January 10 1893 lands the present daily
output of black plates is six tons to be increased 20
tyeotv tons before July /. The present output Ia,
sold 10 timing houses I'm Pitt,burg and Philadelphia,
and the entire product will be usd for tin and terno
mates The Morewood Company oi Gas City, Ind.
has completed four large iron buildings and has other
buildngs I'm course Of construction all OF which will
be used for tinp.ate manufacturing purposes. The
Falcon Iron and Nail Company of Miles, Ohio, expects
| to have two Tin mills in operation by April l. with
| an estimated output OF 400 tons Of tinpate month.
The machinery Is built fer double that capacity and
II Is expected Increase the output to cUO tons
| month during the coming summer. Messrs Hughes
A Patterson, owners oi the Delaware Rolling Mill Of