The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1893-12-28
American Tin Plate.

American Tin Plate.
We do not wish to weary our read
ers on the tin plate question, but,
after reading the Adrian Democrat, of
a last week, we cannot refrain from say
ing word or two on the much dis
cussed question.
We want to ask the Democrat if it
. isn't fact, matter of record. that
in 1873 there were two tin-plate fac
n tories in the United States, and that
they were in a fair way to succeed,
when the English monopoly stepped
n in and put the price of tin plate down
!. to $3.50 a box; and that before these
mills started up, plate was selling at
\. the enormous price of $500 per box?
That these two struggling mills were
finally compelled to close down, and
that as soon as they closed the price
of tin gradually advanced until the
4 price in 1879 was $500 and $1,000
per box?
81 Isn't that true?
&. The English concerns were strong
. and mighty--the most powerful and
exacting monopolies that ever dis
graced the face of the earth, and it is
not strange that they could easily
cripple the two small plants attempt
f ing to build up a business on this
side Of the Atlantic they did it by
simply putting the price below what
tin plate could be produced at, at
that time; but did they let the price
remain at that figure' Not at all-they
advanced the price until it reached
the figures above quoted.
{, When the so-called Mckinley
schedule was under discussion, the
!, friends of the bill were free to admit
that there would undoubtedly be a
. slight advance over the prices for
time, but, that in few years the
price would go down to point much
lower than that demanded by the
English monopoly. There was slight
4 advance, but, since the 43 tin mills
have been in successful operation in
the United States, there has been a
gradual reduction, until today it is
lower than it was previous to the en-
actment of the Mckinley "tax," and
the consumer is getting the benefit.
These are the plain unvarnished facts,
without any attempt to paint beau
tiful pictures to deceive the people,
which is sometimes resorted to by
<our democratic contemporaries.
+. Not only has the consumer been
benefited by reductio in the price,
and been enabled to free himself from
the grasping, Tightening grip of op-
preston from the English monopo-
lies, but there have been other
benefits accruing. There are today
about 1900 men engaged in oper-
ating the tin mills of this country;
but this is not all, there is an equally
large force engaged in retnlaa 9 the
coal, and ore, to keep these mills run
ning-and they are all consumers
of the products raised on our farms
thus the farmer is benefited. About
$17,00O,00O capital is engaged in this
industry in America, and if the
amount were doubled we could pro-
duce all the tin plate used here.
#s If the United States made all the
tin needed here the industry would
give support to 225,000 people. This
is conservative estimate. When
the bill was pending the London
Ironmonger said:
OR Should this scheme succeed then there Is no
III doubt that great deal of American capital will
be promptly embarked in the business, and
sooner or later the tin plate trade will case to
Il be monopoly of South Wales and Monmouth
shire Nevertheless, we see no reason why the
manufacturers Of tin plates in this country
n need grow dis-heartened or Respondent. They
"a have the advantage of possessions, position for