New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-12-28
is IT A "BOGUS INDUSTRY?
CHAIRMAN WILSON'S ATTACK ON AMERICAN
TIN PLATE.
SOME INTERESTING FACTS WHICH GIVE ihh
LIE TO THE MAJORITY REPORT ON
TIE NEW TARIFF BILL.
THE NEW TARIFF BILL.
fly TELEGRAPH 10 TnE TRIBUNE.

American tin plate by the mere dipping IN TINS co"
try of the imported black plate says 'hairN''''
Wilson Ia the report of the majority oil the C'in-
mittee on Ways and Means on the pending revenue
hill In conversation with Tribune correspondent TO-
day an influential Democrat who has read 'ha' re-
mort and also the views Of the minority Oh the eoi"
mttee, said: 49,.
an, nor pleased with the animus exhibited by the
majority of the committee in its reference TO the
new tn-plate industry, for it is an industry that
actually exists despite all campaign assertions u
the contrary Moreover. the subject is one OF 100
much Importance TO be dismissed In sentence
which contains assertions which are at variance
with the facts, unless the minority has pefh s"''''
of gross misrepresentation in discussing IL. UNI
derstand that Mr. Dalzel Of pennsylvania pre-
pared that part of the minority report when relates
10 the metal schedule, and know him 100 wen
IN beIieve that he would try to misrepresent what
be believes to be the facts In matter OF such I'M
portancc. ,.n
.The majority Of the committee seems TO desire
q, create the belief or impression that the tn-plae
,ndusrv In this country is bogus industry because
=, Is confined merely the coating of imported IRON
or steel plates that this industry Will be discouraged
by admitting such plates at reduced rate OF uu'!'
and that the revenues TO be increased by adj
hitting tin plates at lower rate of duty SUI the
majority has not adduced a single fact in support
~ either one of these propositions. even that which
declares the dipping of imported plates 10 DC
bogus industry -,
r,h criticisms offered by tnlS DeHloCltl VIII NC
onnroved bv every intelligent and fair-minded man
~ NOV, study the subject in the light cast upon
n nv the minority of the committee. The only IN
ference that is possible from Chairman wilson
assertion that this is a bogus industry Is that no
black mates are manufactured in the United States
hut II is a false inference. every man knows VINO
has investigated the facts. For twelve years prior
a. the enactment of the law of 1890 attempt had
been made to manufacture tin plate In this country
because OF the non-protective duty on the I'M
ported article. which gave the Welsh manufacturers
a monopoly of the American market and enabled
then, not only control prices but to charge such
nro6ts as they desired and the natural consequence
was that there was home demand for the black
plates required in that branch of manufacture
When the new law went into effect very few
American mills equipped with the necessary
plant produce the black sheets but in less than
two years that difficulty removed TO great
extent. and when the majority submitted its report
every member must have been aware of these facts
which had been attesed under oath by the Aherl-
can manufacturers, to wit:
OF the thrty-two firms who submitted their sworn
returns for the last quarter of 1892 nine made ana
used their own black plates exclusively, four others
used only American plates nine used BON Ame'l-
can and foreign plates. and ten used only foreign
plates In other words, thirteen firms used Ameri-
can plates exclusively. and only ten used foreign
plates exclusively. while nine used BOTH Again:
OF the 3O7O9216 pounds of tin and terne plates
produced by American manufacturers in the last
more than IS per cent, were made from American
black plates which was 3l6,sl2 pounds more than
the total production of tin and terne plates from
both American and imported plates during the year
ended June co. 1892. which the first year after
the law into operation. In the face Of
facts like these 1t required a good deal of hardI-
hood for Chairman Wilson and his Democratic co..
leagues to denounce this as bogus industry"
which American statesmen ana legislators ought
10 discourage"
II without had heel
the enactment of the law of 1850 tin terne
plates would have been made in the United States
in 1889. and therefore American capital and labor
would not have been employed 10 produce the
s9s3,SI pounds of black plates used in that in
dustry. or the 3O7o5,2is pounds of tin and terne
plates produced in the last six months OF that
year. The foreign declared value of black plates
in 1922 was 2.26 cents pound. and that OF tin
and terne plates 2S9 cents pound accord
ing to the Custom House returns These values it
must be remembered based upon scale of
wages much lower than the American scale. but
even on the former scale American capital and
American labor produced in the last six months
OF 1892 black plates of the total value Of sH5,5 80
ing aggregate of 81 2SiO IS. every dime which
labor If it had not been for the encouragement
offered to Am ne ,ssD capital industry ana skin
Assuming that there would have been no in
six months-which would be a rash assurn pton
indeed in view Of the fact e, that the increase in
months of nt the same y Sa was 70 per esaas
amount to Nearly $4,000 in a Single year The
plates during the first six months Of &s amoun,ci
to ,bs pounds making tot total PRODUCTION n dur
zoo 600 900 pounds In regard to ne increase In TIE
Of the Ways and Means Committee says:
side by side with the advance in the american
o fe renbe en ss h e n@ FAR int
when, III proper protection be continued. all the
black sheets necessary to make al The tin plates
required viii be made mere. ''' '',' ~ ''''
dusiry estabshed less than aaf years
ago which Chairman Wilson and his DEMOCRATIC
S0e fsa ousb he for hc bne a
OF Welsh manufacturers and underpaid Welsh
ure to assert that the increase Of the duty 10
e cents a. DGHna By 4 act a of hss nG
consumer. On this point the minority says
new daiy the prsc OF TN se a5T@a rel an
atasun' equal TO ne m m 9e S5 m
cheap in this country to the consumer
yond question that the American product IS equal.
and By many claimed 70 DE superior 10 the foreign
w g cronemeyer who appeared before The Ways
and Means 9nI ior wose oS Sd ]1Gg
previous to The enacrmen, Of the Mckinney law
the duty was cent ii pound Or y os box This.
added To- the cost Of Che TN PLATES a INC mills IN
average selling price of coke plates in this country
during the eleven years, 1881 TO 1891 was 81 S. or
1ust 81 Sc moro than the cost at the mill In Wales,
Plus the duty. Who received that amount, when.
az, n. remarkable coincidence. Is within cents the
same az the additional duty which was put on tin
plate by the Mckinley law? Somebody has been
taxing consumers TO the same extent al along.
hut the amount did go into the United States
Treasury Somebody else has been receiving this
tx for revenue only"
the majority Of the committee asserts that upon
tin plate the duty has been gagged with reference
to the revenue" and yet. according TO the compar
alive statement prepared by The Treasury experts
for the guidance Of the committee. the revenues
received from tin plate at the proposed rate Of
IL cents a pound. upon mportat!ons equal to
those OF 1892 would amount TO only Sj9iS62, whereas
the revenue actually received that year amounted
to s. f22. 99S The importatons OF tin plate during
the vear ended June amounted % about