Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1895-09-03
THE TIN PLATE INDUSTRY Is ALL
RIGHT

try. Last spring Mr.. Jarrett discovered
that it was growing too rapidly, even
though the Mckinley duty had been cut
down from p cents to ID cents per
pound He found too many t:nplate
mills in this country, and he called a
/ halt upon further developments lest the
manufacturers should crowd each other
out Of business. It appears, however,
that Mr.. Jarrett's warning was not
needed: for the number of new mills
still continues to grow. and many OF the
old works are being enlarged in ca
pacity. The burden of Mr.. Jarretts
complaint at the present time is that
the reduction in the duty has brought
the tinplate industry to what he desig-
mates as ragged edge" and that ruin
stares the manufacturers in the face
whether they shall shut up their mills
or continue them il operation.
There are a few facts about the
American t.nplate industry which con-
aict with Mr. Jarrett's dismal forebod-
irgs. The exports Of tinplate from
Great Britain to the United States dur
ing the first half Of this year amounted
TO 1854 gross tons, against 226,515
tons in the preceding SIX months and
1O0.S64 tons in the first half of 1894.
During the month Of June the ship
ments 70 this country were only $4,000
tous-the lowest point reached since the
months Immediately following the ap-
pication OF the Mckinley rates Of duty
in 1891 Commenting on this decline
in purchases Of Welch tinplaJe the Iron
Age Of July Is, said;
The reason for the falling of i'm June inn
ports cannot be attributed 10 any restric-
ton I'm the CousumpUVe demand of this
country. The explanation evidently lies in
the fact that the consumers OF tin plate
have been 90 larger extent IMAM before
filling their requirements with the home
made material This View Is substantial
ted hv The fact that all The American tin
plate works are AT the present time rush
81 with orders 90 such an extent that COM
plafut is prevalent of the difficulty eNpe-
riencei by buyers in obtaining prompt
shipments in response TO orders.
This was the situation but little over
a month ago Can it be that disaster
has fallen upon the tinplaye industry so
quickly that it is now upon the ragged
edge" which Mr.. Jarrett mentions?
The most convincing evidence Of the
prosperity of the American tinplate in
dustry is the fact that since the duty
was reduced there has been remarkable
activity in the building of new mills.
since the passage of the tariff bill by
the Senate, in July, 1894, which prac-
ucaIly settled the new rate of duty, "a
concerns have engaged in the manufac-
ture of tinplate in the United States.
Not all of these are new concerns, for
some Of them have been engaged in the
manufacture Of iron and steel in vari-
Gus forms for many years; but only
within the past year have they entered
into the tinplate business. A few Of
the mills ara not as vet quite complete,
but all Of them are bona fde tinplate en-
terprises. If the reduction in the rate
Of duty have blasted the future Of the
tinplate industry in the manner which
Mr.. Jarrett describes, how is it that men
of Intelligence and long experience in
the iron and steel industries have been
induced 10 engage in losing business?
4 MARVELLOUS Gun.
The federal government is to test al
the Indian Head proving ground one Of
the most marvellous inventions of mod
ern artillery warfare in the Odkolk aU-
tomato machine gun. Its inventor, an
Austrian cavalryman. has discovered
the secret Of making the gun, after the
first pulling Of the trigger, do all its
own work.
The gas from its own powder fur
nishes all the motive power necessary to
FIRE 600 shots a minute for an indefinite
time The powder gas rushes into a
cylinder Of the mechanism and pushes
a piston forward until enough gas es-
capes TO bring the piston back to its
original place again. Meanwhile. the
piston has thrown out the old shell. and
placed in the bore a new cartridge.
which is Immediately discharged. A
constant automatic reciprocation mo-
ton is thus assured. The simplicity Of
the automatism is further enhanced by
the fact that none Of the moving parts
IS subjected to the heat developed by
the powder gas. This novel gun would
seem TO be safe and rapid for ship fire.
As to the fracas in the Board of Com
missioners. it is rather an unprece-
dented proceeding for the President of
the Board to refuse to entertain a mo-
ton that was in order. If our recollec-
ton serves US right the question as to
the liability Of building associations to
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