The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-11-11

1894 OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. o.lo 1.Vu
Now when it was proposed to raise the
duty on tin plates above 1 crnat cTas crw pv' WAS
raised by all of the importers anu SOME vi
the consumers that the price OIL plates III
America would be advanced py just me
amount of the increase in the duty. Inc
advocates however, for the increase OF
duty claimed that the competition ln1ucea
the price of tin plate in warehouse TO such
an extent that ultimately there would be
no increase i'm the price to the consumer
and even at this early date, practlcai ra lulo
flment of this principle Is before us The
figures which we have presented above are
all wholesale prices In New YORK, and are
secured. You will see that the average price
during 1890 was $.S>pe.' 10S-lo. box OF
l. C. coke tin. The lowest price in 1880 was
s4.45 per box. The lowest price ever paid
before the Mckinley duty was $3.50: The
lowest price this year was 1915. while the
present price is not quite as much. Taking
was i cent per pound, A.s5. and comparing
it with the present price or S..o, winch,
must be Do1nS + esn wth fISS ssSSes at
and there is still decrease in the price
OF 50 cents. per los-lb. box In view of of
Claimed clair that this decrease in price with
the increase in duty has been brought
about by any other cause than the manu-
facture of tin plate in this country? And If
you will take into consideration the fur
ther fact that steel is at least 40 per cent.
higher than at the time of the price given,
you will be able to form an adequate idea
of the deplorable condition in which tin
| plate manufacturers of America find them
| selves at the present time
| the question of tariff, says: Granted sole
| ly for the sake of the argument that an in
creased duty. means an equally advanced
| price "a condition which has been proved
| erroneous) American manufacturers can
! demand as their right, right which they
have earned. that the duty be increased by
| pound. without compelling the consumer
| to pay more for his plate than the lowest
went into erect, while at the same time he
will get better service and better plate
| from American mills.
AMOUNT OF PROTECTION NEEDED.
1.-The figures given above, however, show
clearly that an increase in the duty does
not mean a commensurate increase in the
price, but, on the other hand, an ultimate
decrease, hence an increase in the duty of
30 cent, bringing it up to 1.75 cent per
pound, would not mean even now an equal
| increase in the price to the consumer; it
would be enough, however, to insure the
| American producers a fair profit, while
giving the consumer plates at less than he
| formerly paid while ultimate improvements
| in the process of manufacture, and conse-
quent decreases in cost of production, with
fair protection granted to the Industry,
| would in all probability bring the cost to
| the consumer lower than it has been even
during the past year The manufacturers
have earned the right to ask for an in
crease in the duty, and they do ask it,
There are at the present time about
| thirty-four concerns in the tin plate bus-
ness, representing a capital of nearly si0,-
OOoOO and employing about twenty thou
sand workmen. Under favorable conditions
| the concerns could sl1DDly the barne mar
ket, but unless relief is granted them it is
an utter impossibility for them to continue
| IN operation beyond the point where their
stock of low-priced steel is consumed. 1t
certainly does not look fair that this mag
nifcent development should be Frustrated,
| and cannot believe that Congress will
fail to afford the necessary relief.
There are three avenues of escape left
to the tin-plate manufacturers. VIZ: A
startling reduction in cost of raw material;
! second, reduction in wages, or, third,
sufficient protection to enable the American
manufacturer to compete with the Welsh
man, who has an advantage of more than
40 per cent in labor. There is little possi-
bility for lower steel, from the fact that
och she uses e OF ba steel are SO many and the
hausted, the steel makers could hardly be
| expected to furnish tin-plate bars at a
lower price than they could get for their
steel in other quarters. reduction OF
wages could hardly be looked for nor am I
at all certain that as Americans do we want
1t. Consequently, the only available relief in
| sight is a reasonable amount of protection
that will enable the tin-plate manufacture
ers to exist. That we can make tin plate
and better tin plate in America than we
could import has been demonstrated beyond
the possibility of doubt, and the only thing
that will prevent us from doing SO will be
that the tariff reductions under the Wilson
bill are so unfair and ~iniquitous as to pre-
vent us from operating.
"A further peculiar feature of the present
condition is that if the tin-plate mills OF
America shut down (and shut down they
surely Wild, the American market is then
at the mercy of the foreigner. The his
tory Of the commercial world shows that
in the absence of competition prices ad-
vance, and then the remarkable condition
will prevail of reduced tariff and much
higher price for finished product, and we
are unable to help ourselves, for should
the prices be advanced by the Welshman
from this cause. the American manufacture
er could not afford to start his mill be-
cause the moment he did so the Welshman
by reason of his decreased cost of labor,
could and would at once reduce the price OF
tin plates to such figure as to prevent the
American manufacturer from doing busi-
ness"
Mr.. Jackson spoke in earnest manner
and was well supplied with figures to prove
| his assertions.