The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1895-08-02
THE TIN PLATE INDUSTRY,

The establishment of the tin plate
industry in this country is source of
worry to the free traders, for in spite
of all they can say, they cannot eX-
plain away the fact that it is the di-
rect outcome, and one Of the many
good results of the Mckinley law.
The attempt has been made by some
free trade writer's to show that the
people were really robbed by the in
crease of the tin plate duty by the
Mckinley law, but their effort is a
weak one, for they cannot get around
the fact that great industry has
been established and employment
given to thousands of men at good
wages, and the general benefits
to the country are many times
the amount of the increased
duty which may have been
paid. But this increased duty did not
come out of the people as the free
traders assert, as tin and tinware did
not increase in price, and in some in
stances was lower, showing that the
foreign manufacturer dropped his
price accordingly, or that the middle
men worked on narrower margin. So
that the assertions that the people
have actually paid more for the tin
consumed is merely theory. But
even if they have actually paid the
amount of the duty extra as asserted,
the investment has been good one,
for it has given the country another
great industry to help add to it's gen.
eral prosperity, and keeps to home
the vast sum of money which form
erly was sent abroad for tin plate.
Some idea of the foothold the indus
try has gained in this country, may
be obtained from the following which
we clip from the Minneapolis Journal:
A showing made in the last issue of
the Metal Worker, and semi-official in
character, relative to the tin-making
plants of the United States, will be of
no little Interest in view of the many
conflicting statements that have con-
tinually been made as to this new
branch of American industry. 1t may
be said in preface that the estimated
annual consumption of tin plate in
this country is not far from 100000
boxes, of which 100000 boxes repre-
sent plates imported, made into cans
and exported, with rebate of duty,
for toe oil and meat packing trades, or
used on the Pacific coast, which por-
tion of the country is at present out
of the reach of American plate makers.
This leaves 5,500,O00 boxes as the total
home consumption of tin. On July
1st, last, there were in actual opera
tion in this country 81 tin plate works
proper, rolling and Timing their own
black plates, while seven more, which
were in course of erection, reported
that they would be ready to begin
operations during the month or prior
to Sept. 30. Besides these there were
reports from four black plate mills, as
yet unfinished with Timing apparatus,
whose product was purchased and
used bp 20 dipping works, At very
conservative estimate, production
was at that date going forward at the
rate of not less than 100000 boxes
annually. Adding to the operating
plants nine mills, which for some rea-
son remain idle, the actual capacity
of the country is considerably over
100000 boxes every year. The seven
works under construction will have a
capacity for not less than 1,500 900
boxes annually. Thus it will be seen
that by fall American tin plate works
will have capacity to produce all the
tin used in this country, except the
small proportion noted above as be-
yOnd control. The historian of the
future, in chronicling the bewilder-
ing advancement of the American
metal industry, will have no more i'm
portant fact torecord than this almost
immediate control of our own markets,
especially in view of the manifold him
ORANGES to the work, the competition
of foreign tin makers, and the con-
slant fear of unsettling legislation.
Perhaps there has never been more
complete change in leading manu-
facture, or a more rapid elimination
of great foreign competitor than in
the tin-making industry of the United
States.