St. Paul daily globe., 1895-12-28
MORE TIN PLATE FACTS.


1t would be too bad if the demand
Of our Republican friends for a return
to the Mckinley tariff on tin plate
should be allowed to subside, now that
the manufacturers themselves have de.
cided that this is an inopportune time
to ask for more protection. Heaven
forfend that we should dismiss the pa,
trfotic appeal which was made only a
few weeks ago, and fortified by quo
tations from Bradstreet's and other
trade journals, for an increase Of the
duty, lest our great American tin plate
Industry should die for want of sus>
tenance. 1t cannot be that conditions
have been so completely reversed in
30 short a time as to make unneces-
sary now what was thing vital at
that recent date. 1t is instructive, in
this connection, to look at the tin plate
question from the opposite side We
have before US some copies of the
weekly tin plate report issued by one
of the principal exporters in Liver
pool. This is not got up for its effect
upon markets or legislatures. 1t is the
ordinary commercial. statement sent
out to Customers containing full lists
of prices and a summary Of trade con-
ditions.
The report, which bears the date of
Dec. 9th, and is addressed to all deal
ers having relations with the firm,
1a1,io Itch
with this statement: Our market Is
entirely without life, and transactions
Of any magnitude few and far between.
Makers are growing very disheartened;
and unless appreciable concessions
can be obtained from the men, it is
probable that many mills will not re-
open after the Christmas holidays"
After giving a summary Of prices, the
statement concludes with the assertion
that the market is within sixpence of
the lowest figures eVer-~touched, in
spite of the greatly enhanced costs.
The statement of Dec. 18th, a week
later and only two weeks ago, is not
more promising. Again we quote its
terly failing and listless, with special
bargains to be picked up now and then
by buyers in the position to act on
the instant without referring. Unless
a marked improvement starts in at
an early date, which is hardly to be
expected, many works will have to
shut down."
This is a description of the condition
OF the British tin plate market, and Of
the outlook for the British manufact-
urers 1t is a situation that has come
about during the operation of the re-
duced tariff on tin plate, imposed by
the act now in force. 1t shows that,
under existing rates of duty, the COM
petition of the American with the
British manufacturer is sufficiently
effective to keep prices at almost the
lowest limit they have ever reached.
1t shows that the British tin plate
maker does not find, under this tariff,
against which his American competitor
has been protesting, that the United
States market is available. On the
contrary, the demand has so nearly
ceased that the outlook is for a sum-
mary closing down of a part of the
British mills.
Still more remarkable than this is
the statement of British exports Of
tin plate; because it shows that, under
the operation of a low tariff, the Brit
ish mills have been obliged to cur
tail their sales in the United States
and to seek, in other markets. for an
Expansion Of their trade. The export
of tin plates, including black plates
for timing, to the United States in
the month of November, 1893, were 49,
495 tons, as against 11145 tons to all
other countries. For the same month
In 1895 the export to the United States
had increased only to 6,933 tons, while
those of other countries had become