The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-11-09

the mugwumps ard Democratic press
over the tin plate schsdu In the NC
KINLEY tariff bill.
At the time OF the preparation OF tLi'
measure the "protec'ion of American In
dustries" idea, which in it's inception
was net political Issue bnt was policy
unanimously approved that had for ~
OF jsct the Establishment and building up
10 a self supporting position American
industries. had become TO mean rather
protection TO American industrial labor
than to American capital. The protee-
tive tariff policy. as distinguished from
the revenue tariff idea, mad come to
mean that in securing revenue from
imports taxes Should be so placed as 10
protect the scale OF wages to which
American workingnCn bau become ac-
customed, the state OF development OF
American industries having IN every
otner respect placed them on a footing
of equality with similar industries az
existing in other countries.
But the tin plate schedule contem-
| plsted the founding OF an infant indus
try and it's building up under the pro-
lection OF mn import tax exactly as prac-
ticaIly every Industry in the country
was originally founded and built up. The
"inmnt industry" idea bad in most
cases become a matter of slurring joke
to the Mugwdmp press In light Of the
evident size and prosperity OF our indus
tries In general, which, indeed, needed
no more protection to sustain them. tx-
cept to enatle them TO pay their am
| ployes the prices for their labor 10
which they had bscome accustomed.
| But, strangely enough, the proposition to
make use OF protection to establish new
INDUSTRY, that of tin plate, was loudly
scoffed at, regardless Of the evident fact
That by this schedule the protective tarif
was invoked to do in the case of the tin
plate manufacturing what had been
SUCCESSFULLY done In behalf OF so many in-
dustries with the unanimous consent and
approval OF the peoI 10 many years before.
| Tn. just plea was that with sufficient
protection Americans could make ihtir
own tin plate as they had been enabled
| to establish themss Ives In woolen, iron and
other brapcnes of industry. Neserthe'
les, IT was largely because of the tin
| plate schedule that the Republicans wcrs
debated and 'tarit' reform" was en-
dorsed In 1892. b csuse 1T was argued,
foi soctb. that there wes no tin Tlate ir'
dustry IN the country, ana SO proieclior
I for wha, did not exist was evidsntl
iclly! And, abturd az thst argument
wss, 1t led a great many Leople astrsy.
IRE response # itsl to tho protec
tlon offered IL was nevertheless, prompt
ana notable. although the establishment
Of ,y.e plate fictorios was one Of the mug
wump campaign jpkes cf 1892. and tho
&C, uai facts shout them were freely LIED
abo.tand dIscrediled by the tariff reform
can p igners. Today, however, the pro
| due. ion oil the ~ te is an American IN
| s.,.. ~ ra,c,ntz "A innor.onfe Aero I'd
ing TO repcrt OF the, treasury depart
n.eut Just Issued, during the hscu ye"l
enoed June 80, ,lst6. the Iroduc ion In The
| United States OF commercial tin ano
terne atcs was sU7, ,z2s,6ci pounds,
against 1913, s0I, ,L73 pounds produced dur
ing the previous fiscal year, showing
thereby an Increased rroiuctio on OF more
thso 5S per cent. of the production fol
the year, 3L3. oC2, ,00s pounds, or more thar
OSLO per cent, we're made from sheets rolled
in the United States, against about s3 pc
cent. made from such sheets during th'
fiscal year ended June so, 1925.
More than 30 firms have been engaged
in his production. Thirty-six rolling
mills are Producing black plates FIT,
OF the mills use only American plate IL
their product, ana the balance, 3, u.s.
some foreign plate.
In a word, the protection resulted II
establishing a new industry here at tn
end OF the century quite as successfully
though, OF course, more rapidly than,
protection tariff ever old.