The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-04-29
1IN-PLATE TRADE OF Wales
Competition for the Tin.llate Trade
Betweea America and Wales.
AMERICAN EDITOR At CARDIFF
The Falling OFF OF the Thu Plate Trade In
Wales Attributed to the Uarea.
sousbis Dsmands Of the
wOTi;ingmeu.

sousbis demands OF the
wori.insmeu.
The well known editor Of the Ameri-
can Artisan Is now on a Visit In Car
diff and Is the guest Of the editor-in-
chief of the Western Mail. He was In
terviewed by one Of the reporters OF
that paper ON the tin plate situation,
which is as follows:
How Is II that the tin plate trade
with America has seriously fallen on
Of late?"
because your manufacturers do not
compete with ours now." replied MI
Stern. "You used to contend in Wales
some years ago that tin plates could
not be made successfully In America,
but, as matter of fact, we are max
ing tin plates now and in competition
with Wales"
"And how has this change in position
of things come about?"
II claim that the workmen of Wales
are responsible for 1t, and, indirectly:
the masters, for allowing the workmen
to dictate to them. The tin plate trade
was once considered indigenous to
Wales. and never should have been
transplanted, but now 1t has gone. and
not only America, but Spain. France
with Wales. The Welsh workmen are
acting very unwisely. and how they
tolerate such a lot of agitators as those
who now lead them by the nose Is
matter of surprise to me. They have
been preaching for years In favor OF re-
striction OF make. but l have yet to
hear Of the first valid reason for sup
posing that restriction of make will
prevent competition. Nine-tenths OF
the machinery we use In America Is
Welsh machinery. The labor agitators
more than thirty-six boxes to the turn.
But in America the workmen turn out
nearly twice as many boxes with the
same machinery in eight hours and are
receiving double the amount of wages.
Sometimes we have Welsh workmen
and sometimes American workmen,
and the minimum quantity turned out
Is fifty-six boxes. In some places the
average is as high as sixty and sixty
four boxes per turn. AS we get double
the quantity of work turned out that
you do here, IL naturally follows that
the cost of production-the work being
done by the same kind Of machinery
as you have here-would be very much
less"
Then you think restriction of out
put Is u delusion and a snare?"
1.-THE restriction of output might have
affected the prices when Wales had q
monopoly. But Wales has no monopo-
ly now. II you did not make a box in
twenty years it would not affect us In
America"
Does your observation of the present
state of the Welsh trade enable you to
suggest a remedy?"
III you can make tinplate cheaper
here than In America we would buy
them, but the way in which the men
carry on things here makes 1t impos-
sible for Welsh manufacturers to conf
pete with us. My suggestion Is that
the masters shall endeavor to educate
the workmen and show them that the
restriction Of the make has been their
curse. The wOrkmen do not control the
mills In America. Every year the
amalgamated association Of the rep
resentatives Of the masters and men
holds q meeting and there is a confer
ence, which lasts sometimes one day,
sometimes q week. There are some hot
fights at these conferences. but eventu-
ally sliding scale Is settled upon, and
they all stick to 1t. The American
workman has got the interest of his
employer at heart, but with you in
Wales 1t seems to me the workmen are
jealous II their masters make dollar.
Then you think there ought to be
better feeling existing between mas
ters and wOrkmen here?"
THE workmen and the masters
should certainly work more in unison,
and the men should not allow them
selves to be led away by such set of
agitators as those now at their head.
II trade across the water got anything
like as bad as the tinplate trade Is here,
and II men carried on things with such
high hand, the masters would starve
them out and get rid Of the agitators.
And I may say here that the masters
in Wales will never get any satisfac-
ton as long as the present agitators are
at the head Of the workmen. Another
thing responsible for the tinpiate trade
being driven from this district is the
jealousy that exists between the mas
ters themselves. My suggestion Is that
Welsh tinplate manufacturers should
now try to make tinplates as cheaply
as possible, and the workmen should
assist them In doing this and not allow
themselves to be misled by ignorant
agitators."
Are the American plate of as good
quality as the Welsh plates?"
"There Is no question about quality.
We get our materials from the same
place as you do yours. and II you can
not make tinplate more cheaply than
your competitors In America and on
the continent you may as we'll not make
them at all"
Mr.. Stern also said he did not UNDER
stand why the Welsh manufacturer did
not encourage the use of tin-plates for
roofs which could be made impervious
to water and storm proof. They used
millions of boxes Of tin every year
in America for this purpose, and
why could it not be done here
A suggestion which he had made
in this direction the other day was
commented upon at the Swan
sea Exchange. and very prominent
builder made the statement that he had
investigated the matter and found that
the difference in the cost between slate
roofing and tin-plate roofing was as be-
tween I'd. and 111sd. Slate would. Of
course, last longer than tin for roof
ing purposes. but then the difference in
the price made up for any shortcoming
| Of that kind. The walls and rafters
need NOT be so substantial to hold a
| tin-plate roof as slate roof, and this
would. of course, be great advantage
in its favor. In America the tin-plates
| used for roofing purposes were covered
| with red oxide Of iron paint, and this
would preserve them and keep out the
moisture"
"Tin-plating is also used for variety
| Of other purposes in America" con-
tinued Mr. Stern. "and I would advise
that Welsh manufacturers should look
out for new markets. BY the bye. In
order that tin-plate roofing should be
satisfactory, the plates would have to
be fixed on the lock-seam principle. and
not by driving few nails into them" "
| II understood that the tin-plate in
dustry is not in very healthy condi-
ton in America just now?"
| THAT Is SO, and the reason of 1t Is
| that a great many manufacturers have
accepted bonuses in the shane of land