The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-09-24
TIN PLATE REPORT.
England Can Compete Only ON the
Pacific Coast.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 23.-Michael
O'Bierne, second secretary of the Brit
ish embassy here, has made a special
report to the British foreign office on
the American tin-plate industry, and
it has been issued from the foreign Of
flee as an official document. Accord
ing to the report, the United States tin
plate industry dates practically from
the Mckinley tariff act at which time
the American market was wholly sup
piled by South Wales Mr.. O'Beirne
traces the gradual expansion of the in
dustry in this country and the use of
the domestic article in place of that
formerly imported from Wales. Sum-
ming up the situation for the last cal
endar year, he says:
''The position of the British export
trade may be summed up: The inter-
ior market was as whole, lost to
British exportery, but the meat pack
ers continue to use certain number
Of drawback plates, and there was
still a limited consumption of British
plates for certain special purposes. The
Atlantic coast still offered a very large
market for drawback plates arc
much reduced one for plates not in
tended to be re-eXported, and the gulf
coast took moderate huber of WEIGH
plates for local consumption. The only
section of the market that was still
wholly supplied by South Wales was
the Pacific Coast. Taking the Pacific
coast import at 54,000.000 pounds, that
of the gulf coast at 100000 pounds,
and that of drawbacks plates at $780,
0n0,0Gs pounds, there remains an i'm
port of 60,000,000 pounds of last year
for consumption in the United States
which must be distributed between
the Atlantic coast and interior points.
Under existing rates of duty" the re
port proceeds, land at present prices,
the only section of the American mar
ket in which British plates of ordinary
grades exclusive of drawback plates
can continue in the long run to COM
pete in, is the Pacific coast market,
representing an annual consumption
OF about 100000 pounds. In other
portions of the United States the only
importations that can be expected is
of a limited number of special brands,
suited for special purposes. And this
limited importation can only last so
long as the demand is not of sufficient
Importance to induce native manufac-
turers to make the necessary arrange
ments for reducing the special quail
tiles of tin plate which they are un-
doubtedly able to do"
In conclusion it is stated that after
a strict examination, it appears to
have been demonstrated that for
household or hard usage the British
tin outlasts the American product. 1t
is true, the British tin is not quite so
bright, but it is far more durable; has
a more substantial body; is more even
ly rolled; does not aggravate the tin
working machines on account of its
smooth body,s and does not rust o
quickly. For timing purposes the
American product is as good as the
British, the report says, but the latter
is preferable at usual prices. Amer
lean tin plate is brighter in cofor, but
it has not that working body as a rule;
the coating is not so evenly run and
does not make up as even and smooth
as the British article. The statement
is made also that Italian tin manu-
facturers have been making inquiries
in the West, and that Italian tin may
before long figure in the American
ma rl<et