Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1897-11-20
A GENERAL REVIEW.
Protection and Free Trade Measured
by Actual Results.

Office report, miscellaneous series
No. 426, 1897, pays an involuntary
tribute to the protection system o
the United States. One Of the secre
taries Of the British legation in Wash
ington has forwarded under the di
rection of Sir Julian Paunceiort the
British Minister, a report on 1.-THE
Tin Plate Industry in the United
States. 1t is interesting reading
The Secretary reminds one of that
history of Ireland in which a chapter
was headed THE Snakes OF Ireland
and the contents of the chapther were
"There are no snakes in Ireland.
So in his report Mr., O'Beirne, the
secretary says there was no tin plate
industry in the United States prior tc
Oct. l. 1890, the date of the enact.
ment of the Mckinley law. at which
time, . he says, "The United States
market was wholly supplied by
South Wales.
The Mckinley law put duty 2
cents pound on tin and terne plates
and Mr. O'Eeirne says the industry
developed rapidly under the innu-
epce of the new tariff. = He shows
from the Treasury reports, tLat for
the year ending June 3d. 1892, the
production was -. 600, 900 pounds,
for the next year 10000, 900 pounds
and for the year ending June 80, 1894
it was I3o, 900, 900 pounds. The Cor
man law imposing duty of o5 cents
was enacted i'll 1894. The Wilson
bill as it came from the House put
tin plate on the free list, but German
would not permit the industry to be
destroyed. Mr.. O'Beirne says of this
law: The industry, however, was
by this time firmly established and
continued to develop, showing an out
put of 1913, 600, 600 pounds and 3o7,-
600, 900 pounds respectively for
the years 1895 and 1896" This tes-
timony is valuable but the most valu-
able clause of the report is as follows
The importation of British plates
with rebate of duty by American
canned goods exporters, which has
formed very important branch of
the Welsh trade with the United
States in late years, is likely to re-
main as large as ever
The attention OF Senator Aldrich
and Mr.. Dingley is respectfully called
to this statement, with this question,
WHY should not American canned
goods be exported in cans made of
American tin?" To show the value
of the tin plate industry to the coun-
try it is only necessary to turn to our
tables of imports. These show that
i'll the three years 1888, 1880 and
1890 the importation of tin and terne
plates was SOL, so, I47, an average of
$50, $40 no a year. For the years
1894. 1895 and 1896 the imports were
$50 o64, 254, an average for the three
years of SII,o2I Alb, and for the last
year, 1896, were only s., $50, $50,
,,, less than half the average of
imports before the Mckinley law
welt into effect,
Il g Dunn & Co, in their weekly
report say:
Wheat dropped over two cents,
out las risen since MS much with
heavy buying for export. Western
receipts continue heavy, in two
weeks, ID, o28, oo7 bushels against
10, sSI, 1872 last year, while Atlantic
exports, flour included, have been
6, 562, o25 bushels against 3,o2I,23I
last year. An English authority
reckons the worlds yield at 16I, 900,
900 bushels less than last year. which
would mean a market for all this
country has to spare.
Corn exports are again larger than
last year, and the price has risen 1 .625
cents. Later prices of meats do not
indicate that farmers have as yet much
inducement to save corn for feeding.
Wooden mills generally have orders
for three months ahead and are not
seeking further engagements. Large
sales of speculative lots of wool at
prices not stated suggest that it may
be lower before the mills need further
orders. A year ago the Price began
to mount, with heavy speculation, and
has risen SO per cent without reaction
in quotations, while the rise in goods
averages but IA per cent. Wheat has
increased in price at least fifty pei
cent What do the farmers think Of