Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-10-16

Rise in tin, per box. g. e.
Rise in labor, per box............. 70
ttlse III otnef 4.efi-s, per pdA..-..- 10
Total rise in all items, per box.....s 1.7a
October g. tin plates, per box......-.S 10
November Is, tin plates, per box. go
increased cost product............... LIB
g Es4a9, in .+ p5olalt i i;ss.... 3. g
Present profit .............-......... ~
Profit on 100000 boxes. ........ 650, oOl
I per cent on preferred stock. l,260Oco
70 per cent. on common stock...... S,S6o,ooe
Percentage water in common stock. lc0
Percentage water in preferred stock.... ~
Percentage profit on value plants. Az
The above estimate of profits does
not include the S1,OoO,0OO which the
| consolidated or trust method of pro-
duction was to save in expenses. That
| 81 cents per box is not far from the
present actual profit is asserted by
those in the trade who have heard Of
fcers of the trust say that the present
cost of producing plates is close to 81
per box.
THE TIN PLATE BAR TRUST.
But the officers of this trust do not
get all OF their tariff profits from this
trust. AS stated before, they organic
ed the National Steel Company to con-
troll the principal raw material of tin
plates. 1t matters but little wheher
they sell Bessemer bars to themselves
at low price and take all of their Ia
riff profits in tinplates, or whether they
mark up bars and get much Of their
profits from that source. They have
concluded that it looks better to COM
promise and to take profits on both Ia
| riff trusts.
Last November tin plate bars were
selling in England at ga 15s.-$23.0S.
They are now selling at G6 5s.-$30.42.
Hence the foreign advance has been
only 1874 while the advance at Pitts
burg has been $4,000. While not all
this Inference $1566-is chargeable
to the tariff, it is evident that the pre-
sent high prices could not be main
tanned were there no duty on imported
STEEL
Again the price of English tin plates
in bond has gone up only $1.O5 per box
from $3.50 in November to $685. at
nrncnp+ ub;1o +ba prioo of hy,or;naY,
til plates has gone up $500. The diff
ference, 95 cents, probably represents
the amount of tariff profits which are
MIXED from the tin plate and tin plate
bar trusts by the one set Of men.
THE TARIFF CURSE.
1t is thus clear that protection" is
responsible for the tin plate trust and
| its many sins. The tin plate indus
try, because it came as an industrial
mendicant, has always been curse to
this country. 1t began by interfering
with or running thousands of we'll es-
tablished and independent concerns
which asked for no governmental aid
but only to be left alone. Because OF
the increased cost Of tin cans in 1891
canning factories were compelled to re-
! duce wages, discharge hands and pay
lower prices for vegetables and fruits.
| The loss to farmers who have since
been unable to sell their surplus pro-
ducts to Gamers has been enormous.
of cheap canned goods is also great.
But dear tin and sugar here have help
ed to more firmly establish the canning
Industry in England from whence we
get much of our jam and marmelades
after paying tariff duty on them.
How the tariff operates is told by
the Wilmington, Del, Every Evening
of about October 1st After stating
that 8 pound cans had advanced from
AS to $3.50 per 100 and that the in
creased cost was limiting the amount
of tomatoes canned as we'll as the
prices paid to growers, who are losing
a large part of their crops, Every
Evening" says. CAS- the protective ia
| riff makes it possible for American tin
plate manufacturers to increase the
| price of tin, and this increase restricts
| the operations Of the Gamers, with the
| consequent loss to farmers who have
raised large quantities of tomatoes and
| cannot find the expected profitable
market for them, the tariff, therefore,
is the basic cause Of the farmers i'll
| success. The farmers have been indus
trious and brought forth large crops OF
| the fruit of their labors. The tariff in
terriers with profitable disposal OF
these crops. Thus the tariff Injuries
the farmers, instead of confering a ben
eft upon them"
Had there been no duty at all the tin
plate industry would probably have es-
tablished itself here during the cheap
iron and steel era, from 1888, as did
the bicycle and other steel industries.
It was, in fact, cheap steel which made
possible the very rapid growth Of the
tin plate industry under the compare
lively low duties Of the Wilson bill.
Let Congress abolish the duties on
imported tin plates and we shall at