Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1899-08-11
Correspondence Chicago Record.

Anderson, Ind. July -Simultan-
eously with the restraining of the tin
plate trust plants in this and other
states this week and the instruction
to the managers to pay the skilled
workers Is per cent advance over last
years wages notice has also been issued
of an increase in the market price
list on tin plate. BY this changed list
the price is advanced to $4.37 a box
an advance Of 90 cents at one jump.
This more than covers the advance in
the scale and shifts from the trust to
the consumer the task of paying the
increase in wages and at the same time
gives the trust good margin of gain.
The advance in wages affects about
1920 of the $500 workers in the tin
plate plants in this country. The
common laborers receive the same
wages as last year. The advance to
the skilled workers, it is estimated,
will amount to almost 100000 during
the working year.
NEARLY DOUBLED IN PRICE.
On $4-a-box basis the annual pro-
duction of the tin-plate industry of
country is $48,00o,0OO. OF this SO per-
cent is produced by the trust. When
the trust gained control Of the indus
try and the markets last October tin
plate was selling at $2.65 a box. In
eight months it has been advanced
S1.62. When the trust influence first
began to be felt on the market just
oneyear ago tin plate sold as low as
$2.35 box. The raise in the year has
been nearly s20,O0O,00O on the total
production. Against this advance in
price is 15 per cent advance in wages
to 1900, or about one-third of their
workmen, amounting to about $500, 900.
In the statements to the public the
statement is made that the trust has
advanced wages Is per cent. Striking
an average on all workers, over so per
cent of whom received no advance, the
increase is 5 per cent.
The tin plate trust was monopoly.
A fraction under 50 per cent of the
industry is controlled by it. There
are thirty-eight trust plants with a
total Of 279 mills. The independent
number three plants with a total OF
fourteen mills. Twelve of the indie.
pendent mills, however, are connected
with tinware factories, which take al
of their production, leaving but one
plant with two-mill capacity to com
pete with the trust. The trust practi
cally holds within it's hand the entire
market. 1t has absolute control of the
regulation of of prices and the settle
ment Of wage scales.
Tin plate is selling at "a higher figure
in the markets of the country to-day
than at any time since 1880. Up t6
1893 practically all of the tin plate
came from Wales and carried with il
shipping and'extra freight expenses
still the highest it reached for many
years was $3.50 box in 1892. Undel
the home industry regime, up to The
time the trust gained control, there
was a steady lowering of prices to til,
consumer. The number of plant
erected and the extension of the con
GERS attest the fact that manufacture
ers made money.
NURTURED BY THE TARIFF.
The industry has bee factor in poll
tics since 1892, when the tariff issu
was drawn practically on tin plate
During that campaign the "infant in
dustry" served as a political bugaboo
1t is claimed that the first tin-plat
plant erected in this country-at Ell
wood, Ind. and dedicated by Gov
William Mckinley of Ohio, Sept.
1892, was erected by the republican
national committee with money from
the campaign fund. The opening 0