The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-05-25
CIeVeIdnd's deSt
Hbout TinpIate.


Washington Letter in the Sun.
m URING the discussion of the Nc
ii ii Knley Tariff bill in 1880 Thomas
ii ii l.. Bunting, then representative
III in congress from Erie county, y.
Y, made a vigorous fight against
the proposed duty of 1-5 cents "A pound
ON tin and terre plate. These articles
Of general consumption were produced
almost exclusively in Wales and in the
counties of England adjoining Wales.
Mr.. Bunting was a packer of canned
goods at Hamburg, n. V, and he said
that the protective duty would compel
consumers of canned goods to pay an ad
ditional cent on every can of fruits, veg
ctables or meats they bought. The house,
nevertheless, placed a duty on tinplate
and the senate acquiesced in that action.
%.
In 1893 "A party of British journalists,
headed by Sir William Long, of Shelf
field. visited this country. In the party
were Lascelles Carr, editor of the Car
diff Mail. Sir Morgen Morgan and others.
During their visit to Washington they
called en- President Cleveland When lac
discovered that mcst of them were from
Wales he facetiously remarked: II
suppose, gentlemen, that you have come
to the United States TO try to discover
those mythical tinplate mills which were
to have been established under the tariff
bill adopted by the last Republican con-
gress." The president and his visitors,
who were naturally in sympathy with
him in this instarce, regarded the re-
mark Of Mr.. Cleveland as a particularly
brilliant joke, and they continued to laugh
over ii as long as they stayed in Wash
ington. When Lascelles Carr returned
to his own country he published a little
book in which he expressed his aston
ishment al the prosperity which he
q al ia Am prip
turing towns. He was particularly sur
prlsed that the mechanics of Eoungs-
town, O., were able to own their houses
I'm fee simple and To furnish them with
draperieS and carpets ana even musical
instruments, such as pianos which were
far beyond the reach of the average
British mechanic. He stated I'm this
little volume that he was astounded at
these evidences % tho overthrow of the
first principles Of political economy, but
he admitted that the prosperity existed,
Notwithstanding his own theoretical
opinions that a protective policy was
inlmical to the interests of the working
men.
ID
Ii is now nearly eight years since the
duty on tinplate went into effect and the
results OF those eight years of American
energy and enterprise, backed by the
American protective policy. are surpris-
ing alike to the advocates and the oppo-
nents Of that protective policy. In the
iirst six months of the industry. from
July to Dec. Fl, 1891, tho total production
of tin and tcrne plate, fthe latter being
used almost exclusively for roofing pur-
poses, was 2236,143 pounds. The first full
year of the manufacture Of Uncovered
plate In this country resulted in the
production Of upward of 1900, 900 pounds.
In 1898 the product was nearly tripled in
volume, reaching 123, 100000 pounds. From
that time there has been n steady in
crease until in the year 1898 the mills OF
the United States produced 49,, POO 900
pounds Of plate. The total product in the
seven and a half years, up 10 the Jlst Of
| last December was 2,235, 529 pounds OF
tin and terne plate.
To-
Instead OF increasing the cost OF canned
goods to the consumer, the duty on tin
plate has had q contrary effect. Tin cans
for packing purposes are sold today TO
packers 25 per cent. lower than in 1891,
and instead of depending upon the Welsh
product the packers are enabled to secure
every pound OF tin that they need right
| from the mills of the United States. In
other words, the tariff act of 1890 has alb
| solutely established a new industry, CIV
| ing employment to thousands of skilled
mechanics, who like the men Of Youngs-
| town, who created so profound an inn
| preston in the mind OF Mr. I.ascelles
| Carr and his associates, are able TO pos
| sess their own homes, to fit them up as
| no British workingman can, and to sup
| ply their families with better food than
| any British workingman can. And this
| has all been done through the tariff act
! OF 1890, commonly known as the McKin-