Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1900-07-04
THE TIN PLATE1'RADE
500. COO, 900 SAVED TO THE
uNI-ED STATES.
No Longer at the Mercy of the Welsh
Trust Which Was Independent of
Our Laws and Contributed Nothing
to Our Revenue.

The manufacture of tin plate IN the
United States was created by the Me-
Kinley tariff of 1890, the particular
section relating to tin and tin pl-ee
going into effect on July !, iSSSSii, said
Gen. Dick, secretary of the Republic
an national committee.
From that date until the end of
1899 we have produced in this country
,404,552 tons Of an article for which
there is a great demand here and which
both our late president. Mr.. Cleveland,
and the Democratic prospective Presi-
dent, Mr.. Bryan, declared could never
be made in the United States
Under che Mckinley tariff of %
cents per pound, our tin plate industry
ttrived. 1t was permitted TO exist I'M
der the Wilson bill, with duty Of IL
cents per pound, but 1t would not have
lived under the Wilson bill had not
manufacturers been enabled to run
their plants at lower cost, partly due
10 the cheapness of wages, and partly
due to the cheapness of RAJ material,
beth conditions of cheapness being pro-
ducts OF the Democratic fr' ,-trade
tariff.
Stimulated again by the Dingley pro-
tective tariff, the tin plate industry now
gives employment to thousands of
workers at wa ges much higher even
than those paid under the Mckinley
tariff of 1890. Consumers, moreover,
are buying their tin plate at much low
er prices than before the enactment of
the Mckinley law.
immediately preceding the estab-
lishment of this industry in 1891, we
paid to the Welsh manufacturer al
most $26,000000 for their tin plate. Our
average imports had been at the rate of
$20,000,000 a year. Last year we i'm
ported less than 100000 worth, so
that there has been saved to this coun-
try upward of S1o000o,000 at least
through the establishment of the tin
plate industry.
COLLECTION is made by our Democrat
ic friends to the tin plate industry be-
cause there has been an advance in its
price In the last two years. But this
! advance has been less than the average
advance of iron and steel articles, and
it is fully in harmony with advances in
the cost of raw materials, and with the
advance in the price of tin plate in
Wales
Another objection made by the Dem
ocrats to the tin plate industry is that
II is now controlled by a trust. but they
never made any objection TO the con
troll of our market b. the British tin
plate trust before the establishment
| Of our own industry.
THE tin plate trade in Wales is reg
ulated by the manufacturers, and
every pound of their product is sold
| through one selling agent, no matter to
what part of the world it may be ship
| ped There was no getting away from
the prices that the tin plate trust want
| cd to charge. They eXtorted from us
! whatever products they saw fit, and the
| Democratic party fought tooth and nail
when the Republicans attempted to di-
vert the profits of this business into our
| own channels.
Admitting that there is tin plate
| trust, is it still not better that our re-
| quirements should be filled by trust
in this country, rather than by trust
| in Wales? The American trust is sub
| ject to American laws. 1t pays Ameri-
| can taxes. The British trust is not sub
| ject 10 our laws, and contributes not 1
| cent TO our system of taxation or rev.
| enue.
Another reason why, It seems to
me, an American tin plate trust Is bet
| ter than Welsh tin plate trust is be-
cause the American institution has
| built factories here, has created a de-
mand for building material and for ma
! chinery. TIE Welsh tin plate trust
| buys its , tilding material and ma
chlnery i England. Still another, and
! the mos important reason why the
/ American tin plate trust is more adj
vantageous to US than the Welsh tin
plate trust is because the American con-
Germ employees thousands and thou
sands OF men here, paying them among
! the highest rates of wages that are re-
ceiyed by any wage earners in this
country. The Welsh tin plate trust, on
| the other hand, employees English la
| Dor, paying low wages, which are spent
| in Wales. whereas the earnings of our
| workmen are spent right here at home,
! creating a demand for the products Of
I our farms and other factories.
/ Naturally the Democrats do not like
any thing that even suggests prosperity
| for their country. Mr.. Bryan, their
| leader. is for free trade, and should he
| he nominated for and elected to the Of
| ice of President this year, then the
| American tin plate manufacturers, and
| the workers in those mills. can rest as
| sured that every effort will be made
! by the Democratic party TO strike a
| blow at the American tin plate indus
| try. which will divert an annual bust
ness of at least S25,000, 900 into the
pockets of their friends, the English
manufacturers and English wage-earn-
| ers"
The Movement of Gold.
The following statement of the move
ment of gold to and from the United
| States is interesting:
| Calendar Excess Of
year. Exports. Imports exports.
1894 SIOf 07S $50 sol .s59l COZ $50 ff2S CgS9