Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1900-08-23
THETIN PLATE INDUSTRY
M'KINLEY's MEASURE SAVES $780,.
100000 TO THE UNITED STATES.

We Are NO Longer 0t tn0 mercy OF tno
Welsh Trust Which Was independent
of Our Laws and Contributed Moth.
ing to Our Revenue.
"The manufacture of tin plate in the
United States was created by the Nc
Kinley tariff of 1890, the particular
section relating to tin and tin plate
going into effect on July /, 1891" said
General Dick, Secretary Of the Repub-
lican National Committee.
'From that date until the end of
1890 we have produced in this country
1,4O4, ,552 tons of an article for which
there is 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 the Mckinley tariff of %
cents per pound, our tin plate industry
thrived. 1t was per lifted to exist un-
der the Wilson bill, with a duty of IL
cents per pound, but it would not have
lived under the Wilson bill had not
manufacturers been enabled to run
their plates at q lower cost, partly due
to the cheapness Of wages, and partly
due to the cheapness of raw material,
both conditions of cheapness being pro-
ducts of the Democratic free-trade
tariff.
"Stimulated again by the Dingley
protective tariff, the tin plate indus
try now gives employment to thou
sands of workers at wages much high
er even than those paid under the
Mckinley tariff of 1890. Consumers.
moreover, are buying their tin plate
at much lower prices than before the
enactment of the Mckinley law.
Immediately preceding the estab-
lishment of this industry in 1891, we
paid to the Welsh manufacturers al
most $26,000,000 for their tin plate.
Our average imports had been at the
rate of $2O,00O,OO0 a year. Last year
we imported less than S4,0O0,000
worth, so that there has been saved
to this country upward of $100,000,000
at least through the establishment of
the tin plate industry.
"Objection Is made b. our Democrat
ic friends to the tin plate industry be-
cause there has been cN advance in its
price in the last two years. But this
advance has been less than the aver
age advance of iron and steel articles,
and it is fully in harmony with adj
vances in the cost of raw materials,
and with the advance in the price Of
tin plate in Wales.
Another objection made by the
Democrats to the tin plate industry is
that it is now controlled by trust,
but they never made any objection
to the control of our market by the
British Tin Plate Trust before the es-
tablishment 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
shipped. There was no getting away
from the prices that the Tin Plate
Trust wanted to charge. They eX-
torted from us whatever products they
saw fit. and the Democratic party
fought tooth and nail when the Re-
publicans attempted to divert the
profits of this business into our own
channels.
Admitting that there is Tin Plate
Trust, is it still not better that cur
requirements should be filled by
trust in this country, rather than by
a trust in Wales? The American trust
is subject to American laws. 1t pays
American taxes. The British trust is
10 Ia t,.il
utes not one cent to our system of
taxation or revenue.
Another reason why, it seems to
me, an American Tin Plate Trust is
better than Welsh Tin Plate Trust
is because the American institution
has built factories here, has created
n demand for building material and
Plate Trust buys it's building material
and machinery in England. Still an
other. and the most important reason
why the American Tin Plate Trust is
more advantageous TO us than the
Welsh Tin Plate Trust is because the
American concern employs thousands
and thousands of men here, paying
titiH uiiiouS tHc Hisutst TuttS VI
wages that are received by any wage
earners in this country. The Welsh
Tin Plate Trust, on the other hand.
employs English labor. paying low
wages. which are spent in Wales,
whereas the earnings of our workmen
are spent right here at home, creating
Il demand for the products of our
farms and other factories.
Naturally the Democrats do not like
anything 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 office of President this year. then
the American tin plat, manufacturers.
and the workers In those mills. can
rest assured that every effort will be
made by the Democratic party To
strike blow at the American tin
plate industry, which will divert an
animal husinacs Of at Iaast nnn ann