Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1902-08-08
Concerning Infant industries.

a few foolish Republicans have allowed
themselves to drift in'o ridicuie OF the
beet sugar Industry because IL has not
vet reached great dimension. American
beet sugar has made highly encourag
ing start. in view Of the cost of original
plants. There is not the slightest reas.
on t. suppose that the industry cannot
be rendered a. successful IN the Unlted
States as IL Is Germany and France, two
countries that produce more beet sugar
than their inhabitants can use. NJ
country consumes as much sugar as the
United states or pays - much for the
imported artio,c; So the field for the
home production ot sugar Is one of the
vast extent The lumber Of beet sugar
factories In this country has increased
in five years from seven 90 forty two and
the tons produced annually from 10000
to IN5 600. NV plants projected for
the present year number 50, with capt
tai of so 900 600, capable Of an annual
output of 800 600 tons and calling for
S2O 600, COO worth of beets from farmers.
Why any Republican paper should select
this interest for an exceptional assault
can only o. explained by the superstition
that the editor is secret enemy of the
protective policy or silly victim Of
Democratic wies
Twelve years ago Democratic papers
tried 10 laugh down the idea that the
United States by any protective measure
could produce itsovn tin plate Ameri-
cans at that time were getting their sup.
ply Of tin plate from the huge British
trust in South Wales and Monmouth.
shire which employed the cheapest labor
and followed Anticipated methods.
Though the cost Of steel plates bad great
ly fallen the trust reduc d their prices
but little. The United States led all
nations in It's demand for tint plate BY
the Mckinley tariff OF 1890 the duty on
tin plate was increased % % cents
pound. A Democratic howl Of derision
followed I'm the ensuing campaign
peddlers were sent ont by ID mocrat.c
committees 90 offer Tin cups at - cents
each and to say that the new tariff ON
tin plate was responsible for the in
creased cost. The amended tariff on
tin went into effect July L. 1881. with
the proviso that if at the end of six years
the American production of TN plate
did not equal one.tnird of the importa.
tion they should be placed on the free
list.
What has been the outcome Of the
protective duty on tin plate, the infant
industry Of dozen years ago, which
was the target of Democratic j.bes and
declared % be a myth The official an.
swer can be found in the publications of
the latest federal census In 1900 there
were s,xry-six tn plate establishments
In the United states with "a capital of
S2l,ls, ,302, employing n. S3G wage ear.
ners, paying wages amounting 90 SlO..
2Ss 0Gi year, and turuiH. out products
valued 40 Sil 1872 0j3 The American
production OF tin and terue plate in 1902
wss 42,1l3, 1g2 pounds; In ls94,I66.343.-
400 pounds ia ls9-, 532 PSI. 600 pounds,
aud a census bulletin says that 1t is ar
least probable that the production of tin
and terne plate IN the United States IN
1900 exceeded by several thousand tons
the total production OF Great Britain. "
American beet sugar Is just as certain 10
Importance as was American tin. and
through the same agency Of Republican
protection. No real Republican chime.
in with Democrats IN making sport OF
any "infaut American industry" Tn,
vast manufacturing interests q tn,
United States have all passed through
that stage, aided by the protective prin
ciples that have been a vital part Of Re.
pubicanism ever since the party wa
1orl.