Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-08-18
PIG TIN IMPORTS GROW,
Recent Large Expansion of Our Tin
Plate Industry.

Washington, Aug. Interpretations
of pig tin into the United States in the
past year were larger than in any pre-
ceding year. The statistics of the
years imports as presented by the De-
partment of Commerce and Labor
through it's Bureau of Statistics, show
that the importations of tin were 6S,-
900, 900 pounds, valued at more than
1923, 900, COO. In 1890 the importations
We're g., 600, 900 pounds, valued at about
$7,000000.
These figures of the years importa-
ton of tin, and the growth in the i'm
portation since 1890, are especially in
teresting in view of the recent imposi-
ton of a duty on expectations of tin
ore from the British colonies of the
Malayan Peninsula. The rapid growth
in the use of tin in the United States,
coupled with the fact that practically
none of that article is produced in this
country, suggested the importation of
tin in the form of ore, and the smelt-
ina of the ore and manufacture of the
pig tin at home. a plant for this pur-
pose has been erected in the United
States, and the shipment of ore from
the Malayan Peninsula was about to
begin, when the Department of Com
merce and Labor received word
through the reports of the United
States consul at Straits Settlements,
that an export duty of $50 per picul
033 pounds) had been levied on tin ore
exported; the purpose of this export
tax on the ore being to prevent its ex-
portation in the natural state, and to
retain for the people of the Malayan
States for the profits of smelling.
Whether this will terminate the
project of importing the ore into the
United States for smelling cannot yet
be told. The Malayan States now
produce more than half of the tin
which enters into the commerce of the
world, their total shipments in 1901 be
ing $4,000 tons, out of a total of 5000
tons entering the markets of the world
in that year. Next in Importance i'll
the tin product of the world after that
of the Malayan States, is that of the
Dutch East Indies, which marketed
about 10000 tons i'll 1901, Bolivia about
10000 tons, Australia about 1000 tons
and Wales about 1900 tons. Whether
the proposed shelters of the United
States will be able to obtain ore for
their new works elsewhere, now that
the importation from the Malayan
States is practically prohibited by the
new export duty. is not known. 1t is,
however, an interesting fact that three
fourths of the worlds tin comes from
parts of the world not far distant from
the Philippine Islands, and this fact,
coupled with the growing demand for
tin in the United States, may lead to
careful examination. as to the POSSIBLE
ity of tin production in the Philip
pines.
OF our importation of tin last year
47,C0J,000 pounds came from the East
Indies, 35,O00,0O0 from the United
Kingdom and about 100000 from the
Netherlands.
1t must not be supposed that all of
the tin imported into the United
States is used in the manufacture of
tin plate, though a large share of it is
utilized in that industry. Prior to the
beginning of the manufacture of tin
plate there We're considerable impor-
tations of tin ranging from 10000, 900
to 10000, 5000 pounds per annum, and in
1890 it was 35,000,000 pounds. The
manufacture of tin plate practically
began in 1891, the total production of
that year being about 1000 tons; by
1895 it was 100000 tons; by 1900 it was
5000 tons, and in 1902 $4,000 tons.
Meantime the importation of pig tin
grew from 35,000,0O0 pounds in 1890 to
Al, coo in 1895, 10000, 90 in 1900 and S.
0o0,00O in 1903-fscal year just ended.
The decrease in the importations of
tin plate has about kept pace With the
increase in the importations of tin, and
the manufacture of tin plate at home
In 1890 the importations of tin plate |
to 6SO,000C0O pounds: in 1895,
50SOOO,000 pounds; in 1900, 147, 900, 900 |
pounds, and in 1908, 100000 coo pounds, |
Meantime expectation of domestic tin |
plate has begun in a small way begin
ming with about 10000 pounds in 1898 |
ana amounting to about 100000 |
pounds in 1908. About 100000 900 pounds
OF American tin was also sent to !
Alaska last year for use in the manu-
facture of tin cans, in which 81, 1000, 600 |
worth of Alaskan salmon was packed |
and shipped to the United States.