The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-08-14
HALAYAN DUTY ON TIN
WORRIES SHELTERS
Must Seek Elsewhere for
Raw Material.
PHILIPPINES OFFER HOPE
New Possessions in Far East in the
Ore Belt-Some Interesting
Figures.


States in the past year were larger than
in any preceding year. The statistics
of the years imports as presented by the
Department of Commerce and Labor
through it's Bureau of Statistics, show
that the importations of tin were S.
600 0C0 pounds, valued at more than
S2S, GOO, 600 In 1890 the importations
were $4,000, 900 pounds, valued at about
81. 600 600
These figures Of the years importation
Of tin, and the growth in the importa-
tion since 1890. are especially interest
ing in view OF the recent imposition
of duty on expectations of tin ore
from the British colonies Of the MaIayan
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, sug-
gested the Importation of tin in the
form OF ore, and the smelling of the
ore and manufacture OF the pig tin at
home.
Plants May Remain Idle.
plant for this purpose has been
erected in the United States, and the
Peninsula was about to begin when the
Department of Commerce and Labor re-
ceived word, through the reports OF the
United States consul at Straits Settle
ments. that an export duty Of $50 per
picul (133 pounds) had been levied on
tin ore exported; the purpose of this ex-
port tax on the ore being to prevent It's
expectation in the natural state. and to
retain for the people OF the Malayan
States the profits of smelling.
Whether this will terminate the proi
ect 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 being $4,000 tons. out
of total of $4,000 tons entering the
markets of the world in that year. Next
in Importance in the tin product Of the
world after that of the Malayan States.
is that of the Dutch East Indies. which
marketed about 10000 tons in 1901, Be-
livia about 10000 tons, Australia about
1000 tons and Wales about 1000 tons.
Will Examine Philippines.
Whether the proposed smelters 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 ex-
port 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 Philip
pine Islands, and this fact, coupled with
the growing demand for tin in the
United States. may lead to careful ex-
animation as to the possibility of tin
production in the Philippines.
OF our Importation of tin last year
100000 pounds came from the East
Indies. IS. goo. 900 from the United King
dom and about 4.OOO, 600 from Neither
lands
1t must not be supposed that all of the
tin imported into the United States is
used in the manufacture of tin plate.
though large share Of IL is utilized in
that industry. Prior to the beginning
of the manufacture of tin plate there
we're considerable importations of tin
ranging from 10000, 900 to 10000 600
pounds per annum, and in 1890 It was
5000, 000 pounds. Tho manufacture of
tin plate practically began in 1891, the
total production of that year being
about LOCO tons; by 1895 IL was 113. 900
tons. by 1900 II was 302. 600 tons, and in
1902 1861 900 tons. Meantime the i'm
portation Of pig tin grew from 30, 600. 900
pounds In 1890 TO A, 600 900 in 1895. TO-
Geo, 600 In 1900, and IS 900, 900 in 1909
fiscal year just ended.
Imports Balance Exports.
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 importation of tin plate
amounted 10 $50. coo, 900 pounds; in 1895
| 5CS,000 900 pounds. in 1900 147,OOO. 900
pounds, and in 1903 110. 0O0, goo pounds.
Meantime expectation of domestic tin
plate has begun in a small way, begin
ming with about 20 900 pounds in 1895
and amounting to about !, 800 600 pounds
in 1903. About 20, 00O. 900 pounds of Amer
lean tin was also sent TO Alaska last
year for use in the manufacture of tin
cans, IN which $4,000, 900 worth of Alas
kan salmon were packed and shipped to
the United States.