The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1916-05-22
Tin Plate Made in America"


I'm West Virginia the national is-
sue OF greatest Importance In the next
election will be a high protective tar
IT." declares Virgil Highland, Repub-
mean national committeeman OF West
virginia. West Virginia is a pro-
lection state because of her vas. cuJl
resources, her lumber, tin plate. glass
and pottery interests. We produced
last }. ar more glass hen any other
individual section in t;.c world. be.
llcie. Our coal 1epo..'s are cn0r-
nous. ohr forests among the most
important in this country, while in
recent years we have taken leading
place in the manufacture OF tin plate
and pottery. Necessarily we arc
deeply Interested in the tariff. and
our people are for that party that
protects our interests"
Mr.. Highlands reference to the
tin plate industry In West Virginia
is OF particular interest as showing
the effect OF protective tariff in
developing an industry in this coun-
try. Z. II. Crawford. president OF the
Mckeesport Tin Plate Company Is au-
thority for the following statement:
ut was not until 1890 that we
felt that tin plate got anything like
fair consideration at the hands OF Con-
gress. In the bill of 1890 (the Nc.
Kinley bill) there was a duty OF 20
cents per pound imposed, and 1t was
under this act that business was es-
tablished in this country. Going
back TO 1870 and coming down to
1890 the cost OF tin plate to the
people OF this country ran from $3.50
to as high as $3.50 per box. Since
1890. when the business became es-
tablished in this country, there has
been reduction in the selling price,
until 1912, where our prices. covering
all the requirements of this country.
ran from about 1915 to 1925 a box"
This is for 100 pound boxes. The
total industry OF the country in 1912
had capacity of about 100000 tons,
equal 20 100000 boxes, and en,-
ployed $4,000 hands. the value of the
commodity being about 1000. 900.
In this production there were re-
CURED 2.350.000 tons OF ore, 1885,
900 tons OF coke. 100000 tons OF
limestone. 100000 tons OF pig iron,
and 1,125,O00 tons OF steel. Total
wages per annum paid American
workmen dependent upon the in plate
industry. $31. 100000. The industry
is to be found in Maryland, Pennsyl-
vania. Ohio. West Virginia. Indiana,
and Illinois.
Our chief competitor In the manu-
facture Of tin plate is Wales and the
reduction of duty carried in the I'm
derwood law increased our importa-
lions in the ten months OF the opera
ton Of that law prior to the European
war. October. 1913 to July 1914. 15
per cent over the similar period
1928 with the Republican rates.
Comparing the labor cost of manu-
featuring gross ton of tin plate In
the United States and Wales and the
thirteen operations involved shows
for the United States cost OF $20.41,
for Wales s12.73, a difference of
$7.6s per 2.240 pounds. or 84.3 cents
per 100 pounds. On the lower cost
of raw material Wales has an ad-
vantage OF 10 cents per hundred
pounds; on smaller capital needed
in Wales. 10 cents per hundred
pounds; and on freight cost from
mills to consuming points. an aver.
age of 40 cents per hundred pounds.
total advantage in favor OF
Wales Of 97.3 cents per, hundred
pounds.
"The tin plate industry In this cuon-
try accepted rate under the Payne
law of s1.20 per hundred pounds. at
that time the Wales raw material ad-
vantage was 80 cents per hundred
pounds. The Underwood law cut the
duty to ] 5 per cent ad valorem which
was equivalent to between AS and
AZ cents per hundred pounds. Had
the European war not closed out
Wales competition in our market the
tin place industry in this country
would be in bad way today. AS 1t is,
not only have we had free hand in
our home market. but our exports
jumped from $4.600,000 during the
calendar year 1913, nine months of
which was under Republican law, to
100000 during 1915. having
dropped considerably in 1914, which
was under the Democratic law, but
five months of war. A splendid ar
gument for protection Is most thor
oughly presented by tin plate Made
in America