New Britain herald., 1918-06-07
Pig iron INDUSTRY
IS AT STANDSTILL
And With It Is Entailed a Tie-up
Of S10O,0OO;0OO

New. York, June 1.-THE practical
suspension of the importation of pig
tir into the United States affects an
Industry turning out at the present
time over $10O,0O0,OO0 worth of
products. All Of the tin used in the
manufacture of the 500, 10000
worth of tin plate now produced in
the United states is imported, more
than 80 per cent. of it originating in
the Orient, and with the partial sus-
pension of shipments from that part
of the world, recently announced, the
United States becomes more depend
ent upon its South American neigh
Dor, Bolivia, which produces alout
20 per cent of the worlds tin and is
practically the only world producer
of tin outside the Orient.
While we consume about one-half
of the large and steadily increasing
cop a successful tin mining industry
Y iii the United States have thus far
proved unsuccessful. Small quaint
ties have been found in Alaska. and
smaller quantities in other parts OF
the United States, but not large
enough to supply even one per cent.
of the large and steadily increasing
quantity required by our tin plate
and other Industries. The quantity of
tin imported into the United States
has grown from 70 million lbs. in
1900 to approximately $50 million
lbs. in 1917. The value Of the 1900
importation was 10 million dollars,
and that of 1917 6S million dollars,
the price per pound having also
greatly advanced during the period iE
question. A compilation by The Ma
tional City Bank of New York
shows that the sums of money sent
4out of the United States for the pur-
chase of tin since the beginning of
tho tin plate industry in 1893, having
aggregated approximately 700 million
dollars. About 90 per cent. of the
tin imported is used in the lnanufac-
ture of tin plate.
During this period the quantity Of
tin plate produced in this country has
grown from AZ million lbs. in 1892 to
j billion lbs. in 1908, 2 billion lbs in
1912, 1,845, 900 lbs. in 1914, and o.
1855, 900, 900 lbs. in 1916. The value of
the output of tin plate is stated by
the census of 1899 at 80 million dol
lars and for 1914 68 million dollars,
making it apparent that the annual
value now exceeds 500, 900, 900.
About 25 billion lbs. of tin plate have
been produced in the United States iii
the Is years since the beginning of
the industry. Meantime, tin plates
has assumed an important position in
the list of exports from the United
States; the value Of the exports Of do
mestic tin plate having grown from
one thousand dollars in 1899 to one
million dollars in 1908, IL millions in
1915 81 millions in 1916 and A. mill
lion dollars in 1917.
The distribution of this tin plate
now exported extends to practically
every part of the world. OF the 523
million lbs. exported in 1917, So mill
lion lbs. went to Argentina, 80 mil
lions to India, 90 millions to the
Dutch East Indies, from which much
of the tin for it's manufacture is i'm
ported, / millions to Straits Settle
mcnts, which supply an even larger
quantity of the tin used in the man
ufacture, % million lbs. to China 40
millions to JAPAN millions to Ash
attic Russia, while even the United
Kingdom, which ranks next to the
United States as a manufacturer of
tin plate, took in 1916 "a million lhe.
of our output and in 1915 26 million
lbs.
Prices of the tin imported for use