The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-06-15
J. s. DEPENDS
 ON ORIENT FOR
 ITS TIN IMPORTS

tIne practical suspension or the lIu- portation of pig tin into the United States affects an industry turning out. at the present time over $100, 100000 worth of products. All of the tin used In the manufacture of the $100,000,- poo worth of tin plate now produced in the United States is imported, more than 90 per cent. of it originating in the Orient, and with the partial sus pension of shipments fro mthat part of the world, recently announced, the United States becomes more depen dent upon it's South American neigh Dor, Bolivia, which products about 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 worlds tin, all efforts to develop | b. successful tin mining industry in the United States have thus far prov ed unsuccessful. Small quantities have | been found in Alaska and smaller 1 quantities in other parts of the United States but not enough to supply even | bne per cent. of the large and steadily | Increasing quantity required by our tin plate and other industries. The quan- tlby OI Llu lIllpOL LOA llllO bllC V AlASSN States has grown from 70 million lbs. | In 1900 to approximately 150 million fb in 1917. The value of the 1900 l importation was 19 million dollars and that of 1917 6S million dollars the price per pound having also greatly advanced during the period in ques- l ton. A compilation by The National City Bank of New York shows that the sums of money sent out of the United States for the purchase of tin since the beginning of the tin plate industry in 1893, having aggregated Approximately 700 million dollars. About 90 per cent. of the tin imported is used in the manufac, ure of tin plate
 During this period the quantity of tin plate produced in this country has grown from 42 million lbs. in 1892 to 1 billion lbs. in 1903 billion lbs. lin 1912, 1,S45, ,000, 900 lbs. in 1914, and 2,766, 900, 900 fb lbs. in 1916. The value of the output of tin plate is stat ed by the census of 1899 at 32 mil lion dollars and for 1914, 6S million dollars, making it apparent that the annual value now exceeds $100,00 GOO. About 25 billion lbs. of tin plate have been produced in the United States in the 25 years since the begin ming of the industry. Mean time, tin plate has assumed an important position in the list of exports from the UnieoA States; the value of the ex- ports of domestic tin plate having grown from one thousand dollars in 1899 to one million dollars in 1908, 12 millions in 1915, 21 millions in 1918 and A2 million dOilars in 1917.
 The distribution of this tin plate now exported extends to practically every part of the world. Of the 523 million IDS. exported in 1917, 64 mill lion lbs. went to Argentine, 30 mill lions to India, 20 millions to the Dutch East Indies, from which much of the tin for it's manufacture is i'm ported II millions to Straits Settle ments, which supply an even larger quantity of the tin used in the manu fracture. 23 million lbs. to China, 49 millions to Japan, millions to Asiatic Russia, while even the United King dom, which ranks next to the United States as a. manufacturer of tin plate, took in 1916, e54 million pounds of our output and in 1915 26 million lbs.
 Prices of the tin improted for use in the manufacture of tin plate have steadily and consistently advanced not only during the war period but in the dozen preceding years, this increase in price being apparently due in part at least, to the increasing demand which has more than kept pace with production. The worlds out-turn of tin has increased but about 50 per cent. since 1900. while our own out turn of tin plate has trebled in the same period. The prices paid in the United States for imported, tin have advanced from less than 13c per fb . in 1897 to 27c in 19O0; 36c in 1911, 46c in 1913 and 53c per 10. in Decem- Der 1917 these figures being in all ca ses prices in the country from which the tin is imported into the United States.
 Most of the tin imported originates in the Malayan Peninsula the worlds largest producer of tin. Certain of the Dutch East India Islands in the same general section of the globe also supply considerable quantities of tin, some of which is shipped thence to the Malayan Peninsula for smelting and transportation. Hongkong is al so exporting comparatively small quantities of tin, produced in China, and Great Britain produces tin from her mines in Wales but not suf1- 'cient for her domestic use. Bolivia has been for many years a producer of tin, her output representing about 20 per cent. of the worlds production and having been in the past exported in the form of "concentrates' to Flu rope for smelting, but at present a part of it is being brought into the United States for smelting and sale tc the tin plate and other manufacturing industries of the country.