Democratic Sentinel, Volume 15, Number 40, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 October 1891 — TIN PLATES. [ARTICLE]

TIN PLATES.

The Reasonable Relations That Theib Manufacture Can Bear to .Politics. Congressman Springer, who made a speech at Hamilton on Tuesday, was asked by one of his auditors to say something about tin plate. In reply, Mr. Springer briefly and pointedly defined the only reasonable relation which the manufacture of tin-plate in this country can bear to politics. He said: “There is no particular skill required in the manufacture of tin plates. The steel or iron sheets, which constitute 95 per cent, of the weight of the finished product, have been produced in the United States for roofing and other purposes for many years, the thin coating of tin having been put on in Wales by unskilled and poorly paid labor. Tin plates can be made in this counlry. But that is not the question involved at this time. The question is: Can tin plates be made as cheaply here as they can in Europe? Upon this issue there can be no room for difference of opinion. The fact is practically conceded that they can not. With a tariff tax of JL cent a pound, which was about 33 per cent ad-valorem, it was admitted there could be no profitable production of tin plates in this coun* try. “The tariff remained at this rate for many vears, but no tin plates were made here. This demonstrates that it must cost at least 33 per cent, more to produce tin plates in this country than it does in Europe. Congress, at its last session, increased the taiiff to 2 2-10 cents a pound, or about 72 per cent, ad valorem. Under this protection it was claimed that tiu plates could be manufactured at a profit in the United States. Just what profit the manufacturer will receive at this rate remains io be seen. However, the manufacture of tin plate with 72 per cent, of protection is yet an experiment. " 881^ui ln k it will be successor j. x? re “ains undisputed that there can be no profit tble production of tin plates in this country unless the consumer pays 72 per cent, more for the home product than he would for the foreign article without the tariff.— Now we must purchase some manufactured articles from Europe or cease to export our products We are now exporting more than eight hundred million dollars’ worth of the produces of this cou itry. We can not afford to give them away. We :can not purchase breadstuff’s and provisions, for they are cheaper and more abundant here than m a foreign market. We can not sell for cash, for that would soon exhaust the coin of the world.— We must take, therefore, in exchange some of the manufactured products of Europe. I would rather take a part of this barter in tin plates than in almost anv other article that can be mentioned. If we could buy our tin plates in Europe and import them without payof 2% *VHWOO bushels of wheat, at ,$1 a bushel, w uld purchase a year’s supply at European wholesale prices. But if we *7u ° D . re i§P article a tax require 36,.. 000, WO bushels of wheat to pay - for the same amount oi. tin plates manufactured in this countrv or manufactured m Euro; e and said to the American consumer with tue tariff added. Hence it|would tie better to buy our tin plates abroad, bring them here on the

free list and thus save each year operation at least $16,000,-