Democratic Sentinel, Volume 16, Number 35, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 September 1892 — The Tin Plate Infant. [ARTICLE]

The Tin Plate Infant.

Aooording to tho report of Special Agent Ira Ayer for the fiscal year ending June 30 last, just published by the Treasury Department, the number of works in operation and the production by quarters have been as follows: Production, Works. pounds. First quarter 0 826,942 Second quarter 11 1,109,821 Third quarter 20 3,209,225 Fourth quarter 26 8,200,751 Total 13,646,719 Of these twenty-six works nine produce their own black plates, while seventeen do the tinning only. The nine produced 5,197,028 pounds of tin and terne plates during the last quarter, and the seventeen produced 3,003,723 pounds. Protectionists everywhere are crowing loudly and think this the brightest infant yet born by the aid of protection; and some are making almost as glowing promises for Its future as did McKinley and Allison, who prophesied in 1890 that it would be born in six months and that in a year or two it would have its growth and be produolng all of our tin plate. It is to be expected that the Republicans will crow about something during a Presidential campaign, but if there is nothing better for them to crow over than this tin-plate industry in Its presgnj the party is indeed lacking for cifiipaign material. '"-T JNgi only js. the infant, as yet, very spall pus It is Feeble. At present we are manufacturing only about five per cent, of our total consumption, and the New York Daily Commercial Bulletin, whioh has made nn analysis of the establishments making tin plate, comes to the conclusion that “As long as prices remain high, such works as do the tinning, merely buying the black plates ready for this process, may get along, but the industry can never be firmly established here on this basis. The large manufacturers of sheet Iron and steel, IfliQSp work's are situated and who are In the best position to paake the tin plate industry a success, have not yet shown any Inclination to take up the new industry. The tin plate Industry can be established only when work shall be established on a large scale which will make a specialty of tin plates and carry on the production from the steel and Iron In the form of billets or bars. As yet but few such works are in operation or are projected. ” Grant that in a few years we shall be making all of our own tin and terne plates. What then? The industry would probably be more of a curse than a blessing to us. Saying nothing about expeoting or hoping to get back the $30,900,000 during the last three years, or the more, than $100,000,000 during the last twenty years, which the attempt to establish this industry has cost us, this artificially supported industry, like that of the manufacture of Bteel rails, of refined sugar, and of hundreds of others, would continue in its old age to take dollars, from consumers that It might restore cents to wage earners. If prices

of tin nhould remain about two cents per pound above the foreign price, as it undoubtedly will, as long as the manufacturers of steel sheets, of galvanized iron and steel and of tin plate maintain their eohnbine and are protected by a duty of 1$ 2-5 cents per pound, this industry Mil take $lO from the consumer, not $5 which will be paid to the wage earnersj' and not 50 cents of which will irepresent a gain to wage earners over what they could have eHhied in other industries. By virtuß>f the duty, which the American Ecoßfmist says should he retained “forever.Mthe tin-plate trust would continue tolßob us of $12,000,000 or $15,000,000 sjlrear, that $6,000,000 or $7,000,000 miglMgo as wages to 10,000 or 12,000 meiß who could earn almost as much iB a self-supporting industry. This is B the supposition that American laborerefiwill get the benefit of waged paid in Bis industry. As a matter of fact, a large proportion of the workmen in this.las in most other industries broughtßere by protection, are foreign-

born—brought here to rOduce wages by competing with American workmen. So long as this Infant must have protection pap to keep it alive here so long will it be a curse to us—yes, and if it should ever become so hardy that it could live without this pap and it should not be weaned by radical free-traders, it would still curse us as does the 50year old and still unweaned industries of making steel rails and sugar, which take millions from us every year, though we could make as many tons of steel rails and pounds of sugar and pay lust as high wages as if there were no duty at all.