THE TIN PLATE HUMBUG.

CONGRESSMAN BUNTING'S EXPOSURE OF REPUBLICAN FALSE PRETENSES IN HIS SPEECH IN

THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

On January 16, 1889, Senator Allison went on record with the prophesy that "within less than one year there will be in this country a sufficient plant to manufacture all the tin plate that we use."

On April 16, 1890, the McKinley Ways and Means Committee reported to the House that "it has been demonstrated that we can manufacture tinned plate as successfully as it can be done in England. Its production here suitable for all uses is no longer experimental. The bill provides that the increased duty shall not go into effect until July 1, 1891, and it is believed that manufacturers encouraged in this proposed legislation in the meantime will adapt their plants to the new production, and that in the end the advanced duty will not enhance the cost to consumers."

Let us see to what extent these predictions have been accomplished after one year's experimenting at a total cost to the consumers of this country of $20,000,000, $4,600,000 of which went into the pockets of Welsh manufacturers of tin plate. Even were all the Republican claims true there would still be small recompense for this expenditure of $20,000,000. Their whole contention is summed up in the assertion of Congressman Taylor, of Ohio, that the McKinley bill has given the tin-plate industry a "prospective existence." But an examination of the present status of the industry shows that even this expectation of a "prospective existence" has but the flimsiest foundation.

The speech of Hon. Thomas Bunting in the House of Representatives, June 16, 1892, illuminates the situation. The main points of this speech are as follows:

"Col. Ira Ayers, Special Agent of the Treasury Department, has recently edited some original matter printed at Government expense. In his little treatise he touches on prospective American tin-mining, prospective American tin-plate mills, and inadvertently, on the sworn statement of tin-plate manufacturers, expose the present insignificance of the American tin-plate industry.

It is claimed that we are doubling up these tin-plate productions every quarter. That is the claim set forth by Mr. Ayres. Now, I want to show you that instead of doubling up, the manufacturers are falling out as fast as they get into line. You will find in the first summary, September 31, 1891, five concerns reporting. The first is the pioneer of the tin-plate industry, Cronmeyer, who reports for the first quarter 139,000 pounds; for the second quarter, 161,000; for the third quarter only 120,000, an actual falling off for the last quarter. The Pittsburgh Electro-plating Company for the first quarter reports 550,000 pounds; for the second quarter, 255,000; and for the quarter only 98,000. Marshall Brothers for the first quarter report 45,000 pounds; for the second quarter, 59,000; and for the third quarter, "none." N. & G. Taylor, "Out of business." That covers the first summary; and here is the second quarter, December 31, 1891: William P. Simpson, of Cincinnati, second quarter, 7,500 pounds; third quarter, only 995 pounds. Fleming & Hamilton, second quarter, 225,000 pounds; third quarter, none." The Apollo Iron and Steel Company, Apollo, Pa., second quarter, 31,000 pounds; third quarter, none."

Here is the McKin`ey Tin Plate Company, Pittsburgh, Pa. I have a little special report on that company. Here is a letter received from that company on May 26, which says:

When you are needing American terne, we should like to submit a sample of McKinley, by box or the car load.

That was on May 26. I have a leaf here from R. G. Dun's Mercantile Agency, of June 4, which says:

Pittsburgh, McKinley Tin Plate Company, limited, dissolved on vote of stockholders.

This concern did not

Here is another, the Keystone Tin Plate Company. make any report. This is also closed, and wants to sell. The argument used is that it cost too much for imported pig tin, and imported sheets, and imported labor and the whole plant can be bought for $2,500. A further inducement is that the rent is only 50 cents a day for the whole establishment, and that they have the use of one arc light, on which the rent is 60 cents a day. I know whereof I speak, because I have been there as a buyer.

Of the five concerns reporting for the first quarter, therefore, four have either gone out of business or decreased their output according to the returns for the third quarter. Seven out of the eleven reporting for the second quarter have either gone out of business or decreased their output. These are the oldest establishments in the business. What is the significance of this to a business man? It simply means that the business is a sham. As my friend from Indiana [Mr. SHIVELY] said yesterday, it is no trick to make tin plate. I think, how. ever, my friend made one assertion that was not exactly correct when he said that there had been no tin plate made by American labor.

I know that is not the fact, because the gentleman from Indiana and the gentleman from New York have had the honor of making tin plate at Philadelphia, and it was not low-priced labor either.

Here, then, Mr. Chairman, is the infant tin-plate industry which has grown up under the McKinley Act—

Mr. Wilson of West Virginia-Has the gentleman figured out exactly what proportion of all the tin plate made in this country was made by the gentleman from Indiana and the gentleman from New York?

Mr. Bunting-I have not. I will say that the gentleman from Indiana took the place of the Welshman, and the gentleman from New York took the place of the boy. The steel sheets were imported, as was also the tinning pot, pig tin, and palm oil, and we paid the Welsh inventor a royalty for the use of the machine.

Mr. Warner-Is that the only tin plate that has been made in this country without imported labor?

Mr. Bunting-So far as we know, it is.

Mr. Wilson of West Virginia-I want to say, Mr. Chairman, that I have made one sheet of tin plate.

N. & G. TAYLOR & Co.'s BAD EXAMPLE.

I wish now to get down to say a few additional words about our friend Taylor in Philadelphia, who is the present tin-plate authority on the other side of the House. Here is something that has come to me quite recently, and in order to give the committee the benefit of the information, I will read a portion of a letter written by Mr. Taylor, dated April 19, in which, speaking of the tin-plate making process, he says:

By this process two boys can pass as many as 70 boxes of IC 14x20 in ten hours; you surely can not consider that there is very much expense attached to this, and we are surprised that the canners in this country do not consider the manufacturing of their own plates, it is so simple; and as far as the value is concerned, take for instance IC 14x20 coke tin, 112 sheets to the box, the black sheet would weigh about 100 pounds, the present value being 334 cents. 100 pounds black sheets, 334 cents.. 11⁄2 pounds pure tin for coating.

To which must be added the labor. In Great Britain we understand that the total labor is counted at 14 cents, but in making a full calculation we would take double the amount, namely...

$3.75

30

28

$4 33

As the market value of these plates to-day is about $5.25, you can see there is a difference of $1.02 per box, surely enough for the canner to consider the advisability of producing his own goods. There are so few things necessary to make the finished article that the cost can be easily reached, and we are sure that if the canners of the United States would carefully consider the advisability of producing the tin for their own consumption it would not be a great while before this would be started and in time reach large proportions.

Here is a man who, we are told, proposes to go into the tin-plate business in a large way. The report of Mr. Ayres says that he proposes to put $400,000 of capital into a tin-plate plant, yet here he is advising his prospective patrons to go into the tin-plate business themselves! And while he claims that he will be in shape in a few days to turn out tin plates, and that two boys will turn out a car load every three days, we yet find him in his lucid business intervals writing letters to the trade like the following:

PHILADELPHIA, March 29, 1892.

GENTLEMEN: We understand from our Mr. Green that you will be in the market next month for a car load of canning tin. We should be pleased to hear from you when you are

ready to place your order, as considerable would be saved by a direct shipment from England, especially for a quantity of at least two car loads.

ADRIAN PACKING Co., Adrian, Mich.

Very truly, yours,

N. & G. TAYLOR & Co.

Why does he not quit writing letters and go into the tin-plate business in reality? He says he can make $1 per box and that two boys would produce twenty boxes per day, which, at 28 cents per box (his estimate), would amount to $19.60 a day for labor, $9.80 for each of these boys and $70 per day profit for himself."

The Anderson Tin Plate Company of Anderson, Ind., reported to Col. Ayers as follows:

ANDERSON, IND., March 31, 1892.

DEAR SIR-Yours of the 29th received. I have just mailed quarterly report to you and will now give the information you ask in reference to plant. But I will first explain why our output is so small when our capacity is about 18 tons per week (and will be 36 tons within ten or fifteen days)..

The writer accidentally got into the business by trying to help a Welshman start. He did not know anything about the tinning department, consequently he squandered the money furnished. I could not allow a failure, and have kept on gathering information and experimenting with the best men I could get, and to-day we are fixed to make tin and terne plate equal to anything in the world. We now require running capital only to make a splendid showing this spring and summer. With running capital we can increase our capacity every thirty days about 400 boxes. If the tariff is not disturbed you will see hundreds of tin-platemanufacturers over here to take a hand with us inside of two years.

Our plant consists of two tinning stacks, capacity for 800 boxes, 20 by 14, or about 4,00),000 pounds yearly, of I C. The workroom or tinning room is 30 by 50, about 34 feet high (to roof), giving good air to the operators. In this room the picker, rubbers and dusters work with the washman, tinners, catchers, etc. The assorting and packing room is 25 by 60, one story, superintendent's office 12 by 15, and storage room 25 by 25.

We are now using a five-roll "Morewood" set for tin, but as soon as our own five-roll set is ready we shall use the Morewood on ternes. Capital for running expenses is all that will prevent our putting in another stack to give us a capacity for 1,200 boxes weekly.

We buy our black plates, and are satisfied to let the duty remain just as it is. All we want is capital to handle the stuff and get the most out of it. We have less than $20,000 invested. Our experience has been well paid for, and we feel that we can make as good, if not superior, plate (tin or terne) to anything imported at present prices, and make nice dividends. Truly yours,

THE ANDERSON TIN PLATE Co.,

Per C. B. ORVIS,
General Manager.

Now comes the sequel to the report of this particular concern which had '$20,000 or less" invested in its plant, and which only needed capital to make a "splendid showing” and “nice dividends” about August 1, 1892. This company was sold out by the sheriff for the sum of $218.30. According to the New York Post:

"This 'plant' was bought in Wales. It gave employment to four men, three of whom were imported from Wales. There were also a few boys and girls employed. The black plates were also imported from Wales, an attempt having been first made to use Pittsburgh plates. The Indianapolis Sentinel's account of the sale says that some farmers in the neighborhood came in to attend it, being moved by curiosity, not having heard before that there were any tin-plate works at Anderson. One of the imported Welshmen said that

he had been promised $2.50 per day, but that since he was out of employment altogether, he perceived that he had made a mistake in coming to this country. Now this mighty establishment, the Anderson Tin Plate Company, which failed for $218 and was bid in by the creditor, who held a judgment for this sum, is to be reopened, as we learn from the most religious evening newspaper in the United States, which has a despatch from Indianapolis saying:

'C. B. Orvis, principal owner of the Anderson tin mill, was in Indianapolis to-day, matur. ing plans for pushing the work.

'Mr. Orvis says the difficulties will be settled, and that between the 15th and 20th of this month the mill will be running day and night, turning out a thousand boxes of tin plate a week, for which there is a ready market at good prices.

'Mr. Orvis says the suits which brought his industry under the hammer were instigated by Democratic politicians and newspapers, who have announced their determination to wreck the tin-plate industry at any cost in the interest of the Democratic party.'

Of course, if the Democrats could stop a manufactory of campaign badges for the small sum of $218, they would be just mean enough to do so."

The prospectiveness of this industry fades further into the distance the more it is examined. At the present moment it would require a telescopic vision to see when this $20,000,000 a year experiment would result in placing it upon the footing prophesied for it in one year by Senator Allison.

The Republican Administration has been driven to dire straits to make even the poor showing claimed by them.

The Government summaries published for the nine months ending March 31 and quoted in the minority report show that 5,240,830 pounds of tin plate and terne plates has been produced. The same report gives our average yearly consumption of tin-plate and terne plates at 678,000,000. Hence the domestic manufacturers are now supplying less than one per cent. of consumption, and the whole output for the nine months would last American consumers just twenty-two hours.

Even this poor showing must be discounted when it is known that black sheets, used for stamping and tinning, are tin plates according to the provisions of the law and that the Treasury Department holds that imported sheets, if dipped here in imported tin, also constitute " American" tin plates. The returns to the Government permit also a manufacturer of black plates to return his product as sold for stamping, while these same sheets may be returned by another concern that manufactures them into tin plates, thus duplicating the same product in the Government summary.

About one per cent. of the total consumption is all that $20,000,000 in. creased taxation has secured, and even this amount is only obtained by counting as American tin plates the British black plates imported and tinned here. The importation of these plates in the whole year ending June 30, 1890, before the McKinley Bill went into operation, was only 2,298 pounds. It shot up to 5,418,522 pounds in nine months ending March 31, 1892, and during this time the Treasury Department reported a manufacture of 5,240,830 pounds of American tin plate, showing that there remained at that time 177,722 pounds of British black plate to be tinned. The duty on black plate is $1.65 per 100 pounds, while on tin plate it is $2.20 per 100 pounds. This affords a fine chance for profit at the expense of the consumer, since tin-plate dipping is