Tin Plate History

es since the tariiï discussion erning them have becorne an item of public interest. There seems to be a BUrprisiug igaoraiice on the part of the peopla concei'iiing their manufacture, the diversified uses to which they are applied, as well as to the qualities which niake them important iu the economy of living. Briefly stated, tin plates are iron or steel sheets cut to a convenient size plated with tin; in other words, iron or steel plates painted on both sides with a tin coating. Ninety per cent. of all the tin plates consumed in the world are made in Wales. For 170 years that little country has defied all competition in their manufacture. Added to a thorough knowledge of the practical features of the trade, the Welsh manufacturers have proved great inventors in bringing into r.se labor saving and material saving machinery. As iron and tin constitiite the entire bulk of and 90 per cent. of the entire cost of tin plates, their price and fiuctuation are the history of the tin production of the world and the sheet steel indnstry. Üwing to the scarcity of tin, prices advanced from 1864, when it was L87 per ton, to L159 in 1892. There was nearly as marked an advance in iron during the same period. This sent the price of tin plates up to 2Gs. per box. In 1878 tin reached .the exceedingly low price of L52 lOs. per ton. Iron reached a correspondingly low price, Philadelphia pig being quoted in 1876 at $16.50, as against $53 in 1872. The cheapness of these ingredients lowered the price of tin plates to 12s. l}d. Since that date the decline in plates has been in strict keeping with the price of iron and tin down to June, 1890, when speculation incident to the McKiuley tariff on tin plates set in. The cheapness of tin plates, togetlier with their durability for certain uses, and their adaptability as wrappers for hermetieally sealed canned food has greatly stimnlated their importation. In 1850 the importation wus only 500,000 joxes; uow it has reached over 6,000,000 Ooxes. üur natural increase in consuinption of plates since 1887 ainounts L 500,000 boxea each year. This increase is directly trapeable to the developnient of the canning industry, which now consumes inqre than 3,500,000 boxes yearly. These cans or wrappers for canned produce are made up with a large percentage of tin for soldering, as the solder needs to be strong and noncorrosive. From 15,000 to 18,000 tons of pig tin are required for this purpose annually. The canniug industry would never lave developed to its present status had t not had the advantage of cheap tin Dlates. G-lass was found to be too exjensive and the matter of its breakage ;oo extensivo to prove economical as a wrapper for a food product. Tin cans were found to be as wholesome as glass, jroof against breakage and less than one-third the cost of the glass jars. Under the stimulus of these cheap wrappers made from tin piafes the canning iudustry has made wonderful development, and being a direct evolution of agriculture has stimulated a class of intensive farming in the older settled portions of the country which has not only rescued farmers from an actual retrogression, but has made their farms remunerative. One million acres of land are now under exclusive cultivation for these oftnneries. As a farmer on an average devotes from eight to ten acres of his farm to this class of culture, it is shown that 100,000 farmers, or 500,000 people, are interested in the cultivation, growing and pioking of these fruits and vegetables which these can wrappers couvey, to the consumere of the country. It ws under these encouraging conditions of the canning industry, and the advnntages thus created by a home niarket for the farmers' produce, that the svipposed probibitive duty of 1890 on tin plates was inflicted. l'ut forth as a protection pure and simpljg to a few sheet roofing men in nn'.T-to drive out a competing article, the law utterly ignored the canning industry, which, unable to substitute galvauized iron or sheet steel for tin plates iníts manufacture of hermetically sealeS food producís, henee had no alterna! iVe but to pay the enhanced price or go out of the business. Reports from all sections of the country indicate clearly the effects of this arbitrary interference on the part of the goverament with an established industry. Letters received from over 100 concerns, both canners and manufacturers of tinware, and of all political shades, and scattered from Maine to California, set forth in most emphatic terms the injury of the increased duty on tin plates to their business. The policy of spoliation, however, has been perfectly vindicated. The sheet iron milis have been able to advance the prices of their products according to programme, and American consumere of tin platos have been taxed $21,000,000 to créate an industry which up to date has supplied u8 with less than twenty-two hours' consumption of American plates made of 90 per cent, imported material and by imported mechanics. Pres. Nat'l Canned Goods Association.