The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-11-24
CARNEGIE AND THE TARIFF.

Andrew Carnegie. the exemplar of
wealth created by tariff favor. has writ
ten for the Century magazine an ar
ticle on tariff revision which is GER
tain to cause a profound sensation
among the benehciaries of import tax
alton. Not since Mr. Havemeyer, the
sugar magnate, declared that the
tariff is the mother of trusts" has
there been such a frank admission of
the fact that the tariff is no longer
deemed necessary even by those who
have profted most by it.
What purpose Mr.. Carnegie has in
making his statement at this time is
not known, nor need his motives be
questioned. since a reduction In the
schedules is not likely to profit him or
his interests. However, great weight
must attach to what he says. because
no individual American has been so
directly enriched by tariffs. and the
steel industry. in which he is still
powerful factor, is the object Of at
tack as one OF the most vicious of the
AAtilOpOilNS tSAdDllSlltQ Will the etlu VI
tariff legislation. Moreover. what is
true of the steel trust is also true Of
numberless other trusts which paral-
lei its economic history.
The most significant paragraph of
Mr. Carnegie's contribution reads:
The writer has co-operated in making
several reductions as steel manufacturers
became able 10 bear reductions. Today
they need no protection. unless perhaps in
some new specialties unknown tc the writ
or, because steel is now produced cheaper
here than anywhere else. Notwithstanding
tie higher wages paid per man. Not a ton
OF steel is produced in the world at as
small an outlay for labor as in our cOun-
try. our coke. coal and iron ores are
much cheaper. because more easily OBJ
tanned and transported. and our output
per man Is much greater. owing chiefly to
the large standardized orders obtainable
only upon our continent. the specialized
roll mills. the machinery kept weeks upon
uniform shapes without change Of rolls
and several other advantages.
The day has passed when any foreign
country can seriously affect our steel
manufacturers. tariff or no tariff. The
republic has become the home of steel
and this is the age of steel. IL NAV prob
ably be found that there exists the small
manufacture of some Speciality in steel
which st1l needs measure of protection.
The writer hopes. il such there be the
committee will give patient attention 10
such cases.
That has been the contention of
every tariff reformer for some time: IT
is borne out by the low prices at which
steel trust products have been sold
abroad in competition with foreign
manufactures; it has been established
by every statement Of the steel trust
relating to its cost of manufacture
and yet the Republicans have insisted
that a reduction of the tariff on steel
would mean the ruin Of the Industry
and the paralysis of the trust estab-
liShments
Time was when the advocates of an
extreme tariff argued that the foreign
er paid the tax; and a good many peo-
pie believed the assertion. Then it was
a cry for the salvation OF the American
laborer from foreign labor competition.
''pauper labor" as it was called. That
US - free he-ausc me Protected in
u1s'rics have been the chiol importers
OF ''pauper labor" bringing il into more
direct and more peruicious competition
with American citizens Than any free
trade policy could effect.
Bereft of these excuses, the protected
interests now abandon all other pleas
and boldly demand a tariff that shall
protect them enough to guard their
monopoly Of the market. and. in addi-
Ilon' give them - reasonable profit"
That reasonable profit was one Of
the Republican campaign promises. Be
fore the ways and means committee the
interests that argue Tor an increase in
the tariff on their particular products
seem to think that reasonable" profit
includes all the people viii stand. or
more IL congress can be induced 10
grant il The hearing has degenerated
into great grab game in which the
protection benefciaries are arranging to
grab everything and leave the consun-
er and producer nothing
II Mr.. Carnegies article had no other
use. II would be valuable because it
is lucid exposition of existing fact by
an authority whose knowledge cannot
BE- questioned. Steel and iron have al
ways been the sacred white elephants