The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1908-11-23

"INFANT INDUSTRIES"
DO NOT NEED PROTECTION
Duties on LuXuries Should Be
Maintained; Burden Should
Be Taken From Masses.

NEW YORK, Nov. ga notable
article from Andrew Carnegie, dealing
with the tariff, will appear in the forth
coming December number of the Cen
tury magazine. The iron master takes
the position that "infant industries" "
no longer need protection; that the
steel and other industries have now
grown beyond the need Of tariff protec
tion; that duties on luxuries used by the
rich should be maintained, but that
those on manufactured articles should
be reduced greatly or abolished en-
tirely when no longer needed.
Mr.. Carnegie S article is entitled "My
Experience with and Views upon the
Tariff He first reviews the tariff
movements down TO the present Ding
ley law, giving number of anecdotes
in which he figured with the leaders Of
the various periods. lie adds:
Need of Revision
''Much water has run under the
bridges since then. Many changes have
occurred, and hence many changes can
be judiciously made in the tariff. There
is no doubt about this; but, on the other
hand, have been led to the conclusion
that conditions have changed so greatly
in the interval that the tariff should
now be viewed from new standpoint
The writer assumes that decided
majority of our voters are agreed;
First, that it is advisable for new
countries to encourage capital by pro-
tective duties, when seen TO be neces-
sary to develop new industries.
"Second. that after full and eEhaus-
tive trials, if success be not finally at
tanned, such protection should cease, ex-
cept as noted hereunder.
''Tbird, that should the experiment
succeed, protection becomes unnecessary
and should steadily but gradually be
abolished, provided that the home sup.
ply OF any article absolutely necessary
for the national safety shall not there
by be endangered.
Further on Mr.. Carnegie says:
No Longer Infants
owe have already become by far the
greatest Of all manufacturing nations.
Our infant industries of the past have
reached maturity, and, speaking gen
orally. are now quite able TO protect
themselves. Tho infant In the nurse S
arms that congress in 1871 nursed so
renderly Will appear next year before
its guardian as the stalwart champion
who has conquered in many fields, thus
proving himself worthy OF the protec-
tion bestowed upon him in his youth and
fully vipdicating the protective policy
pursued.
"While the tariff as a whole, even
today, has ceased TO be primarily bene-
fetal as measure of protection, 1t has
become of vast Importance from the
standpoint Of revenue and it is TO this
feature l bcspeak the special attention
Of readers of all parties. for duties
upon imports, not for protection, but for
needed revenue, should not become a
party question. Reasonable men of all
parties may be expected TO approve this
plan OF obtaining revenues.
Tariff on Luxurics.
After giving tables showing that the
bulk of tariff duties are collected on
luxuries used by the rich, Mr.. Carnegie
says:
''Thus does the American tariff, in
happy contrast to others, also exempt
the poor and heavily tax the rich, Just
as il should, for it is they who have the
ability TO pay as required by the high
est economic authority
Mr., Carnegie says of future tariff
legislation:
!'The next congress dealing with the
tariff Will probably be inclined ut first
TO reduce duties all around and perhaps
to abolish some, but its first care should
be 10 maintain present duties and even
in some cases to increase them upon all
articles used almost exclusively by the
rich, and this not for protection. but
for revenue; not drawn from the work.
ers, but from the rich. That is the
first and prime duty of congress. We
should not forget that government eX.
peuditurcs have increased enormously in
recent years and that additional rev.
enuc is required
"Tts second duty is TO reduce duties
4
TO abolish entirely those no longer
needed.
Free Trade for Steel.
"The writer has co-opcratod in max
ing several reductions as steel mauufac
turcrs became able 10 bear reductions.
Today they need no protection, unless
perhaps IN some new SpCciIlties uu
known TO the writer, because steel is
now produced cheaper here than any
where else, notwithstanding the higher
wages paid per man. Not a ton OF steel !
is produced in tho world at Us small an
outlay for labor rs in our country. Our |
coke, coal and iron ores are much cheap !
or, because more easily obtained and !
transported and our output per man is !
much greater, owing chiefly TO the large !
standardized orders obtaipable only !
upon our continent. the specialized roll I
mills. the machinery kept weeks upon /
uniform shapes without change of rolls, (
and several other advantages.
1.-THE day has passed When any for I
eipn country can seriously affect our
steel manufactures. tariff or no tariff.
The republic has become the home of
steel. and this is the age of steel, 1t .
NAV probably be found that there eX-
lists the small manufacture of some spe-
cialty in steel which still needs "a meas
ure of protection, The writer hopes.
If such there be. the committee will
give patient attention TO such cases.
Ii is better to err on the side of giving
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