River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1908-11-26
CARNEGIE URGES
REFORM OF TARIFF
SAYS INDUSTRIES NO LONGER
NEED PROTECTION.
INFANTS" NOW MATURED
lronmaster Asserts That Duties on
luxuries Should Be Maintained,
Those on Manufactures
Greatly Reduced.

New York, Nov. "a notable
article from Andrew Carnegie, dealing
with the tariff will appear in the forth
coming December number of the Cen
fury Magazine, in which the ironmas-
ter takes the position that Infant in
dustries" no longer need protection;
that the steel and other industries
have now grown beyond the need of
tariff protection; that duties on luXu-
ries used by the rich should be main
tanned, but that those on manufac-
tured articles should be reduced great
ly, or abolished entirely when no long
er 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 a number of anecdotes
in which he figured with the promi-
nent tariff leaders of the various
periods.
Viewed from New Standpoint
He adds:
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 condi-
tons have changed SO greatly in the
interval that the tariff should now be
viewed from a new standpoint" The
writer assumes that a decided ma
jority 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 eXhaus-
tive trials, if success be not finally at
tanned, such protection should cease,
except as noted hereunder
Third, that should the experiment
succeed, protection becomes unneces-
sary, and should steady but gradually
be abolished, provided that the home
supply of any article absolutely neces-
sary for the national safety shall not
thereby be endangered
Infant Industries No Longer.
Further on Mr.. Carnegie says:
1--WE 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. The pulling infant in the
nurses arms that congress in 1871
nursed so tenderly will appear next
year before it's guardian as the stall
wart champion who has conquered in
many fields, thus proving himself
worthy of the protection bestowed
upon him in his youth, and fully vim
dicating the protective policy pursued.
while the tariff as whole even
to-day has ceased to be primarily bene-
fetal as a measure of protection, it
has become of vast Importance from
the standpoint of revenues and it is
to this feature I bespeak the special
attention of readers of all parties, for
duties upon imports, not for protection
but for needed revenue, should not be-
come a party question. Reasonable
men of all parties may be expected to
approve this plan of obtaining rev.
enUe."
Exempts Poor, Taxes Rich.
After giving tables showing that the
bulk of tariff duties are collected on
Injuries used by the rich, Mr.. Carnegie
says:
"Thus does the American tariff, in
happy contrast to others, almost eX-
empt the poor and heavily tax the rich,
just as it should, for it is they who
have the ability to pay as required by
the highest economic authority
Mr.. Carnegie says of future tariff
legielation:
"The next congress dealing with the
tariff will probably be inclined at first
to reduce duties all around and per
haps to abolish some, but it's first
care should be to main tain present du-
ties, and even in some cases to in
crease them, upon all articles used al
most exclusively by the rich, and thls
not for protection. but for revenue.
not drawn from the workers, but from
the rich. That is the first and prime
duty of congress. We should not for
get that government expenditures
have increased enormously in recent
wears and that additional revenue is
required.
'Its second duty is to reduce duties
greatly upon manufactured articles
and to abolish entirely those no longer
needed"