The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1908-11-26
CARNEGIE WANTS
TARIFF LOWERED
DECLARES STEEL AND OIL INDUS.
TRIES NO LONGER NEED HELP
FROM PROTECTION.
NATIONAL NOT PARTY ISSUE.
He Advocates Reduction on Everything
Except Wines, Wriskies, Beer and
All Kinds of Tobacco.
THE LAST NAMED ARE LUXURIES.

/ NEW YORK. Nov. 23.-Calling spe-
officially for immediate abolition of the
tariff on oil, sugar, thread and steel,
Andrew Carnegie, in a signed article in
the December Century Magazine, deliv-
ers hard blows at his one-time business
! associates and fellow money dictators
Mr. Carnegies contribution is entitled,
my Experience With and Views Upon
the Tariff 1t is likely to be particular
I ly interesting to holders of stock III the
billion dollar steel trust, of which class
of securities Mr.. Carnegie now does not
own a cents worth, and to John ID.
Rockefeller III the latter's present eff
fort to indicate on the witness stand
protection, rebates and other aids to his
Hazardous business of building up
100000 corporation on IL foundation
of $1,000.
Says Mr.. Carnegie:
The oil producers, like the steel pro-
ducers of our country, need no protection
from the products of other lands and
the retaliatory act should be promptly
repealed
Mr.. Carnegie pays his attention to the
prohibitiye tariff on steel, under which
the billion-dollar trust is enabled to pay
fabulous profits TO insiders and yearly
fortunes to favored officers by keeping
up the price of steel at height that
materially affects small builders and con-
tractors. He says:
Steel Trade Is Safe.
The day has passed when any foreign
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"
prn.aaIinp no nrf in a
says:
There are several features of our
tariff affecting the masses of our peo-
pie which should be carefully looked into,
since they subject these to the increased
cost Of some of the necessares of life
| notice three charges often made against
our present tariff.
The first in Importance relates to IL
Illuminating oils. 1t is charged that Con-
gress refused to place duty on these,
but by some means a bill was passed
which provided that upon oil from any
country that taxed American oils Il CORE
spending tax would be collected IN
America upon oils imported from such
country. Russia then taxed American
oils, and our oil producers enjoy protec-
ton from Russian oils and the ludicrous
spectacle is seen of each country protect
ing itself from importations of oil from
the other.
IF all this be true this is clearly not
case of genuine protection. 1t gives to
each interest a monopoly of oil in its
own country.
Tells of Oil Agreement.
1T is said, but how truly the writer
does not know, that although the Rus
sian and American companies have
agreed between themselves not to invade
each others country, nevertheless oils
found their way in through sales made
by those companies to other parties and
that existing legislation was therefore
secured by oil companies i'll Russia and
America.
1T is such and other kindred charges
published throughout the country that
makes the tariff the object OF attack as
vehicle of corruption.
'No duty is more imperative upon the
part Of the honest upholders of the prin-
ciple of protection when needed than to
purge the next tariff of every trace OF
other than open and honest legislation
clearly intended to shield the masses
from unfair taxation, and thus promote
national prosperity.
The second charge often presented
relates to the thread industry. The
leading producers in Great Britain and
America have consolidated and, it is
said. virtually fix prices. The present
duty enables the home producer to main
tam nlSUtf prices mere, Nilt ilN db'ii-
ton would enable the continental man
ufacturer to export their product to
America in competition with the consoil-
datiOn. which has now a monopoly.
National, Not a Party Issue.
THE Republican party has nursed
home industries. supported, however, rs
we have seen, by an element in the
Democratic party, which we sober pro
lao
ing the wiser element of that party.
Hence the tariff has become a national,
not party issue.
In short, Mr. Carnegie, advocates a
reduction of duties all along the line on
everything except wines, whisky, beer
and tobacco, which he calls 'luXuries Of
the rich
EpigrammaticaIly he remarks: IF
you don't smoke or drink you don't get
taxed"