THE COLONIST. published every Morning. Saturday, February 6, 1909. MR CARNEGIE AND FREE TRADE.

Colonist, Volume LI, Issue 12458, 6 February 1909, Page 2

THE COLONIST. published every Morning. Saturday, February 6, 1909. MR CARNEGIE AND FREE TRADE.

An article; written by Mr Andrew Carnegie in "The" World's Work" for December has been the subject bf muchcomment, according to recent files, in England and America. While at war with the Socialists, Mr Carnegie en-, dorses the fundamental principles of their programme of taxation, and he -endorses the Socialist demand that the death duties should be raised to: fifty per cent, and he also agrees with .them that the poor should be free from either direct or indirect taxation. ,' Greater surprise is expressed at an, article in the "Century" -mag-, azine : for >the same month, 'in which -Mr Carnegie appears as a strong-ad-vocate, of free trade in the United - States. He declares that "All, things considered the McKinley Bill was -.the wisest tariff reform measure ever : .-fraraed, 7*;' -But," he continues,' • ''McKinley would not now be in favour of modifying the tariff, since Ameri-; cans can make steel cheaper than anyone else in the -world. The United States "made last year more steel•(over'23iooo,ooti tons) than Germany, TBritain," France and" Belgium combined) 7New steel; works are under construction which -will produce enough to enable her to make more than the whole -world besides.; This she will do "within 'five -years, probably within three. The day has passed .when any / foreign country .can seriously affect *v , '-. d.

her steel manufacturers, tariff or no tariff. The Republic has become the home of steel, and this is the age ©f steel. "The infant we have nursed" proceeds the writer, "approaches the day when he should be weaned from tariff milk and fed upon the stronger food of free competition. It needs little, if any more nursing, but the change shonld nofc be made abruptly. It is better to err upon the safe side, if we err at all; but he is the best of protectionists who corrects all faults as they are revealed, and positively declines to subject the nation to protection'ih any branch where it is not clearly needed, affording protection always with the resolve that it shall be temporary. Duties and provisions manifestly out of date —all such and everything of a dubious character in our tariff legislation, our party, in the forthcoming revision, as the legitimate protector of the true protective policy, should boldly sweep away." In conclusion, a "tariff for protection," which was the issue 40 years ago, should now give place to "tariff for revenue," and therefore the strict maintenance of the present duities upon foreign luxuries paid by the rich. The present tariff rightly exempts the masses of the people, from almost all national taxation, because they have not the ability to pay, as required by Adam Smith, the greatest economic authority. The United States, he predicts, will he the greatest Free Trade country in the,world. In the writer's opinion, the revision of the .'.tariff could to-day safely and advantageously be made a racial one upon the lines suggested;' but if Congress, in deference to the timid manufacturer, "whom we have always with us," thinks it prudent not to disturb his dreams unduly, and only halves present duties upon some articles, and abolishes them entirely upon others — always provided it guards zealously the present duties upon the luxuries of the rich for revenue-*-the writer will be thankful and philosophic as.usual.because one step in the right direction will have been taken, and he knows the final step must come before long. ; the sooner the better. ' ' i -1 i ■ ( ■ . ; ■ { 1