Page:The New Protectionism.djvu/35

This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
THE REVIVAL OF PROTECTIONISM
11

has everywhere given prominence to certain staple manufactures in textiles and metals, etc., which, by reason of their widespread utility and importance, assumed the chief role in foreign trade. It was natural that whatever aids Government could render to these wealthy, concentrated, enterprising trades, by way of safeguarding for them the possession of their domestic markets wherever seriously threatened, and of obtaining new foreign markets, should become objects of political endeavour among the members of these trades. To these staple textile and metal trades other important capitalist industries have sometimes attached themselves — e.g. shipbuilding and shipping, chemicals, leather, etc. — bringing organized political pressure on their national Government to get tariff protection, bounties, railroad facilities, and various diplomatic and other political assistance in winning foreign markets. If the members of a few strong national trades can exercise a series of special pulls in the construction of a tariff, or the

This article is issued from Wikisource. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.